National Field Archery Association

Lore & Background

The National Field Archery Association was founded in 1939 as a non-profit organization. It supports a variety of archery styles including Barebow, Freestyle, Freestyle Limited, Freestyle Bowhunter, Traditional, Freestyle Limited Recurve, and Crossbow. Members receive the quarterly magazine Archery. In conjunction with the Easton Development Foundation (ESDF), the NFAA awards scholarships to student archers participating in competitive archery programs. Grants are also available to Olympic, PanAmerican, and World Team members who have graduated from college. In 2007 the NFAA, the Easton Sports Development Foundation, and the City of Yankton teamed to create a Regional Archery Center of Excellence in Yankton, South Dakota. In 2011 they expanded and the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center now provides three outdoor field ranges, a 3D range, two FITA ranges, a 90m indoor range, classroom and fitness areas, an art studio, and the NFAA Foundation Archery Museum. State chapters within the NFAA hold state-level tournaments, such as the Ohio Archers Association (OAA).

Reader's Guide

The National Field Archery Association has served as a central organization for field archery in the United States since 1939. Its structure of 49 chartered state organizations and nearly 1,000 affiliated clubs provides a nationwide network for archers. The NFAA's affiliation with the International Field Archery Association and USA Archery connects it to both international and national archery governance. Through its partnership with the Easton Development Foundation, the NFAA supports student archers with scholarships and provides grants to elite competitors who have graduated from college. The creation of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center in South Dakota, first established in 2007 and expanded in 2011, represents a significant facility offering multiple range types, classroom and fitness areas, an art studio, and a museum. The association's recognition of diverse archery styles—from Barebow to Crossbow—reflects its inclusive approach to the sport. State chapters like the Ohio Archers Association organize tournaments, furthering competitive opportunities at the state level.

Did You Know?

• The NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center includes three outdoor field ranges, a 3D range, two FITA ranges, and a 90m indoor range.
• The NFAA awards scholarships to student archers in conjunction with the Easton Development Foundation.

Position in the Archery Ecosystem

The NFAA occupies a distinct place within the broader archery industry's organizational structure. According to the available record, it is identified as one of the key partner organizations that the Archery Trade Association collaborates with to promote archery and bowhunting. It sits alongside other well-known bodies such as USA Archery, the Archery Shooters Association, the International Bowhunting Organization, and the American Crossbow Federation. This grouping suggests the NFAA represents a specific segment of the archery community within an industry that spans target shooting, bowhunting, crossbow, and competitive disciplines. The ATA, which has served the archery trade since 1953, works with these organizations to advance shared goals, meaning the NFAA benefits from and contributes to a network that includes more than 600 manufacturers, dealers, and distributors who participate in the industry's trade activities.

Mission Alignment and Participation Goals

The NFAA's partnership with the ATA places it at the center of a set of industry-wide objectives that directly affect how field archery is promoted and grown. The ATA's stated goals include growing recreational archery, increasing public awareness of the sport, maintaining and expanding the number of active archers and bowhunters, and lowering barriers of entry for new participants. For an organization dedicated to field archery, these shared objectives mean that the NFAA's work is supported by a trade infrastructure that has, since 1953, focused on making the industry more profitable and accessible. The ATA's dedication to reducing business overhead, cutting taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation creates an environment in which niche disciplines like field archery can attract new shooters. The NFAA thus operates within a framework where the commercial and competitive sides of archery are deliberately aligned to broaden the sport's reach.

Connection to Industry Standards and Commerce

While the NFAA is primarily a competitive and recreational organization for field archery, its partnership with the ATA ties it to a robust commercial and standards infrastructure. The ATA maintains what it calls 22 essential industry standards, codified in a technical guidelines manual that represents roughly five decades of accumulated engineering knowledge dating back to pioneers like Earl Hoyt, Dick Mauch, and Chuck Saunders. These standards, originally developed to ensure that bow and bowstring measurements were consistent regardless of manufacturer, create a reliable equipment foundation that field archers depend on. Additionally, the ATA operates the industry's largest and longest-running trade show, a member-driven, order-writing event closed to the public that draws over 600 exhibitors and more than 9,000 attendees annually. The NFAA's alignment with this commercial ecosystem means that the equipment and gear used in field archery benefit from a unified, standardized supply chain.

Unification and the Broader Archery Community

One of the ATA's central objectives is unifying archers, bowhunters, and the various organizations that represent them. The NFAA's inclusion among the ATA's partner organizations—alongside USA Archery, the Archery Shooters Association, the International Bowhunting Organization, and the American Crossbow Federation—reflects this unifying mission. Rather than operating in isolation, the NFAA is part of a coalition that collectively works to promote archery and bowhunting as sports. This collaborative structure means that initiatives to increase participation, raise public awareness, and create more opportunities for archers at all levels are pursued through a coordinated effort rather than fragmented individual campaigns. The NFAA's role in this network highlights how field archery, as a distinct discipline, is woven into a larger community that spans target shooting, bowhunting, and crossbow sports, all supported by a trade association that has served the industry since 1953.