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SANIFAA  -  New Bow Style Categories

The South African National Indoor and Field Archery Association has decided to expand on its bow style categories to accommodate some of the archers who felt disadvantaged in their chosen shooting style.   The generally known IFAA (International Field Archery Association) category as seen at our events contains the main bow styles as allowed at the IFAA World Championship events. A further NATIONAL category will be added as explained below.

 The most exiting impact is :

• LONG BOW  in a class with a max 50 yrd distance

• CLASSIC BOW class to cater for all the Traditional archers (max 50 yards).

• Cub - Release Aid style (FU) has been added

For those who are unfamiliar with the IFAA styles, these are listed below. Some styles are further divided into compound and recurve bows as indicated (for exact details and limitations refer to  website or the bylaws)

A )  The IFAA Category (as before) consists of the following styles :

o       Freestyle Unlimited Comp. (basically very few restrictions on equipment)

o       Freestyle Limited Comp.&Recrv. (similar to the FU but using fingers as release)

o       Bare Bow Comp.&Recrv. (in principle no sights etc. but stab,& arrow rests allowed)

o       Bowhunter Comp.&Recrv. (mainly no sights or release aids, but with short stabiliser)

o       Bowhunter Limited Comp. (as above but with sights)

o       Bowhunter Unlimited (as above with sights, release aid and short stabiliser)

o       Long Bow (essentially one piece straight ended bow, any material, wooden arrows)

The above styles, as mention, are the International standard and archers shooting in these styles can compete at the IFAA World events. This is also the category in which we award Provincial and National SANIFAA colours and finally the Protea Team to represent South Africa at World events is selected from this category.

In addition to the above IFAA category, a new NATIONAL category has been introduced. This category has been established because of the demand from archers for an opportunity to compete Nationally with their specific style. In the NATIONAL Category, SANIFAA also awards Provincial and National SANIFAA colours. However, the category is not recognised by the IFAA and archers would have to make the required adjustments to compete at IFAA events (i.e. principally to increase distances to IFAA level and no release aid for cubs)

B)  The new NATIONAL category consists of :

1) Long Bow - as listed above but the maximum shooting distance if 50 yards.

2) Cubs FU style a compound bows style allowing Cubs to use release aids.

4) Cross-Bows

2) Standard Bow - an introduction level, basic one piece or take down bow,  with a simple rest and  sights shot at a max distance of 50 yards.

(Note Crossbows and Standard bows were previously SANIFAA styles but remain non-IFAA styles)

5)  Classic bow - CB is a new style to accommodate the Traditional archers and does not allow modern technology or designs basically the requirements are;

• based on design and usage in the period pre-1900;

•  includes all related bows with no distinction between the bow designs (LB or Recurve) or of materials.

• will only be for the adult division. 

• wood or composite bow of materials that were used during the period of the bow’s historical usage

• arrow rest or shelf, sight window cut-in permitted provided such meet established historical precedence.

• No use of modern materials (carbon, glass-fiber etc.) and

• No use of historic glues such as bone glue and hot tree resin 

• Only modern glues and adhesives shall be used.

• The standard bowstring material shall be Dacron B50 or similar. No historical (such as flax or sinew) and/or modern bowstring materials (such as Kevlar, etc) 

• Arrow shafts shall be made of wood and shall be fletched with natural feathers which are attached in the historical manner (no clear glue or superglue, etc).

• Modern arrow points or piles as well as modern nocks shall be permitted. Nocks that are cut into the shaft are not permitted.

• Accessories such as woven nocking point indicators and thumb rings shall be permitted, provided that such accessory was used during the historic use of the bow.

• If the bow and equipment is so different that it is not clearly within the generally known categories, the onus shall rest with the archer to ensure that all the equipment that is used for the tournament is historically correct - The shooter shall show documented proof of the correctness of the equipment if so asked by the technical controllers at the tournament.

In this new style a Hungarian bow will shoot next to an English longbow. Safety rules have been considered by not allowing traditional glues and bow string materials and cut-in nocks.

SANIFAA hopes that the affected archers will be as exited about the new developments as we are and that we will see many Traditional and long bow archers on the line competing for the fun and eventually for Club, Provincial and National SANIFAA colour recognition. (the colour qualifying scores will be announced as soon as available)