Rules | Stickbow Shooters

T.A.S. TRADITIONAL SHOOTING RULES 2022
v2.10

12/2022

I. T.A.S. Membership
An archer does not have to be a TAS member to shoot in the TAS Traditional Bowhunter Regional Championship or Traditional Bowhunter World Championship.

II. Awards, Purses, and Entry Fees
A. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place will be given in Adult, Youth, and Cub
classes at all TAS sanctioned events.
B. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place will be given in Senior Classes (60+) if 5 or more seniors register for that class.

III. TARGETS AND SCORING AREAS
A. Targets
1. At all TAS-sanctioned shooting events, targets shall consist of a 2-D silhouette or 3-D type animal targets having official TAS scoring areas.
2. Host clubs may mix the size of the animals so long as the targets have official TAS scoring areas
3. Targets shall be set at unmarked distances.

4. 3-D Animals will be set in a natural setting.

5. Care shall be taken when setting targets, not to over-rotate or excessively lean the targets to ensure that the entire vital area can be seen and safely shot.

Classes will shoot the following stakes:
a. Blue Stake: Cub - Male and Female
b. White Stake: Youth - Male and Female
c. Red Stake: Adult and Senior - Male and Female

B. Maximum Distances
1. Adult/Senior 25 yards

2. Youth 18 yards

3. Cubs 12 yards

C. Scoring Areas:

For all TAS-sanctioned shooting events, the targets shall have scoring areas as follows:
1. A 12 ring consisting of a small circle inside the vital area.

2. A 10 ring consisting of a large circle inside the vital area.

3. A vital area (8-ring) that roughly approximates the heart, lung, and liver area of the appropriate animal.
4. The remainder of the animal shall be considered a "body" except as set out in Paragraph 5 below.
5. An arrow embedded in the horn of an animal, not touching body color, is
considered a miss and is scored as a zero. Targets with legs or hooves of a different color than the main body will still be considered as body color for scoring.
6. Some targets have material surrounding the actual outline of a target animal. This additional material will NOT be counted for score.

IV. SHOOTING RULES AND ETIQUETTE
A. Shooting Etiquette
1. Shooting groups shall not consist solely of friends and relatives (3 to 5 shooters). Such groups shall be "busted" by including at least one outsider who will keep score, whenever possible. A group of friends and or relatives must be aware that good sportsmanship requires an additional competitor/scorekeeper to be added to their group. The archers in a group of friends and or relatives are required to make range officials aware of this situation. Failing to do so is unsportsmanlike conduct.

2. Shooting More Than One

a. Shooters must choose what class they want to compete in before the deadline to turn in qualifying scorecards.

b. Shooters that don’t decide will be placed in the class they shot the highest score.

3. In a group that contains archers shooting from different stakes, the archers
shooting from the farther stakes must shoot first. No archer (or spectator) shall approach a target prior to the entire group shooting.

4. When shooting, the archer must touch the appropriate stake with some part of his or her body. At times, stakes are set to challenge the archer with various shooting positions. Alterations to the ground around the shooting stake, using any tools or leveling aids, natural or otherwise, are not permitted. After shooting, the shooter should immediately clear the stake for the next shooter. Using binoculars from the shooting stake after the shot is prohibited.

5. There shall be no discussion of yardage until all arrows have been scored.
Discussion of yardage is permitted only among archers who have shot the subject target and must be done in a manner to ensure that other archers who have yet to shoot the target will not be assisted.

6. Safety: leave a bow at the stake when scoring.

B. Scoring
1. Scorecards
a. At all TAS-sanctioned shooting events, two scorecards must be completed for each archer. Scorecards must have the archer’s name, scorekeeper's name.
b. Scorecards must be split between two scorekeepers so that each scorekeeper has one card for each archer. Both scorekeepers must agree on a score, compare and punch or mark the scorecards before the arrows are pulled from the target.
c. Arrows pulled early will receive a zero. Repeated violations of this rule will result in the offending archer being disqualified.
d. If the two scorekeepers for a group mistakenly record different scores, the
inconsistent scores must be corrected as agreed upon by the majority of the group. The error must be circled and initialed by both scorekeepers and the correct score punched or otherwise clearly marked. If agreed by the majority of the group is not possible, the shooter will receive the lower of the two scores.
e. Scorecards must be legible, complete, and signed by the archer to be accepted. No scorecard may be changed by a competitor or scorekeeper after submitting it to a range official.
f. Scorecards will be collected at the end of each course. Each group’s scorecards must be turned in together by the entire group.
g. Archers shall be responsible for their own scorecards. It is up to each archer to ensure that his or her scorecard meets the above requirements. Duplicate cards will not be issued to replace lost or damaged cards, except in unusual circumstances approved by the host and or TAS tournament officials at their sole discretion.
h. Host clubs shall keep scorecards for one year following a TAS-sanctioned
shooting event.
I. Any attempt by an archer to knowingly falsify a score, or knowingly allow
another to falsify his or her score, shall result in a disqualification of that archer for that shooting event, and that archer shall be ineligible to participate in a TAS-sanctioned shooting event for a one (1)-year period. A suspended competitor may petition the TAS for reinstatement.
j. TAS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to correct harmless errors
including but not limited to, score tabulation, lack of initials or signature, posting, etc., which in the opinion of the TAS are clearly not a result of attempted inflation of the archer’s score.
k. Championship shoot-off, Ultimate Bowhunter, and Team Event will have a
scorekeeper assigned to each stake. The scorekeeper will walk up to the target with the shooter. The shooter and scorekeeper must agree on a score, compare and punch or mark the scorecards before the arrows are pulled from the target. The scorekeeper will return to their assigned stake, and the shooter will move on to the next stake.

2. Scoring Arrows
a. Two Arrows shot and scored at each target

Scores will be tabulated as follows:
I. 12 points: 12 ring or heart
II. 10 points: 10 ring or smaller vital
III. 8 points: 8 ring or larger vital

IV. 5 points: body outside the largest scoring ring

V. 0 points: Miss or arrow not touching body-color

b. If more than one scoring area is visible on a target, the host organization of any TAS sanctioned event shall note which area shall be used at the shooting stake. In the event that such a target is not posted, either scoring area can be used.
c. An arrow touching the line of a greater scoring area shall be given the higher score.

d. Arrows must stick in the target in order to receive a score other than zero with the exception of a pass-through, robinhood, or bounce-back as set out in
Paragraphs (e) (f), and (g) below.
e. An arrow that passes through a target may be scored if witnessed and agreed upon by the majority of archers in the group. A pass-through is an arrow passing completely through the target with material 360 degrees around the arrow, leaving a separate entrance and exit hole. If the pass-through was witnessed by a member of the group other than the shooter, and the group cannot agree, the archer may reshoot the target before the group advances to score the target.
f. All whole arrows or partial arrows that are sticking in the target shall be scored where they penetrate the target. An arrow embedded into the nock end of an arrow embedded in the target shall be scored the same as the arrow embedded into the target. An arrow that hits another arrow—with the arrow being struck showing visible damage—that does not stick in the target shall be given the score of the arrow that was struck. The majority of the group must agree that 1) a particular arrow was struck, and 2) that striking the arrow prevented the arrow from sticking in the target, or the arrow shall be scored as a miss.

g. A bounce-back is an arrow that squarely strikes the target and bounces back toward the shooter. An arrow that glances off the target is not considered a bounceback. A bounceback may be scored if the score can be agreed upon by the majority of archers in the group. If a member of the group other than the archer witnesses the bounce-back and the group cannot agree, the archer may re-shoot the target before the group advances to score the target. When scoring Cubs, it is advisable to have one archer observe the target with binoculars as the young archer shoots. This will enable more accurate scoring for a bounceback.
h. An arrow released or dropped accidentally will be scored a zero unless the
archer is able to retrieve it while touching the stake

I. Any arrow intentionally shot into the ground or any object other than the target shall be considered an act of unsportsmanlike conduct and the arrow scored a zero.

C. Rangefinders and Binoculars
1. Rangefinders are not allowed.
2. Hand-held binoculars are allowed without magnification limitations. Binoculars with reticles are considered rangefinders.

D. Equipment Failures and Leaving the Course
1. Once an archer begins a shooting course, he or she must finish with his or her group unless given permission to leave by a range official, or in the event of equipment failure in his or her shooting group. Any archer or group that leaves a range without the authorization of a range official will not be allowed to continue.
2. When possible, in the case of inclement weather, a siren or other warning system shall be implemented, indicating that a potential emergency exists, and all shooting and practice ranges are immediately closed. When this warning has been sounded,all shooting activity must cease, and everyone should seek appropriate shelter. Archers shall use the utmost caution to ensure the safety of all persons involved. Archers may only resume shooting activity after being instructed by the TAS, the host organization, or other range officials on the proper manner to re-enter the competition ranges once the emergency has passed and the ranges have been reopened. Due to the severe risk to one’s self or other shooters and/or range
personnel in a potential emergency situation, any attempt to circumvent these
safety warnings and continued shooting will be viewed as unsportsmanlike conduct and will be grounds for immediate disqualification.
3. Once an archer begins a shooting course, he or she may not exchange equipment unless there is an equipment failure as set out below.
4. Equipment failures must be visible and agreed upon by the majority of the
group. The procedure for dealing with equipment failures shall be as follows:
a. The scorekeepers for the group shall write "equipment failure" on the scorecard of the archer with the equipment failure and initial the scorecard.
b. The scorekeepers will tabulate the archer’s score to that point and initial the cards appropriately and turn the scorecard in by the announced deadeline.
c. The archer with the equipment failure shall then cautiously proceed forward through the course and immediately notify a range official.
d. If three or more archers remain in the group, they may continue shooting. If two or fewer remain, they must join the following group (so long as it does not result in a group of six or more) or step aside and wait for the range official before proceeding. If range officials are not readily available, then the group should proceed through the range to the check station.

e. The archer will be given a time by a range official within which the repair must be completed.
f. A range official will hold the archer’s scorecards until the repair is completed and the archer is escorted back onto the course by a range official.
g. Any archer leaving the range without following the guidelines as set out in section (D) of this rule may be disqualified.
E. Tie Scores, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, and Misc.
1. The number of 12s scored will be used to break ties. The archer with the most 12s will be the winner. However, if two or more archers still finish with identical scores, the host club may declare a shoot-off. A shoot-off will consist of a 3-D animal set at an unknown distance, within the limits of the relevant class, and an"X" shall be placed in the center of the highest-scoring area. The archer whose arrow is the closest to the "X" will be declared the winner. If only one archer is present at the shoot-off, he or she will be declared the winner.

2. No alcoholic beverages may be carried or consumed on any shooting course, range, or practice area by anyone during shooting hours. If in the opinion of a range official, an archer who is under the influence of alcohol attempts to enter a course, range, or practice area, the archer will not be allowed to shoot and will be suspended from that competition. Repeated violations may result in a revocation of TAS membership and a ban from all TAS-sanctioned competitions.
3. Spectators shall not distract, interfere with, or assist archers while on the
shooting course or range.
4. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Any action considered
unsportsmanlike by the host club or the TAS will be grounds for disqualification and/or suspension from membership. Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Communicating to another archer the yardage of a particular target that the other archer has not yet shot.
b. Using a cell phone on the shooting range. Cell phones are only to be used when the group decides there is an emergency requiring such use. Upon entering a range, all cell phones are to be switched off.
c. Disobeying or disregarding the orders of a range official or shoot official.

d. Umbrellas cannot be held for an archer while shooting.

It is the shooter's responsibility to ensure he/she is registered and assigned to the shooting class they select.
It is the shooter's responsibility to advise registration officers the day before the championship round if they are assigned to the wrong class or shooting assignment.
Top Ten Shooters must shoot against their peers in the championship round or they will be disqualified.

V. Regional and World Championship Tournament Format

A. 24 Targets Qualifying Round
1. Qualifying round consists of 24 targets.
2. Archers will be sent out in groups at 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm.
3. Archers will be sent out in groups of 3 to 5 archers. At least 1 Archer must be an outsider and scorekeeper.
4. All archers must shoot the qualifying courses before turning in their scorecard on the day before the championship round. An exact time to submit your scorecard will be announced at the shoot.
5. NON COMPETITORS minimum of 2 shooters in a group. NON- COMPETITORS can start shooting immediately after registration.

B. 12 Target Championship Round
1. Everyone shoots the Championship round!
2. The Top 10 archers in each class from the qualifying round compete in the championship round. Archer's score starts at “0”.

C. 3 Target Shoot-Off

The Top 3 archers in each class compete in a 6-target shoot-off to determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place shooting an arrow tipped with a broadhead.
1. All 3 shooters will shoot together on the same stake and shooters will rotate when shooting the 6 target shoot-off.

Example: stake 1 longbow shooter, stake 2 modern longbow shooters, stake 3 selfbow shooters, etc.
2. There will be six shoot-off targets set up in a field with six shooting stakes.

3. The 12 Target Championship score is added to the 6 target score.

4. Spectators can watch and cheer for their favorite archer competing in the shoot-off.

VI. Shooting Classes
A. Adult

1. SelfBow (SB)
a. Selfbow – no man-made material can be used on bow except string material and glue, No performance enhancing material may back the bow (i.e. Another wood, bamboo, rawhide or sinew). Only decorative materials such as snake skins may be used. No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow; except a bow quiver clearly designed to hold arrows. There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks. No type of draw check or clicker may be used. No soft materials that will assist or affect the paradox of the arrow may be used to
build up the shelf or strike plate of the riser. A hard material may be used on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip that does not exceed 1/8" thickness. The shelf may not be built up in a manner that will give the archer an advantage in terms of feather or vane clearance. The intent is that the shelf meets the side of the riser (strike plate) so the built-up shelf may not be a pyramid that provides clearance and separation from the bow riser.
b. Arrow – must be wood, bamboo, or cane. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must be at least 2 fletches but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches. Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length, and fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)

c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string at the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl, and string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser.

2. Longbow (LB)
a. Longbow – a one-piece, or two-piece take-down at all TAS events.
The bowstring, when the bow is strung, may only contact the nocks of the bow. No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow; except a bow quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks. No type of draw check or clicker may be used. No soft materials that will assist or affect the paradox of the arrow may be used to build up the shelf or strike plate of the riser. A hard material may be used on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip that does not exceed 1/8"thickness. The shelf may not be built up in a manner that will give the archer an advantage in terms of feather or vane clearance. The intent is that the shelf meets the side of the riser (strike plate) so the built-up shelf may not be a pyramid that provides clearance and separation from the bow riser.
b. Arrow – must be wood, bamboo, or cane. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must be at least 2 fletch but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches. Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length, and fletching (Normal wear is permitted)

c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers, archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string in the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl, and string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser.

3. Modern Longbow (MLB)

a. Bow – a longbow.

One-piece, two-piece, or three-piece bows

Any riser material.
No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow, except a quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.

No plungers.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
No type of draw check will be allowed.

A bolt can be used as a side plate in a fixed position.

The archer can not adjust the side plate while competing.

A hard shelf and side plate modular system can be used ie: Hoyt's Satori modular shelf system.
An arrow side plate (if used) may only extend one (1) inch above the arrow.
A hard material may be used on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip.

The shelf and side plate can be covered with a material not exceeding 1/8" thickness.

The arrow must be shot off the shelf.

b. Arrow – an arrow of any material may be used. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must be at least 2 fletches but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches.
Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length, and fletching. (If color of arrow shaft or tip is altered) the tip and shaft must be painted the same color from tip to within 4 inches of fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)
c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string at the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl or string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser.

4. Recurve (REC)
a. Bow – a recurve bow only.
The bowstring, when stung will lay flat against the belly side of the limb.

The riser must be made of wood, micarta, phenolic, G-10, or a combination of these materials. No Metal Risers.
No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow, except a quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
No type of draw check will be allowed.
An arrow side plate (if used) may only extend one (1) inch above the arrow.
No soft materials that will assist or affect the paradox of the arrow may be used to build up the shelf or strike plate of the riser. No adjustable style side plate. A hard material may be used on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip that does not exceed 1/8" thickness.
The shelf may not be built up in a manner that will give the archer an advantage in terms of feather or vane clearance. The intent is that the shelf meets the side of the riser (strike plate) so the built-up shelf may not be a pyramid that provides clearance and separation from the bow riser.
b. Arrow – an arrow of any material may be used. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must be at least 2 fletches but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches. Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length, and fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)

c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string at the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl or string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser.

5. Modern Recurve (MRC)
a. Bow – a recurve.

One-piece, two-piece, or three-piece bows
Any riser material.
No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow, except a quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.

No plungers.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
No type of draw check will be allowed.

A bolt can be used as a side plate in a fixed position.

The archer can not adjust the side plate while competing.

The shelf and side plate can be covered with a material not exceeding 1/8" thickness.

The arrow must be shot off the shelf.

b. Arrow – an arrow of any material may be used. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must be at least 2 fletches but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches.
Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length and fletching. (If color of arrow shaft or tip is altered) the tip and shaft must be painted the same color from tip to within 4 inches of fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)
c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string at the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl or string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser.

6. Barebow (BB)
a. A recurve or longbow

A stabilizer may be used but will not exceed 12" in length in all TAS shoots. There shall be NO markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
A clicker is allowed but must not be mounted in the sight window of the riser. An arrow rest and plunger are all that may reside within the sight window of the bow.
b. Arrow – an arrow of any material may be used. Natural or artificial fletching material can be used. All arrows must be at least 3 fletches but can be 2, 3, 4, or 6 fletches. Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length and fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)

c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. String walking, fixed crawl, and face walking are permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used.

7. Hill Style Longbow (HSL) Only at TAS Worlds

a. Bow – The string can only touch the string grove of the tip. The bow cannot be center shot. The limbmust be straight. Riser no longer than 16”, Limbs no wider than 11⁄4”. 1 or 2-piece Hill-style longbow only.

No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow; except a bow quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.

There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed

as sighting marks.

No type of draw check or clicker may be used.

An arrow side plate (if used) may only extend one (1) inch above the arrow

No soft materials that will assist or affect the paradox of the arrow may

be used to build up the shelf or strike plate of the riser. A hard material may be used on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip that does not exceed 1/8"thickness.

The shelf may not be built up in a manner that will give the archer an advantage in terms of feather or vane clearance. The intent is that the shelf meets the side of the riser (strike plate) so the built-up shelf may not be a pyramid that provides clearance and separation from the bow riser.

b. Arrow – must be wood, bamboo, or cane. Fletching material must be natural feathers. All arrows must

be at least 2 fletch but can be 3, 4, or 6 fletches. Fletches can be 2” up to 6” in length. Arrows and tips must be identical in weight, length and fletching. (If color of arrow shaft or tip is altered) the tip and shaft must be painted the same color from tip to within 4 inches of fletching. (Normal wear is permitted)

The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl, and string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser only.

Senior Classes (SC)
The Senior Trad classes are for archers 60 years of age or older on the day of the Traditional Regional Bowhunter Championship or the Traditional Bowhunter World Championship.

Senior Males and Females compete in the same class.
A. Senior Longbow
B. Senior Recurve
C. Senior Barebow
D. Senior Modern Longbow

E. Senior Modern Recurve

E. Senior Selfbow
Classes must follow the same rules and regulations as adult classes.
*Must have 5 pre-registered senior archers to form a Senior Class.

CUB

Archers up to 12 years of age at the time of the tournament.
a. Bow- recurve or longbow
No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow, except a quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or
accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
No type of draw check will be allowed.
An arrow side plate (if used) may only extend one (1) inch above the arrow.
b. Arrow – can be of any material, fletch or point type.
c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot and the index finger must contact the string in the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl or string walking are not permitted. No sighting device of any kind may be used. Cub archers will shoot from the Red stake.d

d. Cub only has to shoot the 24 targets qualifying round.

Youth

12 to 17 years of age at the time of the tournament.
a. bow- A recurve or longbow
No stabilizers, counterbalances, or weights of any kind may be attached or built into the bow, except a quiver clearly designed to hold arrows.
There shall be no markings on the bow or bowstring (intentional or accidental) that could be construed as sighting marks.
No type of draw check will be allowed.
An arrow side plate (if used) may only extend one (1) inch above the arrow.
No soft materials that will assist or affect the paradox of the arrow may
be used to build up the shelf or strike plate of the riser. Archers may use a hard material on the shelf or on the side of the riser under a hair or leather strip that does not exceed 1/8" thickness.
b. Arrow – can be of any material, fletch, or point type.
c. The bow must be shot with fingers directly contacting the bowstring using a glove, finger tab, or bare fingers. Archers may use up to two (2) nock locating devices, but they must use the same nocking point and anchor point for each shot, and the index finger must contact the string in the same place for each shot. The index finger must touch the nock of the arrow. Face walking, fixed crawl or string walking are not permitted.
No sighting device of any kind may be used. Arrows shall be shot off the hand or shelf of the riser only. Youth archers will shoot from the White stake.

d. Youth only has to shoot the 24 targets qualifying round.

VIII. TAS Traditional Bowhunter Worlds Additional Events
Due to dedicated sponsors, the Traditional Bowhunter World Championships
provides a unique opportunity to hold additional contests simultaneous to the Trad Bowhunter Worlds.

Ultimate Bowhunter Championship Shoot-Down
1. Men Shoots against Men.

2. Women Shoots against Women.

3. 6 Targets
The Ultimate Bowhunter is a 3D course that is shot and scored like a normal TAS courses.
Shooters shoot from the same color stakes as with all TAS events. At the discretion of the host club, there may be a few optional bonus targets placed throughout the course. Shooters will be competing for awards within their respective TAS classes, but at a predetermined cutoff, time scores will be compiled to determine the top 20 male and top 20 female scores irrespective of class. The top archers will then be grouped for head-to-head competition. Grouping will be based on the archers score. The head-to-head shoot down will be conducted in a location that enables spectators’ optimal viewing of the shoot. Archers will then shoot five (6) 3D targets head-to-head. At the end of each round, the shooters with the lowest scores will be eliminated. This process will continue until one archer is determined the winner. If at the end of five targets two archers are tied, they will shoot an additional target with the archer shooting an arrow closest to the center of the 12-ring being determined the winner.

Ultimate Bowhunter shoot-off will have a scorekeeper assigned to each stake. The scorekeeper will walk up to the target with the shooter. The shooter and scorekeeper must agree on a score, compare and punch or mark the scorecards before the arrows are pulled from the target. The scorekeeper will return to their assigned stake and the shooter will move on to the next stake.

Broadhead World Championship Shoot-Off
1. All adult classes can participate.
2. Men shoots against men.
3. Women shoots against women.

4. Archers must pre-register at the event.
The object of this event is to shoot the highest overall until there is only one winner.

No Mechanical Broadheads allowed. Broadhead shoot-off will have a scorekeeper assigned to each stake. The scorekeeper will walk up to the target with the shooter. The shooter and scorekeeper must agree on a score, compare and punch or mark the scorecards before the arrows are pulled from the target. The scorekeeper will return to their assigned stake, and the shooter will move on to the next stake.

Fred Anderson Stump-Shoot World Championship
1. All adult classes can participate.
2. Youth can compete against adults.
The Fred Anderson Stump-Shoot World Championship was named after Fred
Anderson Author, Bowyer, and Bowhunting for his lifetime dedication to the sport of archery and his passion for stump-shooting.
The object of this event is to shoot a designated spot on a stump target. Archers qualify by paying one dollar and arrow to shoot. Once the archer hits the designated spot on the stump, the archer qualifies for the shoot-off. For the shootoff: the distance of the stump will be pushed back, and archers will be called up to the stake one at a time to shoot a designated spot on the stump target. If an archer’s arrow hits the intended target on the stump, the archer qualifies for the next round. The stump can be moved closer or further away from the stake in additional rounds. Rounds will continue until there's only one archer left.

Team Event

1. All adult classes can participate.

2. Teams will consist of two shooters.

3. Teammates must be selected at registration, and teammate's names written on scorecards.

4. Each teams’ total score from both qualifying rounds will be added together for shoot-off.

5. The 10 teams with the highest score from the qualifying round will shoot off in the team event.

6. Teams should wear a shirt representing their team.

7. Teams can represent an archery business ie: Black Widow, Sky, Howard Hill, JD Berry Bows, Braveheart Archery, Flatlinebows, Forrester Wood Shafts.

Teams can represent a local or state club ie: TBOF, OSTA, TBOT, TBOG, CTAS.

8. Shoot-Off is 6 targets.

9. Any arrow. Team Event shoot-off will have a scorekeeper assigned to each stake. The scorekeeper will walk up to the target with the shooter. The shooter and scorekeeper must agree on a score, compare and punch or mark the scorecards before the arrows are pulled from the target. The scorekeeper will return to their assigned stake, and the shooter will move on to the next stake.

Youth and Cub Ultimate Bowhunter Shoot-Off

World Event Only

1. Youth shoots against Youth

2. Cubs shoots against Cubs

3. 6 Targets

TAS World Championship is open to all longbow and recurve shooters.

1. Shooters do not need to pre-qualify for the world championship.

The TAS President's Award of Merit was created as a recognition program to reward shooter(s)/ member(s) who have demonstrated exceptional performance.

The TAS President's Award of Distinction was created as a recognition program to reward shooter(s)/ member(s) who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the field, profession, and/or volunteer services.