You can judge your progress in archery not just by all the medals you’re going to win, but also by your classification and your handicap. If you shoot more than one type of bow, you will have a separate classification and handicap for each type of bow that you shoot. You will also have a separate classification and handicap for the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Classifications
In order to gain a classification, you must submit three correctly filled in score cards signed and witnessed with the required scores for that classification to the club’s records officer. The three scores have to have been shot in one season. You must maintain your classification from year to year by continuing to submit scores.
The required scores for classifications are calculated from handicaps, but unlike handicaps they are bow, gender and age specific, so give a better indication of how skilful you are with your chosen bow type. For example a Third Class Adult Recurve Gent is equivalent to a handicap of 58, whereas a Third Class U16 Recurve Gent is equivalent to a handicap of 71. Of course having a certain handicap is not the same as having that classification: only certain longer rounds qualify for the higher classifications, and you actually have to shoot those rounds to qualify.
Our handicaps and classifications tables show all of the equivalences between handicaps and classifications (outdoor only at the moment).
When a junior moves up an age group, their new classification is calculated from their best three qualifying scores in the twelve months prior to their birthday, treated as though they were shot in the new age group.
The indoor and outdoor seasons have completely different Classification systems. In both cases in order to achieve a particular classification you have to enter three correctly completed score sheets with the requisite scores, within a single season. You can see what scores you need on our Classifications Calculator.
Indoor Classifications
The indoor classifications are single letters, A through H where A is the highest classification and H is the lowest.
Awarded Indoor Classifications
| Archer | Bow | H | G | F | E | D | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah Martin | Recurve | 21/06/2013 | 20/10/2016 | 24/11/2016 | |||
| Jack Corps | Recurve | 10/10/2015 | 08/03/2016 | ||||
| William Hughes | Compound | 10/11/2013 | 01/02/2014 | ||||
| Mick Sparkes | Compound | 01/12/2016 | 30/03/2017 | ||||
| Paul Williams | Recurve | 29/09/2016 | |||||
| Jamie Cattrell | Recurve | 26/01/2017 | |||||
| Michael Wright | Recurve | 20/10/2016 | |||||
| Andrew Cox | Recurve | 08/12/2016 | |||||
| Chris Hills | Recurve | 13/10/2016 | 27/10/2016 | ||||
| Dave Barrett | Compound | 16/11/2011 | 25/01/2012 | ||||
| Craig Overington | Recurve | 20/10/2016 | 23/03/2017 | ||||
| Gary Sinclair | Recurve | 29/09/2016 | 20/10/2016 | ||||
| Peter Stacey | Compound | 20/10/2016 | |||||
| Martin Arber | Recurve | 16/02/2017 | |||||
| John Albone | Recurve | 29/09/2016 | 13/10/2016 | ||||
| Robert Lodge | Recurve | 29/09/2016 | 09/03/2017 | ||||
| Sam Pavey | Recurve | 02/03/2017 | 09/03/2017 | ||||
| Craig Easton | Recurve | 02/03/2017 | |||||
| Mick Breedon | Recurve | 13/10/2016 | 20/10/2016 | ||||
| Danielle Albone | Recurve | 16/02/2017 | |||||
| Paul Manning | Recurve | 06/10/2016 | |||||
| Andrew Hughes | U14 Compound | 10/11/2013 | |||||
| David Morison | Recurve | 13/10/2016 | |||||
| Philippa Martin | U18 Recurve |
Outdoor Classifications
The outdoor classifications are, from lowest to highest:
- Third Class
- Second Class
- First Class
- (Junior) Bowman
- (Junior) Master Bowman
- Grand Master Bowman
There isn’t a Junior Grand Master Bowman classification.
An archer without a classification is called an Archer. An unclassified archer in their first season is called a Novice.
Awarded Outdoor Classifications
| Archer | Bow Style | Third | Second | First | Bowman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Chambers | Compound | 19/05/13 | 01/12/13 | 14/09/14 | 25/05/15 |
| Michael Wright | Recurve | 08/07/12 | 09/06/13 | 18/06/15 | 18/09/16 |
| Jack Corps | Recurve | 07/08/14 | 12/10/14 | 08/02/15 | 16/06/16 |
| Daniel Dawes | U12 Compound | 22/04/12 | 13/05/12 | ||
| Jasmine Stacey | U12 Barebow | 19/04/15 | 21/05/15 | 28/05/15 | 06/09/15 |
| Robert Russell | U14 Recurve | 05/06/05 | 04/07/05 | ||
| Cambell Ludlow | U12 Recurve | 28/09/14 | 30/11/14 | ||
| Andrew Hughes | U16 Compound | 22/06/14 | 28/09/14 | ||
| Fraser Clapham | U12 Longbow | 28/07/16 | 31/07/16 | 26/10/16 | |
| William Hughes | Compound | 09/06/13 | 08/09/13 | 26/06/14 | |
| Peter Stacey | Compound | 05/10/14 | 12/10/14 | 26/04/15 | |
| Bill Hails | Compound | 07/08/10 | 02/09/12 | 19/06/14 | |
| Paul Williams | Recurve | 16/08/09 | 19/06/14 | 05/06/15 | |
| Deborah Martin | Recurve | 20/09/09 | 15/08/10 | 09/11/14 | |
| Jamie Homewood | U14 Recurve | 31/07/16 | |||
| Vito Minei | Recurve | 10/05/98 | 31/05/98 | ||
| Penny Hatfield | Recurve | 31/05/98 | |||
| Sam Pavey | Recurve | 09/04/17 | 29/10/2017 | ||
| Mick Sparkes | Compound | 24/04/16 | 28/05/17 | ||
| John Albone | Recurve | 18/10/15 | 27/11/16 | ||
| James Hitch | U14 Recurve | 13/05/12 | 27/05/12 | ||
| Deborah Martin | Barebow | 25/08/16 | |||
| Coomaren Vencatasawmy | Recurve | 04/06/17 | 24/09/17 | ||
| Cameron Webb | U12 Barebow | 28/06/15 | 23/08/15 | ||
| Andrew Hughes | U14 Compound | 18/08/13 | 22/09/13 | ||
| Stuart Tongue | Longbow | 15/06/14 | 22/06/14 | ||
| David Broadhurst | Recurve | 16/08/09 | 20/09/09 | ||
| Dave Barrett | Compound | 01/05/11 | 17/11/13 | ||
| Martin Arber | Recurve | 10/05/15 | 16/08/15 | ||
| Paul Franklin | Recurve | 29/06/97 | 13/07/97 | ||
| Jacob Asquith-Fox | U14 Recurve | 22/04/12 | 13/05/12 | ||
| Fraser Clapham | U14 Longbow | 03/09/17 | |||
| Yvonne Clapham | Compound | 03/07/16 | 01/09/16 | ||
| Jamie Cattrell | Recurve | 01/08/15 | 06/09/15 | ||
| Guy Morrogh | Recurve | 10/08/14 | 06/09/15 | ||
| Philippa Martin | U18 Compound | 26/06/14 | 03/07/14 | ||
| Andrew Cox | Recurve | 05/06/12 | 02/06/13 | ||
| John Sharp | Recurve | 10/05/98 | 05/07/98 | ||
| Stuart Johnson | Recurve | 31/07/96 | |||
| Philippa Martin | U14 Recurve | 30/08/09 | |||
| Peter Stacey | Barebow | 29/12/13 | |||
| Adam Golab | U16 Recurve | 29/05/11 | |||
| Simon Aries | Compound | 27/07/08 | |||
| Dominic Shipley | Barebow | 26/05/13 | |||
| Philippa Martin | U16 Recurve | 25/09/11 | |||
| Dave Wood | Recurve | 24/05/98 | |||
| Maurenn Gisby | Recurve | 24/05/98 | |||
| Dave Barrett | Recurve | 23/10/05 | |||
| Ruth Vincent | Recurve | 22/09/13 | |||
| Keir Morrogh | U14 Compound | 21/09/14 | |||
| Mark Nash | Recurve | 20/09/98 | |||
| Sam Jones | U14 Recurve | 18/11/12 | |||
| Dave Barrett | Longbow | 17/08/14 | |||
| Adam Golab | Recurve | 16/07/15 | |||
| Neil Brew | Longbow | 15/06/14 | |||
| Adam Golab | U18 Recurve | 14/10/12 | |||
| Georgina Hopwood | Barebow | 13/07/14 | |||
| Stephen Gibney | Recurve | 13/05/98 | |||
| Philippa Martin | Longbow | 07/08/16 | |||
| Andy Webb | Recurve | 11/08/13 | |||
| Sam Jones | U16 Recurve | 11/08/13 | |||
| Craig Overington | Recurve | 06/10/13 | |||
| Helen Andre Cripps | Longbow | 02/06/13 | |||
| Michael Farrow | Recurve | 06/05/12 | |||
| Nick Hindle | Recurve | 10/07/11 | |||
| Paul Franklin | Compound | 04/07/05 | |||
| Gary O'Neill | Recurve | 07/06/98 |
Handicaps
Handicaps range from 100 to 0 and scores for every round shot have an associated handicap. As you submit scores to the club records officer, your handicap should hopefully reduce as you become more proficient. The way your handicap is calculated (see below) means it is unlikely that your handicap will ever rise as long as you keep submitting scores.
Handicaps are not bow, gender or age related. They are purely an indication of how accurate you are. In other words, any two archers with the same handicap should be capable of the same score for any given round, regardless of age, gender or bow type.
Your handicap is only used directly in handicap matches, to calculate an allowance which is added to your score. This means that if you shoot better than your handicap would suggest in a handicap match you have a good chance of winning.
How your Handicap is Calculated
Every score that you submit for a recognised round has a handicap rating. Whenever you enter a score with a lower (better) handicap rating than your current handicap, your new handicap is calculated as the average of your current handicap and that score’s handicap rating, rounded up to the nearest whole number. However, your first handicap is the average of the handicap ratings of your first three submitted scores.
End of season re-assessment
At the end of each season (January 1st for outdoor and July 1st for indoor) Your handicap is re-assessed as the average of your three best scores’ handicap ratings for the season, rounded up to the next whole number. If you only submitted one or two scores that season then your handicap will be the average of your previous season’s assessment and the ratings for those scores. If you submitted no scores in a season, your handicap remains at your last decided handicap until you do submit a score.