[Archers] Discussion Topic: Safety Zones

[Siegfried Sebastian Faust]

Greetings unto the Archery Marshals of Atlantia ...

I wish to bring up a topic for discussion, that topic being 'safety zones' 
on an archery range setup, and the various 'rules' and traditions that we 
have about them.

For background information, this came up, as I was planning the next 
Kingdom Archery Championship.  Being the overly, well, over person I am, I 
had walked the entire grassy area of the event site, with a measuring wheel 
taking measurements.  I then put these measurements into Visio to draw a 
basic layout of the usable ground for archery.  Making an 'archery stencil' 
in the software later, I was able to start laying out 
targets/ranges/safetyzones to see how many targets I could fit, and 
how.  And that's when the main thing hit me:

By our rules, our 'official' safety ranges are HUGE.

So, I started reading through rules more (SCA, and draft Atlantia), and 
wish to present some topics.

First of all, a slightly different topic.  Which is that BOTH sets of rules 
state that ranges, and safety zones, must be clearly marked off, via 
ropes/poles/signs/tapes.

In all my years shooting in SCA target archery, I have seen this truly 
done: once.  And that was at a single range event (Not a rover).  Beyond 
that, I have never seen it done.  Not in Atlantia, AEthelmearc, East, or at 
Pennsic.

So: What do you think?  Is it truly necessary (as the SCA rules state), to 
rope off every range and safety zone at an event?  It seems to me, that we 
don't, because we don't have need to.  The archery 'area' is pretty well 
defined usually, and the marshals are around to make sure noone goes the 
wrong way.  Roping off pathways and such that would lead someone into the 
downrange area is a good idea, but marking off the 45degree angles on each 
range?

That leads nicely into the next topic, which is the SIZE of the safety ranges.

First, a quick refresher on the rules.

The SCA level rules, actually have no RULES about safety zones.  There are 
suggestions in the supplemental section.  But no rules.  For reference, the 
suggestions are:

Width of zone:
All shoots except clout: 30 to 45degree angle safety from edge of shooting 
line.  However, this only need go as far back as the target itself, or 
50yds away (whichever is closer), and then continue straight back from 
there.  (IE, the zone doesn't have to keep growing wider).

Clout: An width of safety on each side equal to 1/5 the length of the 
clout.  So for a 100yd clout, a rectangle 40yd wide (20yd to each side).

Length of zone: 1.5x the distance to the target or 40yds, whichever is farther.

In my opinion, these aren't that bad, and are probably pretty close to what 
we actually use.  a 30yd target, having a 30degree line coming from a 10ft 
wide shooting line, heading out 30yds, becomes 30yds wide before heading 
'straight back' for another 40yds.  If you go with the 45degree version, it 
is 60yds wide.

However, the Atlantian 'draft rules' (as I don't ever recall them being 
passed yet), are ALOT more strict on this, and they, are RULES.

They simply state:
  * This safety zone should extend from the left and right edge of the 
shooting line at a 45-degree angle to the targets
  * The safety zone behind the targets should be at least half the shooting 
distance to the targets

(And they also mention shortening this distance if you have a 
netting/hill/etc to back you.)

These rules, end up creating HUGE safety zones, which again, I have never 
actually seen implemented.  Because first of all, they require a 45 degree 
angle (and not the 30 to 45 that is SCA reccomended).  Then secondly, it 
does not restrict the width of the safety zone.  So a 40yd target, sca 
reccomended at 45 degrees has an 80yd wide safety zone, that goes back 
40yds from from 40yd mark, or at only 30 degrees, it is only 40yds wide ... 
an Atlantian 40yd target, has it's 45 degree angle continue back to 
60yds.  Making it 120yds wide at that point.

Which brings up the second difference, which is while it seems that the 
Atlantian reccomendation makes safety zones too wide at their outer 
reaches, it seems to shortchange the short distances.  As it only requires 
1.5 the distance, and doesn't have the 'minimum' 40yds as the SCA 
reccomendation does.

This means that by Atlantian rules, having a 20yd target, with only a 
planned 'safety zone' going to 30yds (only 10yds behind) is perfectly 
fine.  Yet, as is quite well known, a miss at 20yds, could well travel 
another 20yds (or more) beyond the target.

To finish this up, in practice, again, I never see Atlantia's level of 
range setup.  I think that if you actually measured it, that something more 
akin to 30degrees or a little bit more is the common angle from the line, 
and that the 40yds behind (or 1.5) in a straight box, is again more the norm.

Think of it this way, using the SCA's recommendations at the minimum (30 
degrees), two 30yd targets, sitting 'side-by-side' with safety zones just 
touching, could be 30yds apart.  By Atlantia's rules, with the wider wedge 
behind the targets not overlapping, the targets need to be 90yds apart.

Personally, the 30yds feels a 'little' bit closer than I would set it up, 
but works for a dead minimum (and is why the SCA recommendation says 30 to 
45.  The 90yds, however, is a bit ridiculous ...

So, if I had to state one, I think that my 'thesis' would be that 
Atlantia's 'draft rules' if they feel the need to make rules on the safety 
ranges, do not provide enough distance behind the targets at close ranges 
(SCA's 40yds rule is better), and at the same time provide for far too wide 
a wedge by not limiting the width of it.

I'm interested to hear other people's thoughts ...

In service,
Siegfried


______________________________________________________________________
Lord Siegfried Sebastian Faust               Barony of Highland Foorde
Baronial Web Minister          http://highland-foorde.atlantia.sca.org