World Archery to stream Lockdown Knockout remote archery tournament

World Archery has announced the Lockdown Knockout, the first remote archery competition to be streamed live on the federation’s digital channels.

Eight compound archers – four men and four women – will be invited to take part in the first edition of the tournament, which will start with a qualification period on 1 May and matchplay following on 9-17 May.

The winner of the event will receive 1000 CHF and runner-up 500 CHF in prize money.

Matches will be filmed with mobile phones and a live broadcast produced from a remote location. Coverage will be available live on World Archery’s YouTube and Facebook platforms, with highlights available to linear television channels.

Only archers who can safely shoot in socially distanced settings and in accordance with local health guidance will participate.

World Archery has suspended its international competition calendar due to the current outbreak of COVID-19. No physical events will take place before the start of July, with the situation reviewed monthly.

Schedule

Matches are expected to take place in the afternoon in Europe. Exact scheduling will take place on a match-by-match basis.

• 27 April – Participants announced
• 1-4 May – Qualification period (filmed)
• 9-12 May – Quarterfinals (live)
• 14-15 May – Semifinals (live)
• 17 May – Final (live)

Structure

World Archery rules will apply wherever possible, with common sense adjustments due to limitations caused by the remote nature of the event.

1. Format – The target used will be a 40cm triple-spot target face, triangular or vertical, set at 18 metres. 

2. Qualification – The ranking round will consist of 60 arrows. Men will be seeded on one side of an elimination bracket and women on the other.

3. Matchplay – Each match will consist of 15 arrows with ties resolved in a single-arrow shoot-off.

4. Linecutters – Any decision normally requiring a judge (primarily linecutters) will be decided between the athletes, by the live stream host or, if possible, by allowing the viewing public to vote. These decisions are final.

5. Spirit – While a winner will be crowned, this event is focused on entertainment. Participants are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the event.

Technical details

Participating archers will send two IP video streams – archer and target – via mobile phones on 4G or laptops on stable wifi to a remote production site. The signals will be mixed with graphics and commentary in Vmix and streamed live by World Archery.

Competitors will only see the broadcast available to the public during the filming of the production. They will be able to interact with their opponent and commentators.