Sports Cockpit · Solo, Track & Pool · World Archery rules Jan 2026 · LA28 qualification

Archery — bow rules, distances & the road to LA28

Governed by World Archery · Archery Association of India (AAI) ·Official rule books & government schemes only ·Last checked 16 Oct 2026

Education Margdarshan's archery map for India: what a recurve, compound and barebow archer may legally shoot under World Archery's January 2026 rule books, the distances and target faces, how matches are scored, the six LA28 events and the minimum scores to get there, the SAI centres and the Archery Premier League, who pays, and the awards and jobs after a medal.

📍 See The Journey / Full Roadmap World Archery Book 3 — Target Archery, 27 Jan 2026 (PDF) worldarchery.sport

Olympic distance: Recurve 70 m · compound 50 m [2]
Compound bow limit: Peak draw weight ≤ 60 lb [1]
Arrow shaft: Max 9.3 mm diameter, point max 9.4 mm [1]
LA28 minimum score: 650 men · 620 women (recurve, 70 m) [3]

01 Core rules & equipment standards

Recurve, compound and barebow — what you may shoot, and from how far

World Archery's rule books in force are the 27 January 2026 versions. Book 3 (Target Archery) lists the equipment for each division; an archer caught using illegal equipment at any point of a tournament is disqualified and loses any position gained. [1]

The three divisions — equipment limits in Book 3 [1]

The three divisions — equipment limits in Book 3
Division	Bow	Sight & release	Key limits
Recurve (Olympic)	Riser and two flexible limbs, drawn and released with the fingers	One bow sight with a single sighting point; no release aid	Book 3 sets no draw-weight cap for recurve
Compound	Draw varied mechanically by pulleys or cams	Sight with fibre-optic points allowed; a release aid may be used if not fixed to the bow	Peak draw weight ≤ 60 lb
Barebow	Recurve-type bow	No sight allowed	Bow with attachments must pass through a 12.2 cm ring

Arrow shafts: maximum 9.3 mm in diameter; points maximum 9.4 mm.
Every arrow must carry the archer's name or initials on the shaft or wrap. [1]

Outdoor qualification rounds (72 arrows) and target faces [2]

Outdoor qualification rounds (72 arrows) and target faces
Distance	Target face	Who shoots it
70 m	122 cm	Recurve men & women, U21
60 m	122 cm	Recurve U18 and 50+
50 m	80 cm (6-ring for matches)	Compound — all classes except U15
50 m	122 cm	Barebow — all classes except U15
40 m / 30 m	122 cm or 80 cm	U15 recurve and compound (40 m), U15 barebow (30 m)
18 m (indoor)	40 cm	All divisions, 60 arrows

Recurve and barebow matches use set play: win an end = 2 set points, a tie = 1 each; the first archer to 6 set points wins (teams: first to 5).
Compound matches are cumulative: the total score over the ends decides.
Time: 20 seconds per arrow in alternate shooting and all team and mixed-team matches; 30 or 40 seconds per arrow when archers shoot together, depending on the event. [1]

02 Institutional & global recognition

Olympics, Asian Games, World Championships — and India's archery league

LA28 Olympic archery (version 10 August 2026) [3]

LA28 Olympic archery (version 10 August 2026)
Rule	What it says
Events	Recurve individual (M/W), recurve team (M/W), recurve mixed team and — new — compound mixed team
Places	116 quota + 8 host + 4 universality = 128 archers (64 men, 64 women)
Per country	Up to 3 (+1) per gender, 8 in all; at most one compound mixed team
Minimum score (MQS)	Recurve 70 m round: 650 men, 620 women. Compound 50 m round: 690 men, 670 women
MQS window	From the first day of the Asian Games archery event, at a World Archery-registered event
Routes	2027 World Championships (Medellín, 20–27 Sep 2027), continental championships and games, final qualification tournaments, host and universality places

At the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi won compound mixed-team gold and with it a 2028 Olympic quota place; the women's compound team (Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep) also won gold. [4]

Government cash award for a senior archery medal (₹ lakh) [8]

Government cash award for a senior archery medal (₹ lakh)
Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Olympic Games	75	50	30
Asian Games / Commonwealth Games	30	20	10
World Championship (biennial)	20	14	8
Asian Championship (biennial)	7.5	5	2.5

In a team event each member gets 75% of the individual amount; the coach of an individual medallist gets 50%. Apply on the DBT-MIS portal within six months. [8]

The Archery Premier League, started by the Archery Association of India with the Government of Telangana, runs six mixed-gender franchise teams; its second season (Hyderabad, 8–18 October 2026) has 36 Indian and 12 international archers and a 15-second shot clock — five seconds quicker than standard Olympic timing. Delhi will host the second leg of the Asia Cup 2027, India's first big international archery event since 2005. [5][6]

03 Physical benchmarks & NADA clearance

Age classes, age tests and anti-doping

World Archery age classes [2]

World Archery age classes
Class	You may shoot it
U15	Up to and in the year of your 14th birthday
U18	Up to and in the year of your 17th birthday
U21	Up to and in the year of your 20th birthday
50+	From the year of your 50th birthday

SAI's Age Verification Test applies to boys up to 17 and girls up to 15: a doctor's physical examination, a dentist's examination and an X-ray (TW3 method) — the age certificate is signed by all three experts and matched against the claimed age.
Bring a birth certificate, matriculation certificate, passport or Aadhaar. An athlete who disagrees can appeal to the Medical Appellate Board at AIIMS New Delhi. Fee: ₹1,000 per opinion plus ₹1,000 per X-ray opinion. [7]

Archery has no weight or height test, but SAI centres admit trainees only after anthropometric, physiological and psychological tests and a battery of tests — there is no direct admission. [11]

Every LA28 archer must follow the World Anti-Doping Code. In India you must be available for testing in and out of competition and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; if no permitted treatment exists, apply to NADA for a TUE. [3][9]

04 Grassroots-to-elite residential pipeline

From the school range to the national camp

1Grassroots & local entry 9–18 · 10–18
2State to national breakthrough U15–U21
3National camp & elite trials Scouted · senior
4International orbit LA28

The full Archery roadmap has its own page

Every stage from first club to the international level, the detailed route, the age-by-age ladder and what to eat from stage 1, with sources.

📍 See The Journey / Full Roadmap

05 Top elite academies & cities

Where India's archers train

SAI National Centres of Excellence with archery [11]

SAI National Centres of Excellence with archery
Centre	Other sports there
Kolkata, West Bengal	Athletics, gymnastics, hockey, table tennis
Sonepat, Haryana	Athletics, hockey, kabaddi, wrestling
Guwahati, Assam	Athletics, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, taekwondo
Imphal, Manipur	Athletics, cycling, fencing, football, hockey, judo, weightlifting, wushu

Archery is one of SAI's 13 priority disciplines. Archery also runs in SAI Training Centres and in STC extension centres at schools and colleges. [11]

Education Margdarshan could not find an official Government file listing the Army Sports Institute's current disciplines or entry route, so it is not listed here. Ask the Army recruiting office directly.

06 Equipment costs & who pays

Bows, arrows and who pays the bills

A recurve archer needs a riser, limbs, string, one sight, stabilisers, finger tab and arrows within the 9.3 mm shaft limit; a compound archer adds a release aid and a bow that peaks at 60 lb or less.
Arrows wear out and must each be marked with your name or initials — budget for spares. [1]

Education Margdarshan does not print shop prices — no governing body publishes them. Until a scheme picks you up, equipment is the family's or the academy's cost.

Who pays — archery ladder [11][14]

Who pays — archery ladder
Stage	Paid by	What you get
SAI school (NSTC/extension) trainee	Sports Authority of India	Coaching while you study
SAI centre trainee	Sports Authority of India	Coaching, boarding, sports science, diet
Khelo India athlete	Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports	₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash
Junior medal prospect	TOPS Development Group	₹25,000 a month
Olympic prospect	TOPS Core Group	₹50,000 a month + approved training plan
Athlete in hardship	PDU National Welfare Fund	Up to ₹2.50 lakh

Calming or focus pills and powders are a doping risk: no supplement is 100% safe and strict liability applies — food first, with a certified nutritionist. [10]

07 Earning channels & central job quotas

Awards, league seasons and sports-quota jobs

Archery is No. 1 on the list of 65 sports in the central sports quota for Group C posts, with up to 5 years' age relaxation (10 for SC/ST).
Medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships can bring up to three out-of-turn promotions.
These central instructions do not apply to Railways Services, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Space and some DRDO technical services. [15]

Archery Premier League: six franchises and 48 archers in season 2 — a paid league season on top of national-team work. [5]

Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons: ₹12,000–20,000 a month after retirement.
National Sports Awards — Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya (coaches). [14]

08 Disqualification traps

Mistakes that cost an archer the tournament

Illegal equipment — a second sight, an oversized arrow or a compound bow over 60 lb means disqualification and loss of any position gained.
Unmarked arrows — every arrow needs your name or initials. [1]

No MQS on record — even a quota place is useless if the archer has not shot the minimum score at a World Archery-registered event inside the window. [3]

Age fraud — the SAI age test (doctor, dentist, X-ray) catches it, and the AIIMS appeal is the only route to challenge it. [7]

09 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this Education Margdarshan page is taken from the governing body's own rule book or a Government of India file below, read on 16 October 2026. Federations change rules, weight classes and scheme amounts — open the current file before you act on it.

World Archery — Rule Book 3: Target Archery (version 27 Jan 2026) (opens in a new tab) Recurve, compound and barebow equipment, 60 lb compound limit, arrow limits, set and cumulative scoring, time per arrow · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
World Archery — Rule Book 2: Organisation of Events (version 27 Jan 2026) (opens in a new tab) Rounds, distances, target faces and age classes · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
World Archery — Qualification System, LA28 Olympic Games: Archery (version 10 Aug 2026; copy published by the German Olympic Sports Confederation) (opens in a new tab) Six LA28 events, 128 places, per-country limits, MQS, qualification events and dates · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
All India Radio News — India's compound mixed archery team wins gold at Asian Games 2026 (30 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Compound mixed and women's team golds, LA28 quota place · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
All India Radio News — Archery Premier League to be held in Hyderabad from October 8 to 18 (12 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) APL season 2: six franchises, 36 + 12 archers, 15-second shot clock, AAI and Telangana · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
All India Radio News — India to host Asia Cup Archery 2027 second leg in Delhi (11 Mar 2026) (opens in a new tab) Asia Cup 2027 leg in Delhi, first since 2005 · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
SAI Khelo India Talent Identification Division — Circular on Age Verification Test (24 Aug 2022; copy on the IWLF website) (opens in a new tab) AVT ages, clinical/dental/TW3 X-ray method, documents, AIIMS appeal, fees · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
MYAS — Scheme of Cash Incentive to Medal Winners (amended 1 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Award amounts, archery World and Asian Championship listing, team 75% rule, coach share · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) Archery NCOEs, priority disciplines, STC and extension-centre entry, battery of tests · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
Khelo India — How to become a Khelo India Athlete (opens in a new tab) Scouting, assessment camps, NSRS registration · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
PIB — India's Sporting Transformation (10 June 2025) (opens in a new tab) KIRTI, ages 9–18, 174 Talent Assessment Centres · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension, national awards · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Archery in the 65-sport list, Group C, out-of-turn promotion, Railways exclusion · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
DoPT Office Memorandum, 4 March 2024 — Incentive for Sportspersons (opens in a new tab) Khelo India Games, Junior Nationals and SGFI medallists added · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
SAI NSNIS Patiala — Six Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (opens in a new tab) 6 weeks (4 online, 2 offline), ₹14,800, Class 12 + district-level top 3 or state / inter-university / SGFI / national participation · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
SAI NSNIS Patiala — Diploma in Sports Coaching (course page, 2026-27) (opens in a new tab) 1 year, ₹63,800, 785 + 104 seats in 26 disciplines at Patiala, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram; Category A (Class 12 + international record), B (graduation + national record) · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) Age 18–25 on 1 Jan 2027, Level 5/4, 3/2 and 1 sports norms, MoYAS-recognition rule, fees · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) 521 posts, age 18–23 on 1 Aug 2026 with sportsperson relaxation (+5 UR, +8 OBC, +10 SC/ST), qualifications, fee, ₹1 lakh bond · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Khelo India Youth Games 2026 (Telangana) — Sports (opens in a new tab) The 25 disciplines listed for KIYG 2026 · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and Education Margdarshan will update it.