Rules for IKCAC - 2011 Season

Annual Inter-Kingdom Combat Archery Competition

Updated 4/1/2007

by Lorenzo il Confuso, Keeper of the Interkingdom Archery Competition

The Interkingdom Combat Archery Competition is a target competition shot with combat gear, which provides the combat archer of the SCA with an opportunity to compete with other archers from all Kingdoms of the Known World. It also provides an SCA wide standard of comparison for combat archery skills.

The IKCAC, unlike the IKAC, consists of only one division. The starting date is 1 February and the ending date is December 1.

Prizes will be given to the top three archers of the winning Kingdom, It is further hoped that each Kingdom will encourage the efforts of their archers by awarding further recognition. The final scores as well as the monthly will be sent to the Kingdom newsletters.

GENERAL RULES:

The competition may be shot at any official Kingdom or local event (regular practice sessions which are periodically announced in the appropriate newsletter count as official events--otherwise, official events are all those announced in the appropriate Kingdom or local newsletter). Events that fall outside of the normal IKCAC season may be granted official scoring if requested to the Keeper well in advance in writing AND such approval is received

Archers may shoot for official score at as many competitions as they can attend, and may shoot for official score, in each Division, once each day of a multi-day event. Starting this year, the following is in effect in regards to the way each shoot is to be conducted:

1) An IKCAC has to be shot as one continuous shoot. An archer must declare when the IKCAC is started, and must shoot each end until the IKCAC shoot is completed.

2) The order of the ends is left to the archer or the Marshal, at the discretion of the Marshal, as long as each IKCAC score is shot as one complete, uninterrupted shoot.

3) The archer may NOT pick and choose the best ends out of multiple shoots. Each shoot is a complete end-to-end exercise, where EACH arrow counts toward the final score

4) Once the start of an IKCAC shoot has been declared, ALL arrows shot MUST be counted toward the score. Ranging shots and practice shots in between ends are specifically prohibited.

5) The archer may take a reasonable amount of time to complete a shoot, but no other arrows must be shot for ANY purpose (including another competition), once the archer has declared the start of his/her IKCAC shoot. If that happens, that IKCAC score cannot be counted.

6) The Keeper of the IKAC retains the right to question any score submitted. The name of the Marshal in charge of the shoot must be clearly shown on the score submission, and a contact number or email for the Archery Marshal in charge of the shoot must be provided so that the Keeper of the IKAC may contact him or her after the shoot in case clarifications are required. Please do not provide the name of the overall Marshal for the event, I need the contact information for the Archery Marshal that supervised the actual IKCAC shoot. The Marshal must have knowledge of the shoot, and its details. If this information is not provided and questions arise, the Keeper omay decide not to count the score submission. If this happens, the submitter of the score will be informed of the decision, and a mention of this fact will be posted on the web site, so that others may provide input, if necessary.

In setting up and shooting the IKCAC, all necessary precautions should be taken to insure the safety of all archers and bystanders. A warranted Marshal must be present at each IKCAC shoot (an archer who is a Marshal may submit scores for himself/herself). The name of the Marshal must be submitted along with the score in order for the score to count.

Scoring is on the honor system: you may count and record your own score. In case of suspected irregularities, the Keeper may choose to request more information prior to accepting the score. Please make sure to include a contact phone number or email for the Marshal who supervised the shoot and would have knowledge of what happened. Failure to provide such information may preclude the score from being accepted. Decision to accept the score is left to the Keeper. If such a situation were to happen, all the archers involved will be contacted, and information will be posted on the web site.

The winning Kingdom will be determined by averaging the highest scores of the three top-scoring archers for each Kingdom. In the case of a tie, the Kingdom with the narrowest point spread will be declared the winner.

Scores must be postmarked within thirty days of being shot to be counted as official. Scores may be submitted after this date by asking for approval from the Keeper. The final scores must be received in writing by the Keeper no later than December 31st. The results of each competition should be sent as soon as possible after they are shot, so they may be tabulated and each month�s scores sent out to the Kingdom newsletters.

The submitted results must include: Name of event, date, place, Marshal-in Charge`s name AND CONTACT INFORMATION (phone or email - must be name of the Marshal who supervised the shoot and has knowledge of the shoot and the archers), archers` SCA name, archer�s mundane name, archer�s group, archer�s� Kingdom, scores by end, round and total, type and weight of bow e.g. recurve, longbow or crossbow (crossbows should be listed as either modern or period style), and type of arrow (head type, APD and shaft type) When the type of arrow is not included, the score cannot be counted. Information must be typed or printed clearly. Send copies as appropriate to your Kingdom archery Officer if your Kingdom requires it. Scores may be sent by e-mail. You are highly encouraged to use one of the forms and spreadsheets available on the IKAC web site. The spreadsheet available on the IKAC website has automated data entry fields to help you avoid mistakes.

Note1: The Keeper needs to have the breakdown in score for each round. Scores that do not include this information may be rejected.

Note2: After the Keeper receives the scores, they will be posted on the web site. The Keeper will receive several thousand scores during a season, and on occasion mistakes do occur. Occasionally, e-mails are not delivered, and marshals forget to submit scores.It is your responsibility to make sure that your scores are posted correctly. Because people check each other�s scores, and make decisions on whether to shoot based on the posted scores starting this year the Keeper will enforce a one-month rule on corrections. The Keeper will accept corrections to the scores for only one month after they have been received or shot. This means the Keeper will not accept a notice in December that a score in May is missing. Take an interest, and check the IKCAC web site to make sure your score is posted. Please notify the Keeper as soon as possible of any problems.

Send scores to the Keeper of the IKAC:
Lorenzo il Confuso
c/o Andre Detommaso
19108 Valley Overlook Court
Knoxville, MD 21758
E-mail: ikac scores-sca org

EQUIPMENT RULES:

All protective gear, bows and combat arrows must meet the minimum SCA standards. Check with your Marshall if in doubt. All equipment must conform to the spirit of medieval archery.

BOWS:

Any type of SCA legal combat bow or crossbow may be used. Check the SCA Combat Archery rules for descriptions of allowed equipment.

ARROWS:

Any type of SCA legal combat arrow of at least 1.25" may be used. Further,all thin-type shafts MUST have an APD device. Both feather fletch and plastic vanes are allowed. A minimum of 12 arrows should be carried in a quiver. The type of SCA arrow (head type, APD type, shaft type) used must be specified when sending in scores, or the score will not count.

PROTECTIVE GEAR:

All armor requirements are waived with the exception of HELM protection and HAND protection.

SHOOTING TECHNIQUE:

Any period style of aiming from instinctive, to using marked bow limbs or crossbow sights, is allowed. Any period technique, from the Eastern holding of several arrows in the drawing hand or shooting two arrows at one time for rapid shooting, to the bow and pike method of William Neade`s Double-Armed Man, are allowed, but documentation may be required in questionable cases. Any archer using a technique which could be a safety hazard to their self or to others must prove to the satisfaction of the Archer-in Charge their ability to use the technique safely.

SCORE KEEPING:

Copies of the IKCAC score sheet should be used for recording scores. You can find scoresheet and Excel Spreadsheet on the IKCAC web site. The Excel Spreadsheet has automated data entry fields to help you avoid mistakes. Any score sheet that includes all the required information may be used. Choose an archer to act as score-keeper or Marker. A separate record sheet or card may be used for each archer, so long as the final scores are recorded on the IKCAC score sheet. Scores may be sent via email.

Because the Marker will be in the vicinity of the target, he or she must either wear full protective gear when recording scores from the target side of the shooting line, or they need to be sufficiently out of the line of fire that they will not be hit. For the additional safety and comfort of the Marker, a pavise or other form of cover, as well as a seat, may be provided near the target.

In order to approximate actual combat conditions, no one may inform the archer where his arrows are striking, either hits or misses, for during combat there would be no one to provide this information.

TIME LIMITS:

At the end of the time limit, "Hold" is called and shooting stops and score is recorded. Any arrow in the air at "Hold" counts. There is no penalty for not completing an end. Times must be measured with a watch. You may use a tape recorded count down for timing ends.

DIVISIONS:

There is one division. Recurves, longbows and crossbows compete in the same division. However, the type of bow used must be specified when the score is submitted.

THE TARGET:

The target is a free standing fighter-shaped plywood cut-out, six feet tall, facing front. It has a hinged face and heart (see diagram) which are used as high scoring areas. The movement of these areas is easily seen for scoring. The target is supported by a brace and is also secured to the ground at the base. The surface may be painted in any color or manner desired, except that the face and heart must contrast with the surrounding areas. It may be padded to reduce wear on arrows as long as the padding does not increase the scoring area of the target (i.e. it should not wrap around the edges and increase the width of the target). Closed cell foam, foam rubber or carpet covered by heavy cloth make a good surface. The target drawing posted on the IKCAC web site contains the official dimensions for the target. Please use this diagram when building your target.

The arms and legs may be of one piece with the head and torso, or may be separate and articulated for use in various positions (such as holding a shield and weapon) for other contests. Making the target in sections increases ease of transportation and storage. For durability use at least 5/8 inch plywood. The distances to the target must be measured, not paced.

SCORING ON SPEED ENDS:

The speed ends are intended to test an archer`s ability to move rapidly, nock fast, and shoot quickly, while maintaining accuracy. The time limit provides some of the pressure of shooting under combat conditions. The archer must draw their own arrows, no one may hand them to the archer.

The time for both speed and regular rounds may be called in whatever manner is decided by the Archer-in Charge, including use of a tape recorder, as long as it is consistent and announced in advance to all the contestants.

In speed ends, any arrow in the air after the time limit shall be counted.

THE ROUNDS

SEQUENCE:

In order to more closely simulate combat conditions, the rounds must be shot in order of range: longest first, with the speed ends last in each round.

THE UNDERHAND ROUND:

This round simulates shooting at a distant massed force. The term "underhand" was used to indicate that the target is seen under the bowhand when the archer is at full draw. Hence: shooting at long range. In this case, the range is only forty yards. The target is placed at the front center of a nine foot wide by fifteen foot long rectangle. This represents the target area presented by three files of fighters, three ranks deep.

In the regular end, the archer stands at the 40 yard mark and shoots twelve arrows.

During the speed end, the archer starts drawn and aimed and shoots as many arrows as possible within a sixty second time limit.

In scoring the Underhand Round, hits to the face or heart count as twelve points, hits anywhere else on the target count as six points, and arrows striking within the rectangle or on the lines count as four points. The arrows do not have to stay within the area; they score even if they bounce out (markers: take note).

The border lines must be clearly indicated so that the Marker can tell if an arrow is in or out. One good method is to use a stake at each corner connected with twine at ground level.

For this round, the Marker must be located near to the target area in order to record scores accurately.

ARCHER`S CHOICE:

This round allows an archer to choose his or her range: either 30, 20 or 10 yards. For in combat an archer often has to make the choice between the sure shot at close range and the harder but more rewarding shot at long range.

In the regular end there are twelve arrows and a two minute time limit. And in the speed end, which is shot at the same distance as the regular, there is a sixty second time limit and unlimited arrows.

In scoring this round hits at 30 yards count for four points. Hits at 20 yards count as three points. And hits at 10 yards count as two points. Hits to the face or heart double the score for that distance.

PAVISE ROUND:

This round simulates the use of a pavise or similar protection while shooting. An actual pavise is not required for this round, as the intent is to put the archer through the movements needed to make use of cover of any kind. Two stakes two and one half to three feet apart and about four feet high can be driven into the ground and used to simulate the pavise. However, if a pavise or other form of cover is used, it should be secured so that it will not fall over, and it should not be so high that shorter archers are unable to shoot over the top.

In the regular end, the pavise is set at 10 yards. The archer starts kneeling directly behind the pavise with the arrow nocked. The archer should be situated so no part of their body would be exposed to arrows shot from the target. Upon the starting command, the archer leans out around either side of the pavise, while kneeling, and shoots. Upon shooting, the archer returns behind the pavise, nocks another arrow, leans out and shoots again. This continues for a total of twelve arrows or two minutes. The archer remains kneeling throughout the round.

In the speed end, the archer starts at 10 yards in a kneeling position behind the pavise with the arrow nocked. Upon the starting command, the archer rises to a standing position, shoots one arrow and returns to a kneeling position before again rising and shooting. Note: if the archer prefers, he/she may do the same as in the regular end detailed above, i.e remain kneeling, and lean out of either end of the pavise, shoot, return behind the pavise, nock another arrow and lean out and shoot again. This continues for a total of sixty seconds and as many arrows as can be shot during that time. In the pavise round, hits to the face count as five points. Hits to the heart count as three points. Hits anywhere else on the target count for two points.

SETTING UP THE COMPETITION:

Try to set up the field so that the sun will be behind the archers` backs.

If possible use a natural backstop, such as a steep hill or embankment. If this is not possible use old carpet, blanket, tarp, etc. hung between poles on rope to stop the arrows that miss the target.

In order to encourage more people to shoot, you should have some protective gear, bows and combat blunts on hand to loan.

When one archer is shooting inform the next archer to prepare, so there is no time lost.

As many archers as possible should shoot each end before stopping to recover arrows. They should pick up all arrows from the field and return them behind the shooting line for sorting.

With large numbers of archers time can be saved by dividing them into two groups at each target. One group shoots first, then when they are sorting and examining their arrow the second group shoots.

If large numbers of archers are shooting, you should have enough targets set up so that long waits can be avoided. If this is not possible, you should have a sign-up list with shooting times, so that the archers do not have to stand around waiting for a turn.

It is easier to run and score the competition with at least two officials at each target. The Archer-in-Charge acting as Scorer, recording total scores and calling time at the shooting line. And the Marker, recording hits at the target.

Encourage the archers to experiment with different styles of aiming and shooting techniques, as well as different types of combat arrows and methods of carrying them.

Please send any further suggestions you have for ease in setting up and running the competition to the Keeper.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!