How to Number the Rings on an Archery Target

Most archery targets do not come numbered, but are just printed with differently-colored, concentric rings. For the novice just beginning to learn archery, it is important to understand how the numbering system works on an archery target. The points scored for each shot depends on which ring the arrow strikes. Numbering your targets will allow you to easily and quickly identify how many points each arrow is worth. The point system described is used by the International Archery Federation, and is the standard for competition archery.

Things You'll Need

  • FITA archery target
  • Gold-colored marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay out your archery target on a flat surface. The standard target for competition is the FITA (International Archery Federation) target. This target has ten concentric rings surrounding a bulls-eye. Every set of two rings is a different color. The colors, from the perimeter inwards, are white, black, light blue, red and yellow. The bulls-eye is also yellow.

    • 2

      Begin numbering the target from the center towards the target's perimeter. The bulls-eye and smallest yellow ring are worth 10 points. The next, larger yellow ring is worth nine points. Each larger ring is worth one less point, thus the largest ring is worth one point. Missing a target is worth zero points. Use a highly-visible colored marker when numbering your targets. A gold-colored Sharpie works well, as it stands out against all the colors on the target.

    • 3

      Number each ring again, but in the opposite direction from the center of the target. Having two sets of numbers will allow you to easily calculate how many points each arrow is worth. You could also number in a cross pattern, giving you four sets of numbers, to make recognition easier.