Calendar and rules for virtual 2021 Indoor Archery World Series released

Article updated on 13 November 2020 to reflect a change in the rules regarding team ranking and qualification for the final.

The Indoor Archery World Series is going virtual in 2021.

Archers worldwide will be able to participate in an open online competition over one designated weekend every month from November 2020 to February 2021.

Read the official rules for the series.

Calendar – online stages

• Stage 1: 21-22 November 2020
• Stage 2: 18-20 December 2020
• Stage 3: 15-17 January 2021
• Stage 4: 12-14 February 2021
• Final (teams only): 27-28 February 2021

Each archer’s best three 60-arrow 18-metre qualification scores over the series will be used to list an open ranking. Every participant will receive an online certificate with their final raking position when the series is complete.

There will be rankings for men and women in recurve, compound and barebow categories. Age groups will not be split.

All that’s required for an archer to submit a score is an 18-metre range (indoor or outdoors) and an official 40cm target face (vertical or triangular triple-spot or single-spot). There will be no charge to participate.

Registration for each online event will start in early November through OpenWAREOS. Scores will be submitted each weekend through the Ianseo Scorekeeper mobile application (available for Android and iOS).

We’re encouraging national archery federations and clubs to organise official tournaments on the virtual weekends.

Scores shot at any of these tournaments registered in the World Archery calendar (and eligible for world records) will be automatically approved as long as the event complies with the rules and publishes an official results list. Archers at official tournaments will still need to submit their scores through the mobile application.

Scores can also be shot at clubs, private ranges or at home (if it’s a safe place to shoot). But archers that shoot at these unofficial venues will have to submit a photo of their target face(s) and scoresheet signed by two witnesses.

Team competition

The Indoor Archery World Series team competition will also return in 2021.

Recurve and compound teams of three archers, which must include at least one man and one woman, will be ranked on their best combined ranking round score. Teams can come from clubs, national squads, companies or independent groups.

Teams do not have to shoot at the same location but each archer does have to shoot their score at an official tournament for it to be counted.

The four highest-ranked teams at the end of the series will be invited to compete in the team-only 2021 Indoor Archery World Series Finals. The event will be held remotely, using a new and exciting set of rules, and teams must be able to compete in one location to participate.

One team entry costs 60 CHF and is already available to purchase online.

World Archery is guaranteeing a minimum prize fund of 5000 CHF per team event for the 2021 Indoor Archery World Series.

Live events

None of the traditional live stages of the Indoor Archery World Series will be held in 2020 however the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland intends to host an invitational event in November and open competition in December.

As of 18 October 2020, the Nimes Tournament and Vegas Shoot are currently scheduled to take place in early 2021.

Calendar – live events

• Stage 1: 22 November – Wohlen Invitational, Switzerland
• Stage 2: 19-20 December – Indoor de Lausanne, Switzerland 
• Stage 3: 15-17 January – Nimes Tournament, France
• Stage 4: 10-14 February – Vegas Shoot, USA

Archers who participate in any of the live events will automatically have their scores included in the Indoor Archery World Series open ranking and will not to have to submit a result through the Ianseo Scorekeeper application.

Each competition will also host live finals for broadcast.

The restrictions surrounding public gatherings and sporting competitions continue to change regularly and are not consistent between countries. Whether a scheduled live event takes place is ultimately dependent on local authorities and will be the decision of the organisers. Any event that does run will comply fully with local health regulations.

Any schedule change will be announced through the World Archery website.

Whether it’s at home, a local club, a registered tournament or one of the official live events, the 2021 Indoor Archery World Series is the competition destination for archers worldwide this winter (in the northern hemisphere).