Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets

Archery Play and Practice

(types of rounds and targets)

Rounds

3D round or 3D shoot / A type of field archery, or hunting practice, using 3D targets at various unmarked lengths. Usually one arrow is shot. Scoring is optional, but typically varies depending if the heart, vitals, or body is hit (e.g., 5, 3, 1; or 20, 20, 10). Usually no score, or negative score, is given for hits to the legs (which would generally maim an animal). Archers may shoot from a peg, or take turns picking the spot and shooting position to simulate hunting conditions (or just to challenge their shooting partners).
American round / A round adopted by NAA in 1879 consisting of shooting 30 arrows, six arrows to an end, at 60, 50, and 40 yards -- 90 shots in all -- at a standard four-foot target. Arthur Young shot 626, Saxton Pope shot 538, and Ishi shot 223.
broadhead round / A NFAA round.
clout round / Arrows have to be shot with a high trajectory to fall into a target area, marked by rings on the ground. Under GNAS rules the radii are 18 inches, 3 feet, 6 feet, 9 feet, and 12 feet, where FITA rules the ring is 15 meters in diameter divided in five equal zones. Within each ring the scores are 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point. Men shoot from 8-10 score yards (165 meters for FITA), women from 6 to 8 score (125 meters for FITA). A Clout Round consists of 36 arrows.
Double York Round / The York (or English) Round shot twice.
Double National Round / The National Round shot twice.
English or York round / The major round shot by longbowmen, which was developed by the Royal Kentish Bowmen. 72 arrows at 100 yards, 48 at 80 yds, 24 at 60 yds at a standard four-foot target.
field round / A round adopted by NAA and FITA where 56 arrows are shop at 14 different shooting positions at specified ranges at four different size targets. Compare with hunters round.
FITA round / A round, adopted by FITA, of 144 total arrows shot at a target from four different distances. The most common round in target archery competition.
hunters round / A round similar to the field round, but at unknown ranges, adopted by NAA and FITA with 14 targets and 4 different positions at each target. Animal targets may be used.

2 - 15 cm targets 5-15 meters (8 arrows for a total distance = 80 meters)
4 - 30 cm targets 10-30 meters (16 arrows for a total distance = 320 meters)
5 - 45 cm targets 20-40 meters (20 arrows for a total distance = 600 meters)
3 - 60 cm targets 30-50 meters (12 arrows for a total distance = 480 meters)

Indoor FITA I round / A round of 30 arrows (ends of 3) from 18 meters at a 45 cm target.
Indoor FITA II round / A round of 30 arrows (ends of 3) from 25 meters at a 60 cm target.
junior American round / A NAA round designed for youths who have not reached their 15th birthday. It is the same as the American Round except the distances are shortened to 50, 40, and 30 (instead of 60, 50, and 40) yards.
National round / 24 arrows at 50 yards, 48 arrows at 60 yards. Also called the Ladies' National Round.
round of rovers / See or roving (or stump shooting).

Standard Ringed Targets

British and American targets were measured in feet or inches.
With international competitions (e.g., FITA) measurements are converted to metric.

four-foot target / A 48" diameter target with 4 equal concentric rings around a center of gold. Usually used at distances greater than 50 yards. Thompson (p.147) considered a good archer, based on a 1835 competion between Mr. Marsh and Mr. Moore, to be one who can hit 4-foot target 70-75 times from 100 yards, using 210 arrows, and score 285-286.

Gold=9 (9-inch diameter)
Red=7
Blue (white before 1844)=5
Black=3
White=1

one-foot target / Like the four-foot target, but the center gold is 2.5 inches in diameter
two-foot target / Like the four-foot target, but the center gold is 4 inches in diameter
three-foot target / Like the four-foot target, but the center gold is 7 inches in diameter
15 cm target / 7.5 cm inner ring and 2.5 cm center spot
30 cm target / 15 cm inner ring and 5 cm center spot. Similar in size to a one-foot target.
45 cm target / 22.5 cm inner ring and 7.5 cm center spot.
60 cm target / 30 cm inner ring and 10 cm center spot. Similar in size to a two-foot target.

(c) Gregory M. Bowen