Understanding Archery Target Faces

Not all archery targets are the same. The target face you shoot depends on your discipline, governing body, and competition format. Understanding the differences makes competition preparation much less confusing — and helps you practice with the right face from day one.

World Archery (WA) / Olympic Target

The WA target is a circular face with 10 concentric color zones, from white (1–2 points) through black (3–4), blue (5–6), red (7–8), and gold (9–10). The innermost gold zone is divided into two rings: the 10 ring and the X ring (also worth 10 but used as tiebreaker). Standard sizes: 122cm for outdoor 70m events, 80cm for 50m compound and 60m, 60cm for 18m indoor.

NFAA 5-Spot Target

NFAA uses a distinctive 5-ring target with an all-white face. Scoring zones from outside to inside: 3, 4, 5, and X (all worth 5). Five arrows per end, 12 ends = 60 arrows, max 300 points. This target is used at NFAA Indoor Nationals, NFAA sectional, and state indoor championships.

NFAA 3-Spot (Vegas) Target

The 3-spot target features three rows of 5-ring target faces arranged vertically on a single backer, oriented to prevent line-cutters between zones. One arrow per spot, 10 ends = 30 total arrows, max 300/30X. This is the format used at the Vegas Shoot and many NFAA club indoor events.

Field Archery Faces

Field archery uses a range of face sizes at varying distances (typically unmarked). The NFAA field face is a black circle on a yellow background with angled scoring zones (5, 4, 3) — different from the concentric style. 3D targets are foam animal sculptures with internal scoring zones marked by painted dots on the exterior.

Choosing the Right Face for Practice

Always practice with the same target face you'll compete on. Muscle memory and sight calibration are tied to the visual reference of your target face. If you switch from a WA 60cm indoor face to an NFAA 5-spot immediately before an NFAA event, your aiming reference and timing will feel different and can affect performance.