How is a para archery tournament run?
B · Beginner · Competition · 3 of 4The qualification round ranks athletes: 72 arrows at 70 m for Para Recurve, 50 m for Para Compound and W1 and 30 m for VI. Rankings set the knockout bracket. Individual matches are five sets or ends of three arrows; doubles and mixed teams shoot four of four. Eliminations are shot together and finals alternately.
How it works
- Para Recurve: 72 arrows at 70 m, 122 cm face.
- Para Compound: 72 arrows at 50 m, 80 cm face.
- W1: 72 arrows at 50 m, 80 cm face.
- VI: 72 arrows at 30 m, 80 cm face.
- Indoors: 60 arrows at 18 m for some classes.
- Individual matches: five sets or ends of three arrows.
- Teams: four sets or ends of four arrows.
- Shooting: together in eliminations, alternately in finals.
The glossary has the qualification round (para archery), the elimination and final rounds (para archery), the doubles and mixed team (para archery), the set system (para archery), the cumulative scoring (para archery) and the shoot-off (para archery).
Tricky cases
Do W1 archers shoot the same distance as compound?
Yes, 50 m on an 80 cm face.
Are finals shot at the same time?
No. Archers shoot alternately.
Is the VI distance shorter?
Yes, 30 m.
Is there an indoor round?
Yes, 60 arrows at 18 m.
Why the rule exists
Ranking first seeds the bracket fairly. Short matches make every arrow count in the knockouts.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Para Recurve | 70 m | 29.1 |
| Para Compound and W1 | 50 m | 29.1 |
| VI | 30 m | 29.1 |
From the rule book
World Archery, Rulebook, Book 5 Para Archery (13 March 2026), articles 29.1 and 29.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Archery Rulebook Book 5, Para Archery.