Archery range distances: indoor, outdoor, 3D and field

Archery range distances depend on what you shoot. Indoors, USA Archery rounds are shot at 18 meters, and NFAA rounds are shot at 20 yards. Outdoors, World Archery's standard is 70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound. In 3D, the IBO and the ASA set most targets at 50 yards or less, and you judge the distance yourself. Field courses use their own set of yardages.

This guide lists each distance and explains why they differ. It also covers the room a range needs behind the targets, and how to start closer than the competition distance.

Find a range for your distance. Look up indoor and outdoor ranges across the country, with listings for clubs, lessons and events. Find a local range

TL;DR

USA Archery shoots indoor rounds at 18 meters, which is about 19.7 yards. The NFAA shoots its indoor round at 20 yards.
Outdoors, World Archery's standard is 70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound. Younger archers shoot shorter distances.
In IBO 3D, nobody marks the distance. Each stake color has its own maximum, from 50 yards down to 20 yards.
Beginners should start closer than the competition distance. They can move back once their arrows group well.
A 20-yard indoor lane needs more than 20 yards of room.

Quick reference: distances by discipline
Indoor target distances
Outdoor target distances
3D archery distances
Field archery distances
How far should a beginner stand from the target?
Our perspective: ask for the distance before you drive
Find a range with the distance you need
For clubs: put your lane lengths where archers can see them
Safety behind the target
FAQ
Sources

Quick reference: distances by discipline

Use this table to find your starting point. USA Archery and World Archery use meters, while the NFAA, the ASA and the IBO use yards.

Discipline	Typical distance	Who sets it
Indoor target	18 m, about 19.7 yd	USA Archery
Indoor round	20 yd on a 40 cm face	NFAA
Outdoor target	Up to 90 m	World Archery
Outdoor standard	70 m recurve, 50 m compound	World Archery
3D	Unmarked, up to 50 yd, with stakes as close as 20 yd	IBO
3D	Up to 50 yd, by class, known or unknown	ASA
Field	15 to 65 yd from one stake, with some shots out to 80 yd	NFAA

Use the table as a guide. The exact distance for an event comes from its rules and your age group.

Indoor target distances

There are two common indoor distances in the US. USA Archery's event guide lists 18 meters for its indoor rounds. The NFAA Indoor Round is 60 arrows shot at 20 yards, on a 40 cm face.

The two are close. 18 meters is about 19.7 yards, so a lane that reaches 20 yards covers both.

Some NFAA indoor rounds need more room, like the Flint Indoor Round, which is shot on a 30-yard range. The NFAA also has a 20-yard Flint Round. It says many clubs can't get the space for a 30-yard indoor round.

You do not have to start at full distance. Ask your coach to set you up closer while you learn stance, anchor and release.

If you are shopping for a place to shoot, ask the range two things.

What is the longest lane you have, in meters or yards?
Can I shoot at 18 meters or 20 yards here?

A shorter lane is fine for learning and for form work. It will not let you train for a full indoor round.

Indoor range space: a 20-yard lane needs more than 20 yards

Are you setting up your own lane or planning a club range? The shooting distance is only part of the length. You also need room for the shooting line, the bow racks and benches, and people walking behind the line. You need a safe gap behind the target butts, too. Measure the whole room before you sign for a space.

Outdoor target distances

World Archery says archers shoot as far as 90 meters. Its standard distances are 70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound.

Younger archers shoot shorter distances. USA Archery's event guide sets a distance for each age class and bow. Its youngest recurve archers shoot outdoors at 30 meters.

Your age group sets your distance, so check it in the rules of the event you plan to enter.
Recurve archers who want the full 70 meters build up to it.
Compound archers shoot 50 meters as the World Archery standard.

Why target faces change with distance

Nock On Archery points out that in target archery, the target rings get larger as the distance grows. It says this keeps the challenge about the same at every distance.

Local variations

World Archery says there are many local variations on its formats. Your state group or your club may run a format that is different. Read the event's invitation before you pay to enter. Our 3D and tournaments listings show upcoming events.

3D archery distances

3D archery is shot at foam animals, and the key skill is judging distance. The IBO and the ASA run most of the big 3D events in the US.

IBO rules say targets are set at unmarked distances, and each stake color has its own maximum. Your class decides which stake you shoot from.

IBO stake	Maximum distance
Blue	50 yd
Green	45 yd
Red	40 yd
Yellow	35 yd
Orange	30 yd
White	25 yd
Neon pink	20 yd

The ASA sets a maximum yardage for each class, from 50 yards in its pro classes down to 30 yards in its Senior Legends class. Some ASA classes are known distance, and some are unknown. In unknown classes, you judge the distance by eye, and range finders are banned, though you may use binoculars. Known classes let you use a range finder.

A foam target stops the arrows that hit it, but a miss keeps flying. Know what is behind every target on the course.

Tips for estimating 3D distance

Shoot a practice target at a few distances you know, and note how big the animal looks at each one.
Pick a point halfway between you and the target, and then judge each half on its own.
Check your guess after you shoot, if your event's rules allow it.

Field archery distances

Field archery is shot outdoors, on a course where you walk from target to target and shoot at each one. The NFAA says each club with an approved field course marks the distances at every shooting spot.

Under NFAA rules, a standard field unit has 14 targets. On 10 of them, you shoot four arrows from one stake. Those stakes sit at 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards on a 35 cm face. They sit at 40, 45 and 50 yards on a 50 cm face, and at 55, 60 and 65 yards on a 65 cm face. You shoot the other 4 targets from four spots each, from 20 feet out to 80 yards.

The NFAA also has an International Round. When it can, the NFAA says to lay it out in order from 20 yards through 65 yards. Youth archers shoot no farther than 50 yards on it.

World Archery field events mix marked and unmarked targets. Each archer shoots 24 marked and 24 unmarked targets.

Field rounds are one reason to know both meters and yards. If your club runs a field course, ask whether the pegs are marked in yards or meters. Do it before you set your sight marks.

How far should a beginner stand from the target?

Stand closer than the competition distance. We won't give you one number, because a coach should see your form first. Your goal in a first session is clean, repeated shots.

USA Archery says all of its club coaches are certified archery instructors. Ask yours where to start. Nock On Archery says a larger target helps you accept normal movement and still see good results.

Here is a simple way to step back.

Start close, on a large face. Learn stance, nocking, draw, anchor and release. Aim for arrows that land in a group, wherever the group is.
Move back a few yards and tighten the group. If your bow has a sight, start to adjust it.
Move back again, and work on shooting the same way for a whole session.
Shoot your first full indoor round, at 18 meters or 20 yards.
Head outdoors and move back from there. That is where you add wind, light and fatigue.

No rule says you must pass each step in a set time. Move back when your group is tight, and let the calendar wait.

Distance also ties to your bow. Archery Insider says a recurve shoots a slower arrow than a comparable compound. A slower arrow drops more at long range, so for a question about what your draw weight can do, ask a coach at your range. They can see your gear and your form.

For a deeper start, read our beginner's guide to archery or browse lessons and coaching.

Our perspective: ask for the distance before you drive

Archery Ranges USA is where archers find a range, log their scores and earn an ARC Rating. Before you drive to a range, ask one thing. Does it have the lane length you need?

A listing that says "indoor range" does not tell you how long the lane is. A short lane works for a beginner. But say you are training for a 20-yard NFAA round, or you hunt and want to practice at 30 yards in January, and the length starts to matter a lot. That is why we want clubs to state their lane lengths and units. If a listing is wrong, you can report it so the next archer gets it right.

Our advice is plain: start closer than you think, and learn your distances in the unit your club uses. When you travel, check the longest lane before you plan the trip.

Do you want to track how you shoot at each distance? Our free archery scoring app keeps the distance in your practice history. The handicap calculator turns a score into an ARC Rating. Lower is better, and a perfect round scores 0.

Find a range with the distance you need

Start with the listing, then confirm the distance with the club before you go. Our Archery Ranges USA directory lists over 1,600 ranges across all 50 states. Our state guides for Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan are good places to start, since each one lists the ranges in that state.

Are you looking for something else? Our category pages cover youth programs, pro shops and rentals and birthday parties. If a listing has the wrong distance, please report it.

For clubs: put your lane lengths where archers can see them

If you run a club or a range, put your lane lengths where archers can find them. Then archers know before they visit. Claim your listing and keep it current. Archers want to know your longest indoor and outdoor lanes, in meters or yards.

Safety behind the target

Distance is also a safety number. Three habits apply at every range.

Know what is behind the target. A miss keeps flying past the butt.
Listen to the range officer, and follow each call.
Do not move back on your own, and step to a longer line only when the range officer says it is clear.

USA Archery says its instructors are trained to set up and run a range safely. If you are not sure a space at home is safe, ask a coach at a club before you shoot. A home lane that works on paper can still be unsafe if arrows can get past the butt.

FAQ

How far do you stand from the target in archery?

It depends on the discipline. Indoors, it is 18 meters for USA Archery rounds and 20 yards for NFAA rounds. Outdoors, the World Archery standard is 70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound. Beginners start closer, and a coach can tell you where.

How far is an indoor archery range?

The two standard indoor distances are 18 meters and 20 yards. Some ranges have shorter lanes, which are fine for learning. Ask the club for its longest lane before you book.

What are the distances in 3D archery?

IBO targets are set at unmarked distances, with a maximum of 50 yards from the blue stake. The ASA sets a maximum for each class, and its pro classes go out to 50 yards. In unknown distance classes, you judge the distance yourself.

Do compound and recurve archers shoot the same distance?

Not at the top level. World Archery's standard outdoor distance is 70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound. Indoors, both shoot at 18 meters in USA Archery rounds.

How much room do I need for a 20-yard indoor range?

You need more than 20 yards. Leave room for the shooting line, the space behind it and a safe gap behind the target butts. Ask a coach at a club to check your plan before you shoot.