Medieval Combat Society Sic Transit Gloria Mundi CODE OF SAFETY FOR ARCHERY ACTIVITIES 1. Purpose and scope of the Code of Safety for Archery Activities 1.1 The Code of Safety is designed to remove or inhibit some of the more dangerous scenarios of The Society s archery activities without removing the potential for enjoyment, personal initiative or restricting individual styles. 1.2 Members agree that they participate in archery activities with a we take part in this activity with our eyes open, knowing that we could be injured without recourse to The Society or other members. While The Society does provide public liability insurance which also covers members not involved in archery activities at the time of any incident, no form of person to person insurance for participants is provided. 1.3 In view of this a commonly agreed Code of Safety is both desirable and necessary in order to minimise the risks involved in The Society s archery activities and all members taking part in such activities agree to be bound by it. 2. Basic Health and Safety Responsibilities for Archery Activities 2.1 All members of The Society have basic responsibilities for their own and others health and safety laid down by law. a) To take reasonable care of your own health and safety during any archery activity. b) To take reasonable care not to put other people - fellow members and members of the public - at risk by what you do or don't do in the course of any archery activity. c) To make sure you have received proper training to engage in archery and you understand and follow The Society's policies that cover this activity. d) To ensure that your personal protective equipment (if any) and tools of the trade (bows and arrows) are of the necessary standard to perform correctly and are well maintained. e) To report any injuries, strains or illnesses you suffer as a result of the archery activity (as The Society may need to change the way things are done). 3. General Society Rules for Archery Activities 3.1 The minimum age for members to participate in an archery activity where the public is present shall be 6 years of age. The minimum age to take part in a combat archery (battle) event shall be 16 years as an archer, 18 years as a skirmisher. Members aged 4 and 5 may train to shoot but only at practice sessions where the public is not present. All members under the age of 18 must be under parental / legal guardian supervision when participating in archery activities. All participants must receive permission to take part from The Society s Archery Master. 3.2 As well as the permissions noted above to participate in any archery activity where the public is present members must have also demonstrated a basic level of skill by completing the MCS Archery Safety Test. To pass this test the member must demonstrate the ability to shoot 6 arrows, from a range of at least 15 (10 for junior members), all of which must hit within the diameter of a standard 60cm target face in under one Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 1 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010
minute using safe technique and showing due awareness. The Society s Archery Master may request any member repeat this test at any time as a demonstration of continued competence. 3.3 Members shall behave in a responsible manner, at all times, during any archery activity. 3.4 Members shall not shoot with or use equipment likely to prejudice safety. 3.5 Members shall wear approved protection (armour) in all combat archery situations. For Society events a minimum of metal head protection is required (a minimum of padded jack is also recommended but not mandatory). Non Society events may impose higher minimum protection standards. 3.6 No member shall consume intoxicating liquor to excess prior to or during any archery activity. 3.7 Any member with a medical condition or disability which may prejudice their safety or the safety of others must inform the Archery Master before taking part in an archery activity so that he can make an informed decision as to their suitability to take part. 3.8 Any member taking prescribed controlled substances must notify the Archery Master before taking part in any archery activity and will be registered as taking such. 3.9 Any member unlawfully taking controlled substances prior to or during any archery activity will be excluded from participation in the activity and will also face possible expulsion from The Society. 3.10 At no point shall a member of the public be allowed to handle weaponry independently of a Society member s supervision. 3.11 Archery activities where members of the public are present shall take place in an arena area surrounded by a double rope with a gap of at least six feet between the ropes. Guidance on the size of this arena and range layout is set out in section 4 below. 3.12 Members taking part in an event as a skirmisher (that is where archery will be accompanied by hand to hand combat or the use of firearms) must also follow the Code of Safety for Combat Activities and / or the Code of Safety for Gunnery Activities as appropriate. In any apparent contradiction between the various codes of safety the more stringent rule shall apply. 3.13 The Society shall be aware of any rules passed by official bodies in local, national or regional government in relation to The Society s archery activities and will institute them as soon as they are discovered. 4. Range Layout 4.1 The range for archery displays and practice shall be laid out as follows. a) A target line upon which the bosses are placed. The width of this line must allow a gap of at least 2 yards to exist between the side line (qv) and the edge of the boss nearest to that line on each side of the range and a gap of at least 1 yard to exist between each boss. b) A shooting line a minimum of 15 yards in front of the target line. This line must have a minimum width of 1½ yards per archer in the front rank plus 3 yards or the width of the target line whichever is greater. c) A back line a minimum of 5 yards behind the shooting line as wide as the shooting line or target line whichever is greater. d) A stop line 1½ yards behind the target line as wide as the shooting line or target line whichever is greater. e) Two side lines perpendicular to and between the back line and the stop line. As these lines mark the side of the range they must be at least as wide apart as the width of shooting line or target line whichever is greater. f) Two safety lines extending from the ends of the back line towards the stop line at an angle of 30º outwards from the side lines. Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 2 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010
NB. In archery terms forward of and behind any line is taken relative to the centre of the range, hence the target line is forward of the shooting line and the shooting line is forward of the target line. The stop line is behind the target line and the back line is behind the shooting line. 4.2 Behind the stop line at least one of the following must exist. a) A solid object (wall, earth bank etc.) at least 10 high b) An archery catch net at least 10 high and an overshoot area of at least ½ the distance from the target line to the shooting line. c) An overshoot area of at least 3 times the distance from the target line to the shooting line. 4.3 Any overshoot area must be clearly marked as a no access area. When members of the public are present the overshoot must be double roped. 4.4 If practicable, archery catch nets should be placed along the side lines from the stop line to the target line. 4.5 All targets will be set up to insure that, no person can be accidentally hit by a stray arrow. 4.6 When members of public are present the safety lines and back line must be double roped. Spectators may stand behind these lines only. (Never behind the stop line). 5. Equipment for Archery Activities 5.1 The final decision as to the suitability of an item of equipment for use in archery activities rests with The Society s Archery Master. 5.2 All equipment must be safe to use, well maintained and fitting for the period of time as portrayed by The Society. However, in any situation where a conflict exists between the need for authenticity and the need for safety, then the need for safety will take priority. 5.3 Archers should only use weapons with which they have trained with and are fully familiar with. 5.4 All arrows will be checked on a regular basis; any found with defects will be discarded and if beyond repair broken to avoid accidental use. This check must include the condition and presence of nocks, points and fletchings. 5.5 All bows will be checked on a regular basis for cracking or twisting and that nocks and grips (if present) are sound. If a bow is found to be defective it must be repaired or retired. If in any doubt have it checked by the Archery Master before any further use. Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 3 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010
5.6 All bowstrings are to be checked before use any found to be defective or frayed must be replaced. 5.7 Bows must not be drawn back further than the draw length for which they were constructed. Overdrawing can break the bow and injure the shooter in the process. 5.8 Bows must not be drawn unless there is an arrow on them, and bowstrings must not be released without an arrow on them; this is known as dry shooting and can result in bow damage. 5.9 Members must not shoot in costumes that could cause a danger when shooting. Particular examples of this are the wearing of helms with restrictive vision and costumes with tippets or liripipes which could tangle in a bowstring. 5.10 Long hair must be tied back when shooting or otherwise covered with an appropriate headdress. 5.11 Although no evidence exists for the use of bracers, shooting gloves or tabs in the 14 th Century these items may be used if required in the interests of safety. Members are advised that a shooting glove is considered more appropriate than a tab as these are shown in 15 th Century art. 5.12 Due to the relatively short ranges at which The Society shoots, arrows must feature a minimum of 4 fletchings. Speed fletched arrows are not permissible. 5.13 Arrows to be used for combat or on the battlefield must feature a minimum of 5 full feather fletchings, and use a Red Head blunt over a flat ended shaft. A Red Head must NEVER be placed over a regular arrow point. The use of Green (Eco-Blunt) or Black (Speedblunt) heads is not allowed at society events and it is recommended that members do not use them if provided at an open event due to concerns over the safety of these types of blunt. 5.14 Arrows should be used which are appropriate to the draw length of the archer and the draw length of the bow being used. Under length arrows can be drawn inside the bow, over length arrows are inherently inaccurate and therefore dangerous. 5.15 Sharp and Blunt arrows must not be stored or carried together. Blunt arrows should never be used for target shooting due to the danger from rebounds. It goes without saying that sharp arrows should never be used for combat. 5.16 Society equipment including bows, arrows, nets, targets and target stands should be inspected for damage before and after use. Any defects must be reported to the Archery Master. 6. Conduct of Archery Activities 6.1 The final decision as to the suitability of any person to take part in archery activities and the suitability of a location for archery activities to take place rests with The Society s Archery Master. 6.2 All archery activities must take place under the direct supervision of the Archery Master or a Line Captain appointed by him. 6.3 During an archery activity The Archery Master or Line Captain on the fields word is law on all matters relating to combat and must be obeyed without question at all times. 6.4 Shooting must take place from the shooting line only. 6.5 Archers must remain between the shooting line and back line at all times when shooting is taking place. Never shoot an arrow unless you are positive that no one is in front of you or behind the target. Never stand in front of a bow whilst it is being shot even if you are to one side of the shooter. 6.6 If it is necessary for archers to shoot at different ranges the targets should be brought forward of the target line. Archers should not be moved forward of the shooting line. 6.7 Arrows must only be nocked when at the shooting line and with the bow facing the target line. 6.8 Commands used on a MCS range or battle shoot shall be as follows. a) FAST Hold fast, stop shooting, no further shooting is allowed until a further command is given. Under no circumstances must an arrow be loosed after the FAST command is given. If you have an arrow on your bow do not shoot and allow the bow to come down. b) ARCHERS READY Check that the range is clear and prepare to shoot. Never move forward of the shooting line once this command has been given. c) COME DOWN Under control, reduce tension on the bow string without releasing any nocked arrow. Lower the bow to point towards the ground and then allow any nocked arrow to fall from the bow. d) NOCK Place an arrow on the string, select a target and prepare to shoot. Do not draw your bow on the command to NOCK as on a battlefield there will probably be arrows landing around you while the NOCK command is given. Some archery captains use the command MARK in place of NOCK. e) DRAW Draw your bow and take aim. Do not release the arrow until the command to LOOSE. Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 4 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010
f) LOOSE Take your shot and release the arrow. If you are not ready to shoot when the LOOSE command is given allow the bow to come down and wait for the next set of commands. Do not release the arrow late. g) COLLECT SHAFTS Move down the range to the target line and recover your arrows. Never move forward of the shooting line until this command is given. h) WARE ARROWS A battlefield command to indicate that arrows are approaching. Lower your eyes and brace yourself in case you are hit. Under no circumstances look up to watch the arrows. 6.9 Only the Archery Master or Line Captain should issue commands with the exception of FAST or WARE ARROWS which should be used by any person at any time if a potential danger is perceived. 6.10 At a cry of FAST issued by any person for any reason all archery activities must be stopped immediately, even if the reason for the cry is not apparent. 6.11 Arrows which fall from the bow or are otherwise miss-shot which land in front of the shooting line must not be recovered while shooting is taken place and should be considered as shot. 6.12 When collecting arrows do not run towards the targets, always walk. Remember that arrows are sticking out of the target and possibly the ground and can cause injury. 6.13 When pulling arrows out of the target archers must stand to one side of the target and insure no one is directly in front of the target. Arrows can be as dangerous coming out of the boss as they were going in. 6.14 Arrow points detached in a target should be recovered immediately using a pile pusher. If this is not possible the impact point should be marked and the point recovered as soon as is realistically possible. Points left in a boss create a rebound hazard. 7. Safe Technique and Attitude to Archery Activities 7.1 Archers must at all times be fully aware of their actions and the environment in which they are shooting. 7.2 Never point a bow with a nocked sharp arrow at another person. It is only acceptable to shoot at a person for display purposes if the target is suitably armoured and then only using suitable equipment including blunt, slow fletched arrows. 7.3 An arrow must never be shot straight up into the air. As what goes up must come down, you risk hitting yourself or another person on the shooting line. 7.4 Never shoot an arrow off into the distance if you cannot see where it will land, again there is the possibility of hitting another person. 7.5 Bows should be drawn upwards using the V-draw technique. The T-draw is acceptable on the grounds of safety but is not appropriate for historical longbow shooting. The kyudo draw is specifically prohibited due to the danger of a bad loose releasing an arrow upwards. 7.6 Archers should only use the Mediterranean (3 finger split) release. Flemish (2 finger) and Mongolian (Thumb) draws are not suitable due to their inherent lack of control. 7.7 When drawing a bow an archer must take no action or use any technique which could cause an arrow, if accidently released, to travel beyond the stop line or side lines. 7.8 In order to maintain control a smooth draw must be used at all times. Even when speed shooting snap or snatch draws should not be used. 7.9 Care must be taken not to allow an arrow to be drawn inside of the bow to prevent the possibility of the arrow point contacting the archers bow hand (causing injury) or the bow (causing severe equipment damage and injury). 7.10 It is considered that every participant in any activity should attempt to make that activity as enjoyable as possible, both for themselves and all other participants without taking any action that would prejudice their safety. 8. Have-A-Go Archery 8.1 Members of the public may not enter the range or shoot except at a specifically arranged have-a-go archery session. 8.2 No member shall assist with a have-a-go archery session without the express permission of the Archery Master. Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 5 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010
8.3 Members must complete a specific Society training session on have-a-go archery before they may be considered to assist with such a session. The Society s Archery Master may request any member to repeat this training at any time as required for continued competence. 8.4 During have-a-go sessions appropriate safety equipment (tabs, bracers and hair bands) should be available for use by the public if required. 8.5 Only approved training bows may be used for have-a-go archery. Under no circumstances should members personal equipment be used by members of the public. Code of Safety for Archery Activities Page 6 of 6 Last Edit 14-Apl-2010