To organize an archery competition, rely on a club affiliated with the FFTA, get the competition sanctioned (with judges), define the categories by bow type, by age and by gender, open registrations, run the qualification on score then build the match bracket (preceded by pools for small fields), schedule the targets, then publish the results. Allow a few weeks to a few months of preparation.
Step 1: understand the governing framework and sanctioning
Which governing body to organize an archery competition in France?
In France, the FFTA (Fédération Française de Tir à l'Arc) is the national governing body; at the international level, World Archery (the world federation) is the reference. The FFTA sanctions competitions and keeps the ranking of archers through its federal system. Recurve is an Olympic discipline since 1972.
Your first choice structures everything else: the level of the competition and its status. A sanctioned competition follows the FFTA specifications (judges, management through the federal system); an internal club event or a recreational open is more free. In both cases, the qualification, the matches, the score tracking and the schedule are the same building blocks, but sanctioning adds requirements.
Note: for sanctioned competitions, the FFTA frames the management of results and their reporting to the national ranking. A tool like CompetHub is aimed above all at club competitions, recreational opens and events, and complements the organization (registrations, match brackets, schedule, public results page). The tally of qualification points stays in the hands of the judges and the scorers. Inquire early with your departmental committee or your regional league, who support the sanctioning and clarify the requirements.
Step 2: define the categories, the bow types and the scoring
Which categories for an archery competition?
Categories are set by bow type (recurve, compound, barebow, longbow), by age and by gender. Distances vary by category and venue: 18 m indoors, up to 70 m outdoors. The FFTA national ranking follows the results of licensed archers.
Decide which bow types and which age categories you open: they are what determine who can register and how many match brackets you will have to manage. Publish clearly the open categories and the shooting distance, because these elements frame the whole competition, from the qualification to the matches.
On the flow side, the competition combines two phases. First the qualification on score: each archer shoots ends of arrows (for example 72 arrows), scored from 1 to 10, and the total of points establishes a ranking. Then the elimination in head-to-head matches. In recurve, the match is played in sets: a won set is worth 2 set points, a tied set 1 point each, the first to 6 set points wins. In compound, the match is played on the cumulative total of points. The tally stays in the hands of the judges and the scorers. Announce the format from registration.
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize an archery competition?
Allow a few weeks to a few months, including the sanctioning lead time. Book the field or gymnasium and set the dates from the start, taking your league's calendar into account. Open registrations several weeks in advance, and set a close to lock the qualification then the match brackets.
The venue is above all the number of targets and shooting lanes available, which determines how many archers shoot in parallel and therefore the duration of the competition. Indoor shooting is held at 18 m, outdoor shooting up to 70 m, which imposes different space and safety constraints. Also plan a display area and a table for the judges and the scorers.
The budget depends on the provision of the field or gymnasium, the judges, the awards, the communication and the sanctioning. Build it item by item rather than as a single figure. The detail appears below. Do not announce any license or registration-fee amount without having verified it at the official source.
Step 4: get the competition sanctioned and manage the licenses
How do you get an archery competition sanctioned?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFTA: the organizer must be an affiliated or authorized structure and follow the federal specifications, with the appointment of judges. For sanctioned competitions, the FFTA frames the organization and the reporting of results to the national ranking through its federal system, from the sanctioning request to the close.
Sanctioning and the processing of results by the federal system are the central steps of an official competition: they condition the allocation of points to the ranking. For the up-to-date procedure, rely on ffta.fr and your league; for a possible event declaration, on sports.gouv.fr.
On the participation side, each archer must present a valid FFTA license (the FFTA offers several license formulas, including a competition license and a youth formula). The medical certificate is no longer systematically required for adults since 2022; a health questionnaire is enough, unless a positive answer calls for a certificate. For minors, an attestation of the health questionnaire is also enough. The license includes insurance.
Step 5: open registrations and build the brackets
How do you manage the registrations of an archery competition?
Open registrations online: each archer chooses their bow type, their age category and their gender, and indicates their club. Validate or refuse each registration, set a close, then lock the qualification and the match brackets. Software avoids double entry and the Excel list to cross-check again.
For the competition, plan to collect for each entrant: name, gender, date of birth (for the age category), bow type, club and license number. This information helps you assign entrants to the right categories and, after the qualification, to position the seeds in the match bracket. As clubs enter several archers, plan to enter lists in one go.
Competition management software collects these registrations online by category, where an Excel sheet forces you to copy everything by hand. You keep a clean list, filterable by category and by status, with search by name, ready to generate pools and match brackets once the qualification is established.
Step 6: qualification on score then match bracket
Which format for an archery competition?
The hybrid format combines a qualification on score (ends of arrows scored from 1 to 10, total of points) then an elimination in head-to-head matches in a bracket. In the pools, the ranking is by points and by wins, then by tie-break on the difference. The seeds are placed according to the qualification ranking by the organizer and the judges.
The qualification on score, computed and kept by the judges and the scorers, establishes the ranking used to place the seeds. Then comes the matches phase, which CompetHub handles: for small fields, a pool phase (round-robin) guarantees several matches to each archer before a single-elimination bracket for the top. The placement of the seeds, according to the qualification ranking, falls to the organizer and the judges; CompetHub does not do automatic seeding from the ranking.
Drawing these brackets by hand and recomposing them at each result is the first source of error and delay. A software that automatically generates your archery bracket produces the pool, the single-elimination bracket (with a match for third place as an option) and the double-elimination in one click, and advances the winner as soon as you enter the result of a match.
Step 7: schedule the targets
How do you schedule an archery competition on a limited number of targets?
The number of targets and shooting lanes available is the number-one constraint. Estimate the average duration of a match according to the chosen format, and distribute the matches by target and by slot while respecting the rest times of the archers who go through several rounds. Display a schedule by target and keep it up to date as the results come in.
An archery competition lives to the rhythm of its targets, and the same archer quickly goes through several matches in the day. When a match ends early or late, the whole schedule moves: you have to reschedule, call the archers and avoid the same archer being expected on two targets. On paper, this tracking is the first source of muddle.
Assigning a target and a time to each match, and detecting slot conflicts, is exactly the kind of task that competition management software handles, keeping the schedule up to date as the matches advance and the brackets fill up.
Step 8: the judges and the scorers
What is the role of the judges in an archery competition?
The judges are responsible for the conduct of the competition: they validate the flow and the seeds, manage the schedules and the calls, enforce the rules, settle disputes and supervise the tally of points. Their appointment is mandatory for a sanctioned competition. Around them, plan the welcome, the display and the scoring table.
On the target, the tally of points per arrow and the score of the sets are kept by the scorers under the authority of the judges; it is this source that is authoritative. At the highest levels, these roles are held by qualified officials. Your role as organizer is to give the judges the right conditions (clear schedule, score sheets, display) and to report the results of the matches. CompetHub records the winner and the score of each match, without substituting for the tally of the judges.
Also plan the welcome and logistics roles: registration and score-sheet handover table, display of the brackets and the calls, refreshments, and what is needed to hand out the prizes. For a club event, the organization is light; for a sanctioned competition, the federal framework applies.
Step 9: prepare the targets and the equipment
Which targets and which equipment for an archery competition?
You need compliant targets (target faces suited to the distance and the bow type), a sufficient number of shooting lanes, a safety setup (recovery zone, net or clear backstop), sufficient lighting indoors and a display of the brackets. Distances go from 18 m indoors up to 70 m outdoors.
The regularity of the conditions matters: well-aligned shooting lanes, target faces at the right diameter according to the distance, and a safe arrow-stopping setup behind the targets. Plan what is needed to replace worn target faces and check the visibility from the public and judges' zone.
Complete with the judges' and scorers' table, the display of the brackets and the calls, the signage, a first-aid kit, refreshments and what is needed to hand out prizes and lots. A clear welcome point smooths the arrival of the archers and the handover of the score sheets.
Step 10: communicate and fill the competition
How do you communicate about an archery competition?
Create a public page with the presentation, the dates, the venue, the rules (bow types, age categories, distance, format) and the list of entrants by category. Share it with neighboring clubs, your league and on social networks. Specify the conditions early (license, bow type, distance, format) to avoid back-and-forth by email.
The amateur archery audience is local and loyal: neighboring clubs, license-holders in search of competitions. Relay the announcement to the clubs of your league and through its channels. Indicate clearly the bow types and the open categories, the distance and the format, because these elements determine who registers. A public page with the list of entrants by category gives a serious image and limits questions.
Step 11: manage the competition on event day
How do you track an archery competition on event day?
After the welcome and the license check, launch the qualification on score, kept by the judges and the scorers. Once the ranking is established, generate the pools then the match brackets. The judges call the matches target by target; at the end of each match, the score is reported and entered. The winner advances to the next round, the pool ranking updates, and the public follows brackets and results with no paper sheet.
Event day flows to the rhythm of the targets. Welcome, qualification, handover of the score sheets, call of the archers, then the matches start. When a match ends, the result is entered right away and the target is reassigned to the next match. Watch the archers still in contention in several brackets to give them a rest time and avoid target conflicts.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the result of a match is entered, the winner advances automatically in the bracket, the pool ranking recalculates, and the public results page updates automatically for the clubs and the public. This removes the scattered sheets, makes the brackets reliable and keeps the club informed. The tally of qualification points, for its part, stays in the hands of the judges and the scorers.
Step 12: publish the results and review
How do you establish the ranking of an archery competition?
The qualification gives a first ranking on score, kept by the judges. In a match bracket, the winner of the final is first, the finalist second. In a pool, the ranking is by points and by wins, then by tie-break on the difference. Publish the results on the public page; entrants, pool ranking and schedule export to CSV. For a sanctioned competition, the results feed the national ranking through the FFTA federal system.
Once the finals are played, thank the judges, the scorers and the volunteers, do the real financial review against the forecast, gather the clubs' feedback and archive results and registrations. Export the list of entrants, the ranking of the pools and the schedule to CSV for your archives, and let the judges finalize the official results with the FFTA.
How much does organizing an archery competition cost?
How much does organizing an archery competition cost?
The budget is built item by item: provision of the field or gymnasium, judges and scorers, sanctioning, awards, communication and refreshments. The field and the target faces often weigh heavy. The revenue (registration fees, refreshment stand, sponsors) often balances a weekend. Verify each federal amount at the source before announcing it.
Here are the items to plan for, with indicative ranges to adapt to your context. The amounts tied to the federation (license, registration fees, sanctioning) change every season: confirm them on ffta.fr or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Field or gymnasium | often the 1st item, variable by venue |
| Target faces and consumables | variable by number of archers and rounds |
| Judges and scorers | allowances and expenses, depending on the league |
| Sanctioning | per the FFTA scale |
| Awards (lots, cups) | variable by category |
| Communication and printing | variable |
| Refreshments and refreshment stand | variable |
| Contingency margin | 10 to 15% |
On the revenue side: registration fees per archer (to confirm with your league), refreshment stand and local sponsors. A well-filled competition, with a running refreshment stand, often covers a notable share of the costs over a weekend.
Countdown plan and checklist to organize your archery competition
A countdown plan avoids oversights on the sanctioning, the field and the judges.
- Well in advance: define the bow types and the categories, book the field or gymnasium, set the dates, identify the judges, build the provisional budget.
- Depending on the sanctioning lead time: file the request with the FFTA through your league, confirm the judges, prepare the communication.
- Several weeks before: open registrations online, define the categories by bow type, age and gender, communicate to the clubs, organize the welcome and the logistics.
- As it approaches: close registrations, prepare the qualification, plan the building of the pools and the match brackets, finalize the target schedule and the equipment checklist (target faces, display).
- Event day: welcome and license check, qualification on score, generation of the pools then the match brackets, placement of the seeds, calls target by target, entry of the results, automatic display.
- After: publish the results, export entrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV, let the judges finalize the official results with the FFTA, thank everyone, do the financial review, archive.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing a sanctioned competition and a free event. A sanctioned competition goes through the specifications and the federal system of the FFTA; a club event is more free. Choose the status before communicating.
- Underestimating the number of targets. The number of targets and shooting lanes sets the throughput and the duration: compute the number of matches before settling the format and the number of entrants.
- Forgetting the rest times. The same archer can go through several matches in the day. Manage the rest times and avoid scheduling them on two targets at the same time.
- Neglecting safety and the shooting conditions. Aligned shooting lanes, a safe arrow-stopping setup, target faces at the right diameter: these conditions condition a quality competition. Check them beforehand.
- Misplacing the seeds. A bracket that pits the best-ranked against each other too early spoils the competition. Place the seeds according to the qualification ranking.
- Managing the match brackets on paper. Redrawing pools and brackets and rescheduling the targets by hand quickly distorts results and schedules. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing an archery competition
Do you need software to organize an archery competition?
It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended for the matches phase as soon as you have a few dozen archers. Between the categories by bow type, by age and by gender, the possible pools, the single-elimination bracket of matches, the matches to schedule on a limited number of targets and the ranking to keep, manual tracking quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winner automatically and publishes the schedule by target. The tally of qualification points stays in the hands of the judges and the scorers.
How does an archery competition unfold?
A competition combines two phases: first a qualification on score, where each archer shoots ends of arrows (for example 72 arrows) scored from 1 to 10, the total establishing a ranking; then an elimination phase in head-to-head matches in a bracket. In recurve, the match is played in sets (a won set is worth 2 set points, a tied set 1 point each, first to 6 set points); in compound, on the cumulative total of points. The tally stays in the hands of the judges and the scorers.
Which categories for an archery competition?
Categories are set by bow type (recurve, compound, barebow, longbow), by age and by gender. Distances vary by category and venue: 18 m indoors, up to 70 m outdoors. The FFTA national ranking follows the results of licensed archers.
How do you get an archery competition sanctioned?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFTA: the organizer must be an affiliated or authorized structure and follow the federal specifications, with the appointment of judges. For sanctioned competitions, the FFTA frames the organization and the reporting of results to the national ranking through its federal system, from the sanctioning request to the close.
Which license and which medical certificate to shoot?
A valid FFTA license is required for a sanctioned competition (the license includes insurance). The medical certificate is no longer systematically required for adults since 2022; a health questionnaire is enough, unless a positive answer calls for a certificate. For minors, an attestation of the health questionnaire is also enough.
Can you organize an archery competition for free?
You pay for certain items (provision of the field or gymnasium, judges, awards) and the sanctioning. On the other hand, the organizing tool can be free: CompetHub is free to start, with no credit card. You manage registrations, pools, match brackets, scores, target schedule and ranking with no software cost.
The software to organize your archery competition
Once the method is in place, the tool does the rest for the matches phase. CompetHub links every step of this guide: online registrations by category and by bow type, bulk entry of club lists (records without an account), pools and single-elimination match brackets generated automatically, entry of the winner and the score of the match, advancement, pool ranking, schedule by target, branded public page and CSV export of the entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule. The qualification on score, the tally of points, the sanctioning and the official ranking stay managed by the FFTA, the judges and the scorers. Organize the competition. We bring it to life.
To compare the features in detail, see the page archery competition software.
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Registrations by bow type, pools, single-elimination match brackets, score tracking and target schedule: it is all brought together. Free to start, with no credit card.