What are the rules for arrows in archery?
Officials' detail · Bows, arrows and equipment · 4 of 6Checked 14 October 2026
An arrow shaft may be at most 9.3 mm thick and its point 9.4 mm. Every arrow must be marked with the archer's name or initials, and all the arrows an archer shoots in an end must look identical. Lighted nocks are not allowed.
How it works
- An arrow is a shaft with a point, a nock, fletching and, if wanted, cresting.
- Shaft diameter: 9.3 mm at most. Point: 9.4 mm at most.
- Wraps do not count towards the diameter but may reach no more than 22 cm from the nock groove.
- Name or initials on the shaft or the wrap.
- Within an end: the same pattern and colours of fletching, nocks and cresting.
- No electrically lit "tracer" nocks.
- Arrows must not cause undue damage to the targets.
- The same rules apply in all three divisions.
Tricky cases
Why does arrow thickness matter?
Because an arrow touching a line scores the higher value. The limit stops archers gaining points with oversized shafts.
Can an archer shoot arrows with different coloured vanes in the same end?
No. All arrows used in an end must be identical in appearance.
Why the rule exists
A fatter arrow is more likely to touch a line and take the higher score, so the diameter is capped. Names and matching sets let scorers tell whose arrow is whose.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Archery rules | As above | B3 9.1.7; B3 9.2.8 |
From the rule book
World Archery Rulebook, Book 3, Articles 9.1.7 and 9.2.8. Version of 27 January 2026. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Archery Rulebook (PDF).