The Archery GB Progress Awards Scheme is for new and current archers who wish to boost their skills and knowledge. The scheme is a great motivator, encouraging archers to go further in the sport while having fun – with certificates and badges awarded for achievement along the way.
It doesn’t matter about your gender or what bow-style you use, all archers are welcome.
There are five badge colours to earn – white, black, blue, red, and gold – with each colour depicting a particular skill level. You can gain them in any order you like, so, if you have a particularly good session and get the scores for a red or gold before you’ve received your white? That’s fine. You just can’t claim more than one badge using one set of scores.
There’s a separate set of badges for indoors and outdoors, so you can chart your progress across both seasons.
The round
The indoor rounds are shot at different distances (10 yards, 15 yards, and 20 yards) depending on your age group and what colour you’re going for, but all are shot on a 60cm Portsmouth target face.
The outdoor rounds are also shot a difference distances, but they are either on an 80cm face or a 122cm face.
Information about the rounds and qualifying scores for each badge can be seen here … Progress Award Scheme – Scores
Scores
Everyone gets six sighter arrows, and extra sighters can be given by your club, though a scoring starting point does have to be decided before you begin.
Score sheets can be downloaded from this link … Progress Award – scoresheets
You’ll need three qualifying scores in order to be awarded each badge. To gain a qualifying score, you will need to shoot 36 arrows in a single session – you can’t split it across multiple sessions. If you’re still having that brilliant session and arrows are flying into the gold with surprising regularity, there’s nothing to stop you from shooting more than one round in the same session.
There are five different age groups: U12, U14, U16, U18, and Seniors. Clubs can also offer an Over 65 award group, should they wish, using the U16 scores.
Outdoors for all bow styles, 5-zone scoring is used for the 122 cm face and 10-zone scoring for the 80 cm face. Indoors, 10-zone scoring is used for all bowstyles, but compounds must use the inner 10 ring to score 10.
All the scores you need are on this page under Resources as well as behind sign in on the website under Member Resources – remember, they’re separated by age category so make sure you’re shooting the right score. We’ve also added a scoresheet for you to download, and certificates for you to print out and display.
How to claim a badge
When you complete each of the three rounds required to claim a badge, ask a member of your club’s committee to countersign the score sheet. If they’re not around when you shoot, ask a fellow archer. Then, when you’ve completed the three, it’s time for the badge.
Your club is administering the Progress Awards Scheme, so, give your completed scorecard to our Records Officer (or whoever is in charge of the Scheme) and they will present you with a badge.