Contents
Age categories (FFTA) and the Paak band map
The FFTA structures youth in eight categories, in U-notation for a few seasons now (the age distribution has not changed). Paak groups them into its four session bands u9 / u13 / u17 / sen: a band is a product derivation, a federal category is the official reference.
| FFTA category | Traditional name | Age (approx.) | Paak band |
|---|---|---|---|
| U11 | Poussins | ≤ 10 | u9 + part of u13 (no clean band) |
| U13 | Benjamins | 11–12 | u13 |
| U15 | Minimes | 13–14 | u13 → u17 boundary |
| U18 | Cadets | 15–17 | u17 |
| U21 | Juniors | 18–20 | sen |
| Senior 1 / 2 / 3 | - | 21–39 / 40–59 / 60+ | sen |
Poussins (U11) have shot 18 m indoor and 20 m outdoor competition since 2015. The FFTA does not keep a "Super-Vétéran" label in archery. Reference birth years rotate each season: attach the current FFTA sporting-rules table before publishing.
The bow classes, the discipline that decides everything
The bow class is not a kit detail: it is the discipline that decides how you aim, how you release, and how the match is scored. A club often runs several under one roof.
| Bow class | What defines it |
|---|---|
| Recurve | Sight with an aperture, a clicker (a blade cueing draw length), a finger tab. The release fires as a reaction to back tension. |
| Compound | Scope with a lens and pin, a peep sight in the string, a release aid. The let-off holds part of the weight, so aiming is steadier. |
| Barebow | No sight: aiming by string-walking (crawling the string fingers for a known distance) or by point of aim. |
| Traditional / longbow | Instinctive bow, no sight or modern references; intuitive aiming. |
Draw weight and bow fit, the cardinal error
Over-bowing a young or new archer is the cardinal error. Too heavy a bow wrecks form (collapse at full draw, a plucked release) and loads the drawing shoulder and rotator cuff. A bow is fitted by weight AND draw length: the right bow is the one the archer draws, anchors and holds under control, with no shaking.
The FFTA prescribes no poundage per age: it manages youth progression by distance, on a fixed 80 cm face (plumes at 10 m, then flèches 10 → 15 → 20 → 25 → 30 m before the long distances). That distance ladder is the draw-weight management mechanism: the child shoots a light bow a short way and earns distance as technique holds. Paak therefore prescribes no poundage figure; attach the FFTA / USA Archery / Archery GB beginner-bow guidance before advancing a weight.
Range safety, the command protocol
Every session runs on a whistle protocol on the shooting line: it is the safety spine, and a coach must have it exactly right. The World Archery-lineage convention, used by national bodies and instructor courses:
| Signal | Meaning | Memory aid |
|---|---|---|
| 2 blasts | Archers step up to the shooting line (from the waiting line) | "2 = to the line" |
| 1 blast | Begin shooting (nock and shoot) | "1 = shoot" |
| 3 blasts | Stop; go forward to collect arrows (bows down first) | "3 = collect" |
| 5 or more rapid blasts | EMERGENCY STOP: cease at once, do not release a drawn arrow (let down), un-nock, step back | "5+ = STOP" |
Coach memory aid: "2-1-3-5+". The line is only "hot" between the single blast and the next stop; nobody goes forward until 3 blasts. Caution: this is the widely-published WA-lineage convention, but its exact wording is not reproduced here verbatim from a federal text, and some materials cite "four or more" for the emergency stop. Attach the FFTA rules / refereeing text and the WA range-safety text, and record your federation's exact blast counts before displaying it.
The other line rules a coach enforces: never nock off the line or without clearance; keep the arrow pointed downrange; never draw a bow with anyone forward of the line; on any "stop", let down under control rather than release.
Protective equipment
Expected on the line, by bow class: an arm guard / bracer on the bow forearm; a finger tab (recurve and barebow) or a release aid (compound); an optional chest guard; a quiver; closed footwear. The per-bow detail is in the club's equipment.
Frequently asked questions
What draw weight for an 8-year-old?
Can a child under 10 shoot at a club?
Sources
FFTA, Règlements Généraux / distinctions (age categories, plumes and flèches de progression); World Archery, the WA-lineage range-safety convention (whistle protocol). Paak archery corpus, files 02 (LTAD, age structure and safety) and 06 (equipment and formats), verified September 2026. The verbatim whistle-protocol wording and a per-age draw-weight ceiling remain to be attached to federal texts before any numeric claim.