Archery GB club & volunteer badges and awards. We all like to be recognised for our achievements, especially when we put the hard work in, as we do with improving our shooting. Archery GB offers various badges and awards you can gain as your performance progresses. You can claim for some of the awards via the forms we’ve included on this page, whilst others are achieved through your performance in tournaments and competitions.
We all like to be recognised for our achievements, especially when we put the hard work in, as we do with improving our shooting. Archery GB offers various badges and awards you can gain as your performance progresses.
You can claim for some of the awards via the forms we’ve included on this page, whilst others are achieved through your performance in tournaments and competitions.
The National Handicap Scheme is administered by each participating Archery GB club and is open to all members shooting outdoors. It’s awarded by a club to the club member who achieves the greatest handicap improvement over a calendar year. The holder of the medal usually wears it on Club Target days. Club Records Officers keep a record of each round shot so any scores achieved at tournaments outside the club must be submitted to the club Records Officer.
Archery GB needs to be notified by 31 January of the winning archer’s name, starting and ending scores and improvement achieved. This should be sent to membership@archerygb.org.
Archery GB publishes a list of handicap improvement winners annually. The medal is loaned to the club and owned by Archery GB.
There are also special awards from the Home Nations, including the Thistle Awards for Scotland, the English Crosses for England, Dragons and Daffodils for Wales and Hand for Northern Ireland.
Thistle badges originated at the Skye Shoot held at the Clan Donald Centre on Skye. Later, they were rolled out for use at other Scottish Archery competitions and events. Now they can be claimed for scores attained in any WA 1440 rounds and metrics; badges start at 900 and go up to 1300 in 100 increments. The badges are white topped for Juniors, red for Compounders and blue for Recurve and Barebow.
English Cross Badges can be claimed for a WA 1440 shot at any World or UK Record Status tournament held in England.
WAA awards two series of badges to archers achieving specified scores indoors or outdoors. Badges are free to WAA members and may be bought for a small charge by non-members. Each level of badge may be claimed only once. Dragons are awarded for indoor archery. They are awarded only for Portsmouth rounds. Daffodils are the outdoor award. They are awarded for rounds in the York (Gentlemen), Hereford (Ladies) and Bristol (Juniors according to age group) series.
Classifications are the best indication of where you are in terms of scoring ability, and provide a benchmark for levels of improvement. Classification is given at the back of the Shooting Administration Procedures in the Resources section of this page.
To gain a classification you need to shoot three scores that meet that classification level. Once you achieve a classification you can’t claim a lower one.
You can hold different classifications for different bow types, but you can only hold your classification for the calendar year in which you shot your qualifying scores. You must re-qualify each year to maintain it.
The defined year for indoor classifications is 1 July to 30 June and applies to recurve and compound archers. There are no separate classifications for juniors shooting indoors. Qualifying scores and rounds can be found in the Shooting Administrative Procedures document in the Resources section on this page.
Our sport is always developing and as part of this progression, we have re-visited and updated the classifications and handicap scheme to both modernise and create more awards to give all archers a roadmap to progress along, no matter their skill level.
Read about the Outdoor Classifications and Handicaps update by clicking on the button below:
Outdoor Classification and Handicaps
The rose award is open to seniors and juniors when shooting at a UK Record Status York, Hereford, Bristols I-V tournament that also has Rose Award status. Claims are made at the record status tournament and the round shot must be relevant to age group. Currently, 50+ archers cannot claim a rose award shooting this 50+ rounds, only senior and juniors awards available.
| Badge Colour | White | Black | Blue | Red | Gold | Purple |
| Compound and recurve score | 800 | 900 | 1000 | 1100 | 1200 | 1250 |
| Longbow score | 225 | 300 | 375 | 450 | 525 | 600 |
| Barebow score | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900 | 1000 |
These awards can be claimed at outdoor competitions for seniors and juniors who shoot six arrows, one after another, into the gold during one end with a recurve or compound. The Three Gold badge is open to archers who shoot three arrows, one after another, into the gold during one end with a longbow.
The Six Clout badge is for six arrows shot one after another, at one end into the Clout i.e. the 5 zone of an Archery GB Clout tournament. Claims may be made either at a record status tournament or club Target Day.
The Tassel award scheme for clout archery is run by Northern Counties Archery Society and open to archers shooting double one-way or two-way Archery GB clout rounds with “Tassel” status.
WA Arrowhead awards is score based and open to seniors and juniors when shooting recurve, barebow or compound at a UK Record Status field tournament that also has Arrowhead Award status. Claims are made at the record status tournament.
These are for beginners over the age of 12. Beginners will be tested on archery scores, skill development and knowledge. Different coloured awards are available depending on the distance to be shot over:
| Badge Colour | White | Black | Blue | Red | Gold |
| 115 points from hits on a target face at the following distances | 10m | 14m | 18m | 22m | 26m |
Red and Gold feather awards are available, testing shooting skills across different distances and different knowledge sets. These are designed for beginners under 12 years old and some disabled new archers. It is up to your coach to decide when you are ready for this award.
To claim either WA Beginners Arrow or Feather awards please contact Sue Williamson at sue@chelmickforge.co.uk
| Badge Colour | Red | Gold |
| 12 hits on a target face at the following distances | 6m | 8m |
WA Silver Star badges for recurve archers are shield shaped, while badges for compound archers are round. WA Silver Star awards are for U17 (Cadet) or 50 or over (Masters) shooting the appropriate Cadet or Masters round and shows a silver Star with coloured silver writing. These awards can only be claimed at World Record status events.
| Badge Colour | Star Only | Black | Blue | Red | Gold | Purple |
| Score from appropriate FITA round for age group | 1000 | 1100 | 1200 | 1300 | 1350 | 1400 |
WA Silver Target awards are for archers U17 (Cadet) and archers 50 or over (Masters) shooting the appropriate Cadet or Masters 60m round. The badge is the same colour and shape as the Target badges but has silver coloured writing. These awards can only be claimed at World Record status events.
| Round | White | Black | Blue | Red | Gold | Purple |
| WA 60m | 500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 675 | 700 |
The WA Star badges can only be gained at a World Record or WA Award Status event shooting a cadet round. Badges for recurve archers are shield-shaped, while badges for compound archers are round.
| Badge Colour | White | Black | Blue | Red | Gold | Purple |
| Compound score | 1000 | 1100 | 1200 | 1300 | 1350 | 1400 |
| Recurve score | 1000 | 1100 | 1200 | 1300 | 1350 | 1400 |
WA Target awards may be achieved when shooting other WA rounds at World Record Status tournaments.
| Round | White | Black | Blue | Red | Gold | Purple |
| WA 70m | 500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 675 | 700 |
| WA 900 | 750 | 800 | 830 | 860 | 875 | 890 |
| 25m Indoor | 500 | 525 | 550 | 575 | 585 | 595 |
| 18m Indoor | 500 | 525 | 550 | 575 | 585 | 595 |
| 18m Indoor Barebow | 480 | 500 | 520 | 540 | 550 | 560 |
| WA 50m Compound | 500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 675 | 700 |
| WA 50m Barebow | 480 | 500 | 550 | 600 | 625 | 640 |
Forms can be emailed to awards@archerygb.org
