-Led by World Archery, the international governing body of competitive archery, the seemingly simple sport of firing arrows at a target has grown to

become the complex activity that it is today. Undertaken by highly-skilled professionals battling it out on the world stage, archery competitions are

usually classified into eight different age and gender groups.

Competitive archers may be classified by age, into Cadet, Junior, Open, and Master groups, with both male and female sub-categories for each. The

cadet group consists of young competitors aged 17 and below, while the junior category includes those aged from 18 to 20. The open category involves

adults aged 21 to 49, and the master one is for mature shooters aged 50 and above.

In addition to rules being set on firing, targets, and score allocation, it also has to be taken into consideration that the arrows will not always land

only within the target’s circles. Regulations regarding such cases have also been established to prevent dispute.

Should an arrow land on any of the lines separating the different circles, the higher point will be deemed valid. If an arrow is shot through another

arrow (dubbed ‘Robin Hood’), the number of points awarded follow that of the first arrow. Deflected arrows are also counted as shots, and points are

recorded based on where they hit. In the case of a misfire or early release, it will depend on whether or not the archer can reach out and grab the

arrow. If it is within his or her reach, a shot may be fired again without penalty.

The signals on the field are as follows :

●    Two whistle blasts: archers move to the shooting line

●    One whistle blast: archers may shoot

●    Three whistle blasts: archers may move to their targets to remove their arrows

●    Four or more whistle blasts: stop shooting immediately