Handicaps

The handicap system is a way of adjusting scores to a baseline so that archers with different levels of experience can compete on an equal footing. A novice usually starts out with a high handicap, which reduces as they post better scores. To achieve a handicap an archer must shoot at least three rounds. These need to be shot with at least one other archer and the results need to be recorded, witnessed, signed and submitted to the club records officer, who is responsible for listing club members’ handicaps.

The system has two main uses. First, handicaps can help you gauge your progress. Second, they are also used to produce adjusted results in handicap tournaments. Once the results of such tournaments are in, the Tournament Organiser will use the Archery GB handicap tables to calculate the handicap adjustments and find the winner.

Each score an archer achieves in any round will have a handicap value assigned to it, ranging between 0 and 100. The better the score, the lower the handicap. It also allows different rounds to be compared.

The handicap system involves three stages:

1. Initial assessment – For an initial handicap to be obtained, an archer must first shoot three complete rounds. An average is taken of the handicap rating of each score, rounded up to the next larger whole number.
2. Ongoing assessment – The process of handicap reduction is continuous and will be reduced every time an archer shoots a round that that is better than their current handicap. An average of the current handicap and the handicap of the round shot is taken and rounded down. If this handicap rating is lower, then this will be the new handicap taken forward, otherwise it will remain the same.
3. Annual reassessment of handicaps – At the beginning of each season (1st Jan for outdoors; 1st July for indoors) all handicaps are reassessed. The best three handicaps achieved over the previous season are taken and the average taken. This end of season assessment handicap becomes your starting handicap for the next season (you do not have to start again by shooting three scores first).

Handicaps for different bow disciplines are calculated in the same way, but if you shoot more than one discipline you can obtain a handicap for each.

Handicap Calculator

(Free)

Handicap shoots – Some competitions have a handicap adjusted element. This is where novice and experienced archers are put on an equal level. Each score will have an allowance added to it according to the archers’ handicap to give a handicap adjusted score. Novices often win the handicap adjusted medals as they will most likely beat their handicap scores by a large margin.