We run an archery club. Most all of our archers will never shoot at the USA National Archery Championship, let alone the Archer World Championships, let alone the Olympics. As an archery coach I understand that, and that is the reality of it. (We do our best to help those archers with high aspirations meet their ultimate potential however!)

For the majority of kids in our club, archery is an enjoyable pastime. Us coaches have an ulterior motive however. We view our archery practices and tournaments as character building opportunities. In business, companies want reliable, honest, hard working employees with a high level of attention to detail. We do our best to apply those values in the participation of archery practice and tournaments, just on a smaller scale.

Today, Denise Parker posted on a change in regards to adjustments to score cards that contain errors. This past Friday, the USA Archery Board revised the rules on score cards turned in. They made it more lenient. Evidently some people felt the old rules were too harsh. I would agree.

The rule will be as follows:

• If two arrow values disagree once the arrows are withdrawn – the archer receives the lower value
• Once the scorecards are signed and turned into event organizers
  • If a box is not filled in – it is a zero (including a total score or distance score)
  • If a score total is greater than correct – it gets corrected
  • If a score total is lesser than correct – it stays the lower score

The major reason this issue was brought to the Board, was the increasing number of inaccurate or incomplete scorecards at events that would eventually be sent to the national office. The Board felt that action needed to be taken to clarify what the expectations were of both athletes and organizers. 

While I happen to agree with these rule changes, I understand the harshness of the original ruling as well. It is up to the archer to ensure that [1] that their math is correct and [2] that each and every required field on the scorecard is accurately filled out.

Our club kids aren’t on the level of national archers (yet!) but we attempt to instil the value that their scorecard accuracy is important. Where possible, we have the kids do their own scoring and do their own math. It’s only simple addition (and/or subtraction) for the score card. Almost all of our archers *should* be able to complete a scorecard!

Math and attention to detail! It’s important in archery. It’s important in the workplace. It’s important in adult life.

Thanks Denise and the USA Archery Board. Life lessons 101.

Read more here:
“ZERO IS TOO HARSH” – USA Archery Board revisits the scoring rule change