Rules Regarding the Shooting Line

I did do a search for this but couldn't find anything. I also studied the FITA rule books (latest versions) and again, strangely, can't find a reference (I'm sure there used to be one).

Does anyone have a reference for the FITA rules regrading whether the firing line for outdoor archery target events has to be uncovered ie open to the weather???

[Kae]

I think that's a contentious issue at the moment.

Currently the shooting line can be either open or enclosed (I believe), but there are arguments that an enclosed shooting line removes some of the skill from shooting, and thus shouldn't be allowed.

Shooting line, not firing line (unless your lighting something ).

Kae.

Thanks Kae - I stand corrected (can't stop thinking army I'm afraid)

I'm certain that early last year I came across a rule in the FITA rule book that stated that shooting had to be conducted exposed to the weather but I can't find this reference anymore.

If this requirement has been dropped then I say it's a good thing for a couple of really good reasons.

Firstly, the sun down here in summer is murderous and dangerous to boot. We have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world so it has always surprised me that we haven't made a special case for covered shooting lines here.

Two weekends ago it was so bad that I was in a state of collapse and had to leave soon after I arrived at the club and apparently everyone else packed up and left after me because the conditons were so bad and this included some of our fittest and keenest archers. I'm sure our insurance company could consider it a genuine hazard and not cover us for any illnesses arising from excess sun.

Secondly, when it rains (if it is ever going to again), at this time of year we get really fearsome thunderstorms which come in really quickly and they are accompanied by heaps of lightning. I've been caught in them whilst shooting at one of the Brisbane clubs and I thought it was plain bloody stupid and dangerous to keep going.

I recently saw a doco on Foxtel of a golfer who had been struck by lightning. He lived but it has taken him years to recover and he still hasn't got all of his facilities back again.

So from those two points of view I think cover is a must.

This is the sort of set up I wish we had at our club:


I don't mind getting wet in my sport - I just don't want it to kill me.

[whisky]

I understood (though I can't quote the rule at the moment) that for records to apply you couldn't shoot from a permanent structure. We were recently discussing covered shooting area at our clubs but, alas as protection from the rain in the UK

Whisky

Hi. Well I recall a rule that said you couldn't shoot under shelther at all but it does seem to have disappeared from the FITA rules. Curious.

[grantwomack]

No covering is allowed over the shooting line at a record status FITA tournament. This was a hot topic of debate on AF.com quite some time ago because of the need for shadecloth to protect archers from the sun. IIRC, it was deemed to be illegal for anything WRS. Try asking Clare Barnes - she's bound to remember...

[Kae]

Originally Posted by grantwomack

No covering is allowed over the shooting line at a record status FITA tournament. This was a hot topic of debate on AF.com quite some time ago because of the need for shadecloth to protect archers from the sun. IIRC, it was deemed to be illegal for anything WRS. Try asking Clare Barnes - she's bound to remember...

Cheers Grant, I couldn't remember the exact outcome - I must admit, I lost it half way through.

So for club practice it wouldn't be a problem, but anything of record status has to be open. I can live with that in the UK, but as Timujin has said, it gets a tad warmer down under.

Kae.

[Tobytoolbag]

Does GNAS take a similar stance on covered lines and record status?

We're currently looking at sharing an outdoor facility with a golf driving range, where the shooting/driving line would be covered, needless to say (given the prevailing conditions up here!), but I doubt we'll be hosting any record status events up here (at least for the time being!)...

I went through ALL of the FITA Rule books, the latest on line versions on the FITA website (and bloody boring it was too). I can tell you this - there is only 1 reference I can find to shelters, covers over the shooting line etc and it is to be found in Book 1 of the Rules and Constitution and the reference is as follows:

Book 1

3.23 FIELD OF PLAY FOR OLYMPIC GAMES AND
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

3.23.1.3 The following items will not be allowed on the Finals FOP:
Umbrellas or shade structure;

What one can interpet from this I'm not really sure. There is nothing in the Rules, By-Laws and Interpretations at all on the subject. There is certainly nothing in the rules that I could find that says you can't have shelter on the shooting line at a record staus FITA tournamnet.

The implication, as best I can determine seems to be that for everything other than the finals of the World Championships or the Olympic Games you can shoot from under shelter.

I would be quite happy for someone to quote me Chapter and verse, any current FITA rule that says otherwise. I need to be accurate about this because it is an issue down here and I want to do a presentation on it for our hierarchy.

Any help with proper references would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your present input but I hope you'll understand that I need to be accurate about this matter.

[ThePinkOne]

Certainly be interesting- one could argue that on a very sunny day NOT having a shelter is a form of discrimitation to those of us with blonde hair, white skin (white to burn in one easy movement ) and white eyebrows...

I mean, one tournament last summer even here in UK I found out the hard way I had not put enough sunblock on my ear tops- very painful, ended up with blisters. My mates with darker (ie not totally white) skin found it rather more amusing than I did. I either have to wear a big white hat (which blows off if it's also windy) or put sunblock into my hair too... or my scalp burns.

OK, I suppose you could say "wear sunblock" but 2 issues there. 1. remembering all the bits in the first place- not always easy not to miss bits- especially if on your own at a shoot and don't know anyone there well enough for them to apply it for you- and 2. makes your hands slippy after applying so can be difficult to reapply often enough during a comp if you don't get many breaks for going to loo and washing the stuff off so your hand doesn't slide out your release aid!

Even with a long-sleeved shirt on (got to be white of course), I have been known to burn through the shirt...

Rain on the other hand isn't a problem. I just get wet

P.