National Field Archery Society

Lore & Background

Field archery was introduced to the United Kingdom by US armed forces personnel stationed in the UK during World War II and the subsequent Cold War period. Archers wanting to practice field archery formed clubs such as the Severn Valley Field Archers and the Dunkery Field Bowmen. In 1959 the British Field Archery Association (BFAA) was formed at Dunster in Somerset, holding annual championships and defining rounds shot at unmarked distances in woodland, with a preference for natural courses without clear lanes.

In 1970 the BFAA merged with the more recently formed English Field Archery Association (EFAA), which drew its membership largely from areas around US military bases in the UK and followed US practice of shooting at marked distances through cleared lanes. The merged organisation adopted the EFAA's preferences for marked distances and cleared lanes. Many archers who had been members of the BFAA were dissatisfied with these changes. In 1972 a group of archers drafted a constitution and a set of rules that enshrined their preferred style of shooting unmarked distances in natural conditions, leading to the formation of the NFAS.

The NFAS recognises 12 styles of bow: American Flatbow, Barebow, Bowhunter, Compound Limited, Crossbow, Freestyle, Hunting Tackle, Longbow, Primitive, Traditional Bowhunter, Thumb Draw, and Unlimited. General rules are determined by a committee and ratified or rejected by the membership, while specific rules for each bow style are determined by votes cast only by archers who shoot that style. Rounds are shot at unmarked distances, predominantly using 2D and 3D animal targets.

Reader's Guide

The National Field Archery Society emerged from a schism within British field archery, preserving the original BFAA ethos of shooting at unmarked distances through natural woodland without cleared lanes. Its formation in 1973 represented a deliberate rejection of the marked-distance, cleared-lane style adopted after the 1970 merger with the EFAA. By enshrining rules that prioritised natural conditions and unmarked distances, the NFAS maintained a tradition rooted in the earliest British field archery practices introduced by US personnel during and after World War II. The society's growth to become the largest field archery organisation in the UK demonstrates the enduring appeal of this style. Its governance structure, where general rules are subject to membership ratification and bow-style rules are decided by those who shoot that style, reflects a commitment to member-driven decision-making. The NFAS's independence from international affiliations underscores its distinct identity within the sport. Its two annual championship events—the 3D Championships in late May and the National Championships in September—provide competitive focal points for its membership, while the recognition of 12 distinct bow styles accommodates a wide range of equipment preferences within the unmarked-distance framework.

Did You Know?

• The NFAS was formed in 1972 by archers dissatisfied with the merged BFAA/EFAA's preference for marked distances and cleared lanes.
• Its first Annual General Meeting was held on 10 March 1973 at Clayton Community Centre in Newcastle, Staffordshire.
• The NFAS recognises 12 styles of bow, including Longbow, Crossbow, and Primitive.

From Military Introduction to a British Identity

Field archery first arrived in Britain not through sporting channels but through the presence of American military personnel stationed on British soil during and after World War II. Enthusiastic archers who encountered the discipline began forming local clubs, including the Severn Valley Field Archers and the Dunkery Field Bowmen. In 1959, the British Field Archery Association was established at Dunster in Somerset, championing a distinctly British approach: shooting at unmarked distances through woodland without requiring cleared lanes between archer and target. The naturalness of the course was considered essential. However, in 1970 the BFAA merged with the English Field Archery Association, whose membership drew heavily from communities around US military bases and who favoured the American convention of marked distances and cleared lanes. The merged body adopted the EFAA's preferences, and many former BFAA members felt the soul of the sport had been compromised. In 1972, a group drafted a new constitution and rulebook to preserve their preferred style, leading to the NFAS's founding.

A Philosophy Rooted in the Woodland

The NFAS was born from a conviction that field archery should remain rooted in the natural environment. Unlike the American-influenced approach of marked distances and cleared shooting lanes, the Society enshrined in its founding documents the principle that rounds should be shot at unmarked distances in as natural a setting as possible. This philosophy distinguishes the NFAS from its counterparts and gives the sport a distinctly British woodland character. The Society is not affiliated to any international organisation, meaning its identity and rules are shaped entirely by its own membership rather than external bodies. Today the NFAS has grown into the largest field archery organisation in the United Kingdom, a testament to how strongly that founding philosophy resonated with archers who valued the challenge of reading distance by feel and experience rather than by numbers painted on a target.

Twelve Bows, One Democratic Voice

The NFAS operates through a notably democratic governance model. General rules are proposed by a committee and then put to a vote of the full membership, who may ratify or reject them. More specifically, rules governing each of the twelve recognised bow styles are determined exclusively by votes cast by archers who actually shoot that particular style. The twelve recognised styles span a wide spectrum: American Flatbow, Barebow, Bowhunter, Compound Limited, Crossbow, Freestyle, Hunting Tackle, Longbow, Primitive, Traditional Bowhunter, Thumb Draw, and Unlimited. This structure ensures that, for example, a crossbow archer's specific concerns are addressed by fellow crossbow archers rather than being diluted in a general membership vote. The Society's information and records have historically been drawn from items published in its own newsletters, reflecting a grassroots, member-driven culture.

Championships and a Self-Governing Legacy

The NFAS maintains a focused competitive calendar centred on two annual championship events. The 3D Championships take place over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, while the National Championships are held on the third weekend in September. Competitive rounds are conducted at unmarked distances, with archers predominantly facing 2D and 3D animal targets, which demands that archers rely on experience and judgement to estimate range. The Society's first Annual General Meeting was held on 10 March 1973 at Clayton Community Centre on Norwood Lane in Clayton, Newcastle, Staffordshire—a modest community venue that marked the beginning of what would become the UK's largest field archery body. The fact that the NFAS remains unaffiliated to any international organisation underscores its independent, self-governing character, shaped entirely by the preferences and votes of its own membership.