Archery Safety for Kids

Archery is a fun and exciting activity for children, and when conducted properly, is a very safe one. According to the National Safety Council's statistics, archery is safer than any ball-based sport. Injuries occur in less than one out of every 1,000 people who participate in the sport. By contrast, football, baseball, basketball and soccer all result in between 10 and 25 injuries per 1,000 participants. The key to this exemplary safety record lies in a very strong emphasis on safety. There are several simple steps that can be taken to ensure a safe and fun archery experience.

  1. Shoot in a Safe Place

    • The first point of archery safety is to shoot in a safe place, and the safest place to shoot a bow is at an official archery range. Ranges approved by the National Field Archery Association, USA Archery and other such organizations must meet safety standards in both design of the range and training of the instructors. More importantly, ranges generally carry insurance, as do many instructors and coaches. Shooting in your backyard can be a bad idea; in some cities, it may be illegal. In many places, archery equipment is classified as a firearm, and can be prosecuted as such. Additionally, if an accident were to occur, you might discover that your homeowner's insurance does not cover archery-related incidents. For kids, there are a number of clubs and programs available; USA Archery runs the JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) program; the NFAA offers ASAP (After School Archery Program) through schools in many states. The primary advantage of these programs is the presence of an instructor.

    Use Safe Equipment

    • The second step in archery safety is equipment safety. Use proper safety gear, including an arm guard, finger tab or glove, and a quiver. Make sure the archer's bow is the right size and weight. The bow should be close to the height of the archer, and of a weight that can be comfortably drawn; if the archer can't hold the bow at full draw for 30 seconds, the bow's draw weight is too heavy. Drawing a bow that is too heavy can result in injuries and can interfere with safe aiming, resulting in wild shots. Inspect the string and replace it if worn or fraying.

    Inspect your Arrows

    • Make sure arrows are the correct length for the archer. When the bow is drawn, the point of the arrow should extend about an inch beyond the bow. If the arrows are too short, they can fall off the arrow rest and strike the hand. Before shooting, inspect the arrows. Make sure the point is not loose, and look for cracks, dents or damage to the nock and shaft. Loose or missing fletches will affect the arrow's flight, but they are not a safety risk. Never try to shoot an arrow with a damaged nock.

    Shoot Safely

    • Always fire at a safe target. Make sure that it will stop the arrows without letting them pass through or ricochet. Always make sure that the area behind the target is safe; do not shoot if there is a danger of hitting something beyond the target in case of a missed shot. Never fire an arrow straight up into the air; you can't be sure where the arrow will come down. Never draw and release a bow without an arrow. This can cause serious damage to the bow and possible injury to the archer. Never point an arrow at anyone, or at anything that you do not intend to shoot.

    Safety on the Shooting Line

    • If shooting in a group, make sure everyone has finished shooting before going forward to collect arrows. When waiting to shoot, or waiting for others to finish, stand at least 6 feet behind the shooting line.

    Retrieving Arrows Safely

    • While injury is very rare, a significant percentage of the injuries that do occur happen at the target while retrieving arrows. When retrieving arrows, have only two archers at a time pull their arrows while others remain 6 feet back from the target so that nobody gets stabbed by the nock end of arrows as they are pulled from the target. Make sure you do not pull an arrow into yourself; to do this, simply stay to one side of the target while pulling. If an arrow is lost behind the target, and you are shooting alone, leave your bow propped up against the face of the target as a sign to others that you are behind it.