Safety Rules

·                    NEVER point a drawn bow at someone, even in fun. Bows are weapons, not toys, and the slightest slip could kill or seriously injure someone. Because of this, anyone who points a drawn bow at someone will be dismissed from the club.

·                    NEVER draw a bow in front of someone even if there is no arrow in the bow. If the bow broke it could cause serious injury to the person facing you.

·                    NEVER shoot an arrow directly up into the air. It could land anywhere on its return. To do this is grounds for dismissal from the club.

·                    Never draw and release a bow without an arrow in it, as this can break the bow and injure yourself or someone near you.

·                    Always keep behind the person shooting.

·                    Nobody should ever be at the target end when shooting is taking place, regardless of how far off to one side they are.

·                    When two or more archers are shooting they should stand side by side, not one ahead of the other.

·                    The point of the arrow should not be drawn past the edge of the bow. This is very important!  If you are unclear on this point ask a coach or another club member if a coach isn’t around. If an arrow is drawn inside the bow it could cause serious injury. For the same reason, don’t jerk back the string as you release, as this also could draw the arrow inside the bow.

·                    Always make sure everyone has finished shooting before walking towards the target.

·                    Never cross in front of an archer taking a shot; he or she will be concentrating on the target and will not necessarily be aware of your presence.

·                    When walking towards the target to collect the arrows, be careful of any in the grass, the rear end of which could stick in your leg. Be especially careful if wearing light footwear. A nock can easily injure a foot or an ankle. This is the most common form of injury.

·                    Don’t stand behind anyone pulling arrows from the target; they can jerk out very suddenly and strike a person in the face chest. For the same reason, if pulling out arrows yourself, check there’s no one directly behind you.

·                    If searching for arrows around the target area, one person should stay by the target and keep an eye out for other archers approaching to take a shot in order to prevent them doing so. Also, leave your bow leaning against the target face so that other archers know that you are there.

·                    No one is allowed to join in the shoot after the start whistle has been blown.

·                    Children must be strictly monitored at all times by a parent or guardian This person should also ensure that they are familiar with the safety rules and that they are in possession of the  ‘safety rules for juniors/cubs’ handout.

·                    Never double back on the course to look for lost arrows, etc. while the shoot is in progress. It is very dangerous to do this.

·                    The use of compound bows and non-wooden arrows is strictly prohibited. It is dangerous to use such equipment on a course specifically designed for traditional equipment  (The bosses, for example, are not designed to stop carbon arrows).

·                    If wearing a back quiver be careful when leaning forward (for example, when drawing arrows from the boss) that your arrow nocks are not at eye level and a danger to archers near you.

·                    Please obey the safety instructions of the coaches and shooting party leaders. 

Despite the amount of safety rules that we’ve identified, most of them are just commonsense ones, and none of them interfere with a day’s fun playing with bows and arrows in the woods! 

We also give out a short safety handout designed for children.

Last Updated: 12 April 2004