Organisation

Target Archery in the UK is organised in a pyramid structure.

The Grand National Archery Society (GNAS) is recognised as the official national governing body for the sport in the UK by the International Olympic Committee (archery is an Olympic sport). GNAS lays down the rules of shooting for archery, trains archery coaches and judges, provides a system of scoring, handicaps and national records for tournaments, prepares archers for international competition, arranges public liability insurance for all its members, of whom there are currently about 16,000. The GNAS's motto is UNION, TRUEHEART, COURTESIE.

There are nine Regional Organisations, numerous County societies and about 800 clubs. Clubs are required by GNAS rules to affiliate to their County, Regional and National bodies, hence Tockington Archers is affiliated to GNAS, the Grand Western Archery Society (GWAS) (our Regional organisation) and to the Gloucestershire Archery Society (GAS) (our County organisation).

Further Information

"Archery UK", the official magazine of the Grand National Archery Society, is posted to all members directly. There are other archery magazines (The Bow and The Glade) which can be bought by direct subscription or from archery retailers. It is also possible to buy USA archery magazines.

See our links page for further information about archery.

Equipment

We are fortunate in having an archery retailer quite close by - Wales Archery Specialists, of Crick Manor, near Newport, Gwent. Another retailer, Quicks of Waterlooville, Hampshire, has a branch at Honiton; and a third, Severn Archery, can be found at Ombersley, near Kidderminster.

New members wishing to buy their first set of equipment should, wherever possible, seek advice from a senior club member. We strongly advise new members not to buy equipment from secondhand shops or general sports equipment dealers. If you are given secondhand equipment by a friend or relative, please ask a senior club member to check it over before you use it.

Rounds

A large number of archery rounds exist, which can be shot either at the Club or at a Tournament, whether Indoor or Outdoor. A round is a set number of arrows shot at specific distances on a target face of a given size. Click Here to learn more.