Shooting With a Whistle System in Practice and Competition

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Archers often shoot according to a whistle system because it is consistent and works well even in loud conditions. This whistle system is official for tournaments sanctioned by the World Archery Federation (WA), but it is also very common during practice at many different kinds of archery ranges.

  • Two whistle blasts: archers may proceed from the waiting line to the shooting line.
  • One whistle blast: archers may place an arrow on the bowstring and begin shooting.
  • Three whistle blasts: archers may walk forward to the targets and pull their arrows.
  • Four or more whistle blasts: stop shooting immediately.

At some tournaments this whistle system may be used with beeps or other auditory signals. There may also be a clock, a lighting system or a series of flags to let you know when to shoot. Because there may be differences for each type of competition, you should ask a judge to be sure what each signal means and how the timing will work. Generally, however, these are the colors you will see in competition:

  • Green means you may shoot.
  • Yellow means that the end will be over in the next thirty seconds.
  • Red means you may not shoot.

#Article from Discover Archery


Read More
> Basic Safety for Every Archer
> How do WA Targets Work?
> How do I Score My Arrows at Target Archery Tournaments?