St. Gerard’s League Guide

The St. Gerard’s League is held in the sports hall of St. Gerard’s Secondary School on the first Wednesday of each month in the autumn and winter, when Wednesday training takes place indoors. It’s completely optional, but is a great way of tracking your progress so we recommend joining in.

In a Nutshell: 

In each competition, archers will shoot 10 ends of 3 arrows per end, meaning a total of 30 arrows over the course of the evening. 

Beginners start at 10m on the 60cm target faces. 

The max score you can achieve is 300, when an archer scores 220 or higher, they can progress to the next level for the next month’s competition. 

Please note: You can only move up and not back distances. 

Each archer’s top 5 scores from the year will be used to calculate their overall league score. The top 3 archers will receive a prize in December at our prize giving night.  

On the Night 

The League kicks off at 8pm, it’s recommended you arrive to the hall as early as you can (any time from 7pm) so you have time to get some practice in before it kicks off. 

Two archers maximum can shoot one butt at a time (regardless of whether there are 2 or 4 faces on it), to ensure everyone has space to shoot comfortably and safely. 

Targets are designated letters (see below), with A and B shooting together, and C and D shooting together. 

A and B always shoot first on the first end, C and D shoot first the second end, then alternate for the 10 ends. The sequence is:

End 1: A and B, C and D

End 2: C and D, A and B

End 3: A and B, C and D

End 4: C and D, A and B

End 5: A and B, C and D

End 6: C and D, A and B

End 7: A and B, C and D

End 8: C and D, A and B

End 9: A and B, C and D

End 10: C and D, A and B

Arrows are pulled when all 4 archers have shot the end. 

Safety, Whistles, and Beeps!

Instead of the usual calls of “All back? Shoot” and “All shot? Collect” there is an automated timing system of beeps. 

Two beeps = Call to the line.

One beep = Shoot. 

Three beeps = Stop shooting. 

Three beeps is a hard stop. If you’re still drawing, let the bow down. Arrows shot during or after the beeps won’t count. 

Scoring Arrows 

Usual safety rules apply for collecting arrows. When scoring arrows for a competition, do not touch arrows until scores have been written on the score cards, and the person designated to fill in the scorecard has given the okay. 

Quick Rules About Scoring 

• If an arrow is on the line between two segments, the higher score is taken. 
• If an arrow is in the +, an X is marked on the scorecard and the max of 10 points is given for the X. This is simply good practice, as in national competitions, in the event of a tie, the archer with the most Xs would be declared the winner. 

Wrapping Up

After the last arrows have been shot, scored, and pulled, all archers must move back behind the safety line to finish adding up scores and filling in their details on their scorecard. 

This means shooting can continue while the cards are being finalised. The scorecards must then be left on the sign in desk so they can be added to the running totals for the year. 

Progressing 

On regular club nights you’re free to shoot any targets at any distance, but for the league you must shoot the target for the level you’re at. A score of 220 out of the maximum 300 is needed to progress through the distances. 

1
Distance: 10m
Face size: 60cm  

2
Distance: 15m
Face size: 60cm 

3
Distance: 18m
Face size: 60cm 

4
Distance: 18m
Face size: 40cm 

5
Distance: 18m
Face size: 20cm (aka three spots)

• If a recurve archer shoots a score of 250 or more at full distance, they must move into the Elite category
• If a compound archer shoots a score of 270 or more at full distance, they must move into the Elite category
• Scores will be added together every month to calculate ranking in each category.

 Equipment 

Ideally you’ll need your own bow, safety equipment, quiver, and at least 3 arrows. The club will be happy to loan you these until you’re able to buy your own equipment, but please note: Equipment can’t leave St Gerard’s and is only available to borrow for the League competitions provided they’re not needed for a beginners course. 

If you need advice on buying equipment, don’t hesitate to ask any of the coaches or other archers in the club. The only thing we love more than doing archery is talking about it so we’re more than happy to help.