XXII Annual Interkingdom Archery Competition Updated 3/1/99
by Giovanni dell'Arco, Keeper of the Interkingdom Archery Competition
The IKAC consists of four divisions: Open, Open/Crossbow, Period and Period/Crossbow. The starting date is April 1 and the ending date is December 1. However, to allow for reversed seasons in the Southern hemisphere, the dates are December 1 to September 1.
Medallions will be given in each division to the top three archers of the winning Kingdom. Except in the Period/Crossbow division , where medallions will be given to the top three archers of the Known World (from any Kingdoms). It is hoped that each Kingdom will encourage the efforts of their archers by awarding further recognition. The final scores as well as the monthly will be sent to the Kingdom newsletters.
THE ROUNDS:
The IKAC consists of six-rounds: three regular target rounds of two ends of six arrows each (at 20, 30 and 40 yards) and three speed rounds at the same distances. The distances must be measured out, not paced.
TIME LIMITS:
The regular ends of the Open and Period divisions shall have a limit 90 seconds. The crossbow division has a 120 second time limit. Each speed round is to be shot in two ends of 30 seconds and as many arrows as can be loosed in that time, for a total of 60 seconds and an indeterminate number of arrows per round.
The archers may begin drawn and aimed, to release upon command. The use of a tape recorder with a recording of the thirty second count-down is permitted for timing the ends. In shooting a speed end, you MUST draw your own arrows, NO ONE may hand them to you. If an arrow is in flight at the end of 30 seconds it will be counted.
EQUIPMENT:
No archer may use any post 1600 material or technique that gives an unfair advantage to the user. Recurves or longbows of any material are allowed, this includes solid fiberglass and fiberglass and wood bows. Compound bows are not allowed. Bows with cut out risers (which allow you to see through the riser from the side) must have the riser openings covered with cloth, leather, etc., so as to present a solid surface and an appearance more in keeping with medieval archery. No stabilizers or balance bars, no non-period string releases, no kissers, no clickers, no working Berger buttons, no bow quivers, no form of string walking and no bow sights except as stated in the Open/Crossbow division or simple limb marks in the Open. Feather fletched wooden arrows are required. Broadheads are not allowed. Equipment must conform to the spirit of medieval archery.
GENERAL RULES:
Archers may compete in all divisions. Archers may shoot both recurve and longbow in the Open division and enter the Period division separately. If you shoot a period style bow, you must shoot separately in Open and Period to enter a score for both divisions. Crossbows, both modern and period, may shoot only in the crossbow divisions.
All competing archers are required to hold SCA Membership. Status may be confirmed with the Registry. The competition may be shot at any official Kingdom or local event (regular practice sessions which are periodically announced in the appropriate newsletter count as official events--otherwise, official events are all those announced in the appropriate Kingdom or local newsletter). Major events, such as Estrella War, or major local events, that are held before April 1, may be granted official scoring if requested well in advance in writing.
Archers may shoot for official score at as many competitions as they can attend, and may shoot for official score, in each division, once each day of a multi-day event. Archers may shoot more than once in a particular division per day, but only their top complete round of that day will be officially counted. Shooting need not be continuous (it may stop between ends as conditions require), but must be completed the same day to be counted.
There must be at least two people present at any shooting of the competition for the scores to be official. This means a minimum of an Archer-in Charge and one shooting archer or two shooting archers, one acting as Archer-in-Charge.
In setting up and shooting the IKAC, all necessary precautions should be taken to insure the safety of all archers and bystanders. Any archer using a technique which could be a safety hazard to their self or to others, such as shooting two or more arrows at one time, must prove to the satisfaction of the Archer-in Charge their ability to use the technique safely.
HANDICAPPED ARCHERS:
Upon the judgment of the archer in charge allowance may be made for various disabilities. For example, visually impaired archers may have someone tell them where their arrows strike the target. Archers in wheelchairs may shoot while seated. Archers unable to cock their crossbows may have someone cock it for them, etc.
SCORING:
The target is a 60 cm, five color face.
For the Open and Crossbow divisions scoring is: Gold=5, Red=4, Blue=3, Black=2, White=1. Lines count as the higher score. Arrows passing through, falling out, or bouncing off the target face count as three points. Scoring is on the honor system: you may count and record your own score, our fighting is based on honor and so is our archery. The winning Kingdom will be determined by averaging the highest scores of the three top-scoring archers for each Kingdom. In the case of a tie, the Kingdom with the narrowest point spread will be declared the winner. Scores must be postmarked within thirty days of being shot to be counted as official. The final scores must be received in writing by me no later than December 31st. The results of each competition should be sent as soon as possible after they are shot, so they may be tabulated and each months scores sent out to the Kingdom newsletters. The results sent in must include: Name of event, date, place, Archer-in Charge's name, address and phone number, archers' names, scores by end, round and total, type and weight of bow e.g. recurve, longbow or crossbow (crossbows should be listed as either modern or period style), and division. When the division (Open, Period or Crossbow) is not included the score can not be counted. Information must be typed or printed clearly. You should send copies of the scores to me and to your Kingdom archery officer and save a copy for your files. Scores may be sent by e-mail.
DIVISIONS:
OPEN:
In the Open division, recurves and longbows, both period and modern, may compete by the standard IKAC rules. There is no poundage limit. The rounds and general rules are the same for all divisions.
OPEN/CROSSBOW DIVISION:
Both modern and period style crossbows may compete in the Open/Crossbow division. Crossbows may compete only in the crossbow divisions.
No compound crossbows. Open or peep sights, both front and rear, are allowed. But, optical sights are not allowed. There is no minimum or maximum weight for the prod. The bolts are to be wood with feather fletch, plastic nocks are allowed. The prod may be of any material. Any type of lock mechanism is allowed. The crossbow may be shot from any position. But the crossbow may be held only by the hands, not on sandbags, etc. Slings are not allowed for shooting, but may be used to carry the crossbow.
There is no limit to the number of bolts that may be shot in the speed ends. The target and scoring are the same as in the Open division.
PERIOD DIVISION:
The main intent of the Period division is to encourage the use and construction of gear with a more period appearance in our SCA archery. Period style longbows or recurves may still be shot in the Open division as well.
PERIOD DIVISION EQUIPMENT:
ARROWS:
Wood shafts of any wood, cane or bamboo are allowed. Fletching must be of feathers. Except for crossbows, which may use other materials used in period for bolts, such as parchment, etc. Crossbows may use either period style bolts or cut down wood arrow shafts. Points may be of any style except for broadheads.
Nocks must be self, reinforced or built up (no plastic nocks). Reinforcing or build up materials may include: horn, bone, ivory, leather, hardwood or other natural materials used in period. Crossbow bolts may use metal for reinforcement.
BOWS:
Period style recurves and longbows of any material are allowed. Modern style recurves or longbows with full or partial center cut risers are not allowed. There is no weight limit, maximum or minimum. Crossbows will shoot only in the crossbow divisions.
Period style bows are defined as: Any style of bow that can be documented as used in pre 1600 archery, from Stone age bows to English longbows. Construction materials should be mainly those that were used in period for the making of that style of bow. Modern materials such as synthetic glues, finishes, fibers (strings) or artificial sinew are allowed as long as their use does not give an unfair advantage in performance over period materials. Fiberglass may be used as a substitute for horn and or sinew in the construction of period style recurve bows such as Arab, Turkish, Mongol, etc., but no modern features such as full or partial center cut handles are allowed. The bow must have the appearance of a period laminate bow. Composite longbows (of different woods or backed with sinew or rawhide, etc.) are allowed. When in keeping with the style of bow, grips may be made narrower than bow limbs. Bows do not have to conform to the persona of the archer.
BOW KITS:
Bows made from kits where the archer does the final tillering and finishing count as having made the entire bow. Laminate bows where the archer does the final assembling and tillering count. Crossbows where the archer does the final assembly and tuning count.
RELEASE AIDS:
Archers may use any period style release appropriate for their bow, but are not required to do so. For example, an archer may use a glove or tab instead of a thumb ring while shooting an Eastern style bow.
STRINGS:
Modern string materials are allowed, as well as period materials.
ARROW RESTS:
Non period arrow rests are not allowed. Built in full or partial windows are not allowed.
NOCKING POINTS:
Non period nocking points are not allowed.
SIGHTS:
Placement of sighting marks on bow limbs is not allowed. Sighting marks may not be placed on the ground (Ascham did not approve of this practice and neither do I).
TARGET:
The standard five color 60 cm. IKAC target may be used, except that the scoring is different. The scoring is: White through blue = 2 points, red and outer gold = 4 points, inner gold = 8 points. Scores for the Royal Round, Open and Period divisions may be shot and recorded on the five color face.
PERIOD FACE:
Those archers wishing to shoot a more period looking target are encouraged to make and use the period face. The target is based on the one from the Luttrell Psalter. The target represents a two ring target with a center peg. The peg was used to hold the target to the butt. Splitting the peg or pin was the best shot, so those arrows hitting dead center score highest. The colors are from the inner ring or peg to outer ring: Or, Vert, and Argent. It is scored: Argent=2, Vert=4 and Or=8. Four points are given for a pass through or bounce off.
The target face is equal in size to the current five ring, 60 cm. target now in use for the IKAC. The target may be made by hand by using a compass. The diameters of the rings are 6 cm., 24 cm. and 60 cm. The black line between the rings may be no wider than 2 mm. Yellow may be substituted for the gold and white for the silver. The vert should be a dark green. The back side of a 60 cm., five color target may be used by carefully tracing the rings.
GENERAL RULES:
The general rules are the same as for the Open division.
PERIOD/CROSSBOW DIVISION:
Only period style crossbows may compete in this division. Crossbows may compete only in the crossbow divisions.
To be counted as a period style crossbow all the following conditions must be met: 1) The stock must be made of wood. 2) It may not have a rifle style butt. 3) It may not have a modern style lock (some forms of self stopping nuts are in period, however) or a trigger. 4) It may not have sights.
The prod may be of any material and there is no minimum or maximum weight for the prod. The nut in the lock mechanism may be of any material. The string may be of any material.
Bolts may be of any wood and are to be fletched with feathers, parchment or other period materials. There may be from two to four fletches. Nocks shall be self or reinforced (no plastic nocks).
The crossbow may be shot from any position. But the crossbow may be held only by the hands, not on a sandbag, etc. Slings are not allowed for shooting, but may be used to carry the crossbow.
The target and scoring are the same as in the Period division. There is no limit to the number arrows in the speed ends.
Due to the small number of archers shooting period style crossbow at this time, the winners of the Period/Crossbow division will be the top three archers with the highest scores in the Known World. This will be in effect until there are enough period crossbow scores to go back to the standard practice of the top three archers from the winning Kingdom.
For more information, contact the Keeper of the IKAC:
Giovanni dell'Arco, c/o J. Satcher, 14828 Military Rd S #120, Seattle, WA, 98168 Phone (206) 248-3865 till 10:00 p.m. PST
E-mail: ikac@dellarco.com
Webbed by Gregory Blount of Isenfir (Greg Lindahl)