Classifications

The score levels required for each classification level are dependent on the round shot, the bow type you use, your age group and your gender. For Target Outdoor Rounds the Classifications run from 3rd Class to Grand Master Bowman. At some competitions Classifications awards are made, so even though you may not be the outright champion you can compete against archers of the same standard as yourself and be placed in that class. For Indoor Rounds, classifications run from E at the bottom to A at the top. These Indoor classifications are only used for award levels at tournaments, there are no badges. The outdoor classification levels are recalibrated every ten years. Tables showing all the current score levels can be found in SAP Section 7, Tables 4-27 for Outdoor and Table 28 for Indoor.

You need three scores at or above the required score level to qualify for a Class. If you qualify for Master Bowman or Grand Master Bowman you have to submit your claim to GNAS, and the first time you claim, you will be sent the badge.

3rd, 2nd and 1st Class These classifications can be gained by shooting at official club target days as well as in Open Competitions, so can be fun and convenient to achieve as well as giving you good experience shooting rounds. The rules for club target days are given in the GNAS rule book.

The Bowman classification was introduced in 1995 to recognise a level of achievment between 1st Class and Master Bowman. Bowman scores can also be achieved on Club target Days or in an open competition. If you are of Bowman level or above you are in the top 15% of archers when it comes to skill.

Being able to call yourself a Master Bowman puts you in the top 4% of competitive archers. Only the Gents' Fita and York round count for Gents claims, and for ladies only Fitas and Herefords. All the rounds must be shot at a minimum of UK Record Status level competition.

Junior Master Bowmen have to shoot 4 scores at the senior rounds, but only one need be shot at UK Record Status level competition or above. The rest can be shot at club target days.

Achieving Grand Master Bowman level puts you in the top 1% of U.K. competitive archers. Conditions for claiming are the same as for Master Bowman.

As a Senior, each year you qualify for MB or GMB and provided to claim it, you will be invited to take part in the UK Masters, a two day competition held at Lilleshall at the beginning of June each year. You can qualify in the previous year or in the current year if you get your scores early enough.

Six Gold End Badge

Shoot six consecutive arrows into the gold at one end at either of the two longest distances of a Fita/Metric or Imperial round for your age group at a Tournament or Club Target Day, and this badge is yours. You can claim a Six Gold End Badge in each of the disciplines i.e. Recurve, Longbow and Compound. Juniors can only claim this badge once in each discipline they shoot and not in each age group.

Your claim must be submitted to GNAS on an appropriate form and ratified by the Tournament organiser so you should call a judge over to witness your arrows and to intial your score for that end. If attained at a Club Target day, the Club Secretary must sign the claim form.

Rose Awards

In 1992 GNAS introduced the Rose awards to give incentives for archers to shoot the traditional York and Hereford and Bristol rounds, and they start from a score of 800 on the York round (for men) and Hereford (for women) and Bristols for juniors. Compound bows shoot the same target face and distances as Olympic bows. Rose Status is only available to tournaments that qualify for UK Record Status and pay the appropriate fee.

The Rose award is an enameled badge with a rose, the badge is square with cut off corners for Recurve archers (Freestyle or Barebow) and round for Compound archers (UnLtd or Ltd). The Juniors' badges are small and square. There are different colours for the different score levels as for the Fita badges.

From 2006 a Shield shaped award was introduced for Longbow archers, the colours are as below but the score levels required are White-225, Black-300, Blue-375, Red-450, Gold-525 and Purple-600.

Why a Rose? In 1844 the first Grand National Meeting was held at York. The round shot then was called the York Round and has remained as 72 arrows at 100 yards, 48 at 80 yards and 24 at 60 yards ever since. The White Rose is the emblem of Yorkshire.

The maximum possible score for a York or Hereford is 1296. Until 2000 the top award available was the 1200 badge, then the 1250 award was introduced. Many Compound archers have claimed their 1250 badge and at the British Target Championships in 2007 Noami Folkard broke her own UK Record for the Hereford shooting a 1250 on the Saturday followed by a 1252 on the Sunday.

GNAS Arrow Awards for Juniors

The Arrow awards are open to juniors of the Society under 16 years of age and are in the form of Red, Blue and Black badges. Juniors may only claim the award once in each age group, but may shoot for an awards in age groups above, but not below, their own. Archers submitting valid claims for awards higher than their age group may also claim the lower awards down to their age group, providing they have not been claimed previously. Four rounds are required to be shot to make a claim in any calendar year, at least one must be a FITA/Metric round, and at least one must have been shot in an open competition. The elegible rounds and score levels required in each age group are published in the GNAS Shooting Administrative Procedures.

GNAS Handicap Improvement Medal & Handicap Shoots

GNAS publish Handicap Tables to enable archers to work out their handicap score. Your Club will have a copy of them, or you can aquire your own copy from GNAS as they are not available for download. Your Club may have a "Records Officer" who will record archers scores shot at qualifying events, or you can work it out for yourself with the help of the GNAS tables.

The Handicap Improvement Medal may be awarded by a Club to the Club member that achieves the greatest handicap improvement made over a calendar year, and having shot at least 8 outdoor rounds. The medal is supplied to each Club by GNAS, and it is expected that the awarded archer should wear the medal at all Club Target Days at which he or she is present. The GNAS Handicap Regulations and tables must be used for calculating all handicaps in connection with the award of these medals.

Handicap competitions can also be run. Archers will submit their three best scores for the year so far to the organiser with their current handicap. An allowance can then be added on to the score you shoot at the competion. The idea is that all archers can then score the maxium for the round shot when this allowance is added, and the archers who shoot above their level can win.

GNAS National Records

A GNAS Record can be claimed for a score that is at least 1 point highter than the existing GNAS Record and shot at any event that has United Kingdom Record Status (UKRS) or higher. Your score will be listed in an edition of Archery UK and on the GNAS website and you will recieve a certificate.

This page contributed to by James Laing (Links Archers) & Neil Crickmore (Bronte Archers)