WFEA Competition Rules

The WFEA provides access to its system for all those interested, and thereby extends the opportunity for equestrian archers to join the system, track their own development by testing their skills on the unified racecourses and compare their results with those of other equestrian archers around the world.

The WFEA Rules are based on the Original Kassai System (furthermore: OKS), the genuine version of modern equestrian archery. The OKS is the result of 30 years of organic evolution and is now for more than 10 years unchanging in its further adjustment.

WFEA competitions

Competitions can be organized only on Official OKS racetracks, which possess a license. On all WFEA competitions one International Judge must be present. In the WFEA competition result database the results are going back to 1994.

WFEA International Judge

The equestrian archer who wants to become an International Judge must first spend a clinic, training session in the Kassai-valley during which the full knowledge of the OKS in theory and practice is acquired, including all the rules and regulations for the competition. After this the candidate can build the racecourse and must organize a trial competition with minimum 9 competitors where Mr. Kassai or his delegate must be present. If the racecourse and the competition meet all the standards the applicant can receive the International Judge title with the license.

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WFEA requirements regarding competitions

Towards International Judges:

International Judge is one who possesses the International Judge license of the OKS and included among the International Judges of WFEA.

• The International Judge shall not allow a competitor to take part in a competition if the competitor is not properly prepared to perform the task.
• The International Judge shall not allow a horse to compete in a competition that is not properly prepared to perform the task, or is not in a good health (for example; injured, limping or in poor condition).
• The International Judge must ensure the riders’ running (running to the track, run off the track, return to the start position etc.) without endangering the participants, or the spectators. Safety of all people and horses is first priority.
• The International Judge must ensure the smooth and undisturbed procession of the competition, must assist the competitors during the competition, the scoring, the fast collecting of the arrows and the capturing of the results. By judging a competition an International Judge is taking responsibility for the valid results and professional presentation of an Equestrian Archery competition.

Towards competition process:

• Competitors shall start in groups. The number of competitors in a group shall be determined by the International Judge, enabling smooth running of the competition.
• The competition consists of nine runs, but before these, the rider must be allowed to warm up, one run in walk, one in trot and one in canter.
• Any number of arrows, within the poles, can be shot, except in fast horse category (see in category descriptions).
• The course must be done in canter within 20 seconds. The saved time will be added to the shot points of each run.
• Time is measured by a photocell electronic timer in hundredths of seconds.
• The competitor must be informed of the run time and the score (this can be either verbally or in electronic form) during the entire competition.
• Nobody is allowed to hold up his/her companions by disturbing the rhythm of the competition (such problems as injuries, inadequate equipment, being late, etc.). If so another competitor cannot start his/her run because the above mentioned reasons, he/she will stay out the run until he/she is able to go on again. The lost runs cannot be recovered.
• The run is invalid when: stepping onto the course without permission, exceeding the run time (20 seconds), leaving the course and in the case the horseback archer is not able to acquire any points.
• On the competition any archery style can be used (three fingers European, thumb release Inner Asian, Japanese and any different individual style).
• Only those bows can be used on the competition which are not center shooting bows and do not have any other aids like grip, run-out window, aiming devices, stabilizers etc. The material of the bows can be synthetic or original natural, and its strength is not limited.
• Some examples for the bows: bows of horseback archer folks (Scythians, Huns, Avars, Hungarians, Mongols, Turks etc.), Asian type bows (Chinese, Korean, Japanese etc.), European stick bows (longbow etc.), natural folks’ bows (like the bows of the North- and South American natives etc).
• Any kind of arrows may be used on the competition with bullet points: wooden, aluminium, carbon etc.

 

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WFEA allows two kinds of OKS tracks to operate:

1,) Basic

2,) Professional

The requirements are the same towards competitions on both the Professional and Basic tracks, only the setting of the two tracks is different. Main differences: Target-type and side barrier-type of the tracks.

Parameters of the Basic OKS racetrack

• The track is 99 meters long straight line, the start and finish points are marked by two poles.
• The track is 90 centimeters wide with cordon ropes on both sides. The owner of the racecourse is responsible for the cordon ropes and the safety of the racecourse.
• There are three targets where the second target is parallel to the plane of the track and its center is 9 meters away from the middle of the 99 meters track.
• The planes of the first and third targets form an angle of 115 degrees with the plane of the second target, the first target is turned towards the starting point and the third one is towards the finishing point.
• The center of all targets must be at a height of 2 meters from the orbital plane of the track.
• The target shall be 90 cm in diameter, 30 cm in pitch circles, the points of the divisions and the color from the inside out: white – 4 points, black – 3 points, white – 2 points.
• The competitor may start as soon as he/she has received the “START” signal and must start at the moment he/she receives the “START” signal. It is up to the International Judge present to decide who will give the “START” signal and how.

Parameters of the Professional OKS racetrack

• The track is 99 meters long straight line, the start and end point are marked by two poles.
• The track is 90 centimeters wide between two earth mounds (maximum 45 centimeter high) and no other boundaries to keep the horse on track.
• The target must be positioned 9 meters from the center line of the track.
• The center of the target must be at a height of 2 meters from the orbital plane of the track.
• The target should be rotatable, which can be a mechanical, or electronic system. The point is to follow the rider’s movement perfectly on the track and always be perpendicular to the direction of the shots.
• The target shall be 90 cm in diameter, 30 cm in pitch circles, the points of the divisions and the colour from the inside out: white – 4 points, black – 3 points, white – 2 points.
• The competitor may start if the target is turned towards him/her and must start at the moment the target is turned towards him/her.

To build a Basic racecourse is simpler but the counting of the scores requires more attention from the Judges.

The building of a Professional racecourse needs more effort, better trained horses and demands more sophisticated horsemanship but the counting of the scores is more exact.

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Categories of WFEA competition results

There are four different categories regarding the results of WFEA competitions. All results equally take part in the “Overall” rankings but all categories have their separate rankings as well.

When applying for a competition, the competitor must indicate in which category he/she wants to start in the given competition.

These rules were initiated in 2020, as the WFEA was established, therefore only results after the initiation can be genuinely ranked in these categories:

• Kassai style: drawing the bow string with three fingers (index, middle, ring finger), loading the arrows from the bow hand.

• Thumb draw: drawing the bow string including the thumb in the draw.

• Quiver load: the arrows are loaded from the quiver attached to the archer, the arrow can run out either side of the bow and the drawing can be with any technique.

• Fast horse: the archer can only shoot three arrows on the racetrack (any technique can be used).

The Original Kassai System (OKS) is the best in the world for assessing the level of knowledge and professional development of equestrian archers in different categories.

As the number of equestrian archers using different techniques and competing in the system increases, the range of categories may expand. The “Traditional Techniques” category is currently being developed.