# Range Safety Rules

Part of the Archery Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/archery/guide/index.md)

*1. Safety on the Range*

> **1b.** Explain the five range safety rules.

## The Five Range Safety Rules

Every organized archery range follows a set of safety rules designed to keep archers, spectators, and range staff safe. These rules are not suggestions — they are absolute requirements. Learn them, practice them, and follow them every single time you step onto a range.

### 1. Always Keep Your Arrows in Your Quiver Until You Are Told to Shoot

Arrows stay in the quiver until the range officer gives the command to shoot. No exceptions. You do not nock an arrow, you do not handle an arrow, and you do not pull an arrow from the quiver until you are on the shooting line and the range is officially open for shooting.

This rule prevents accidental releases and keeps the range orderly. When everyone follows it, there is never a question about whether it is safe to be downrange.

### 2. Always Aim at the Target — Never at Anything Else

Your bow should only ever be pointed at the target. Never swing your bow to the side, aim above the backstop, or point your bow in any direction other than straight at the target in front of you. Even when adjusting your stance or practicing your form without an arrow, keep your bow oriented toward the target line.

> **Safety First!**
>
> This rule applies even when you think there is no arrow on the string. Building the habit of always pointing toward the target means you will never accidentally send an arrow in the wrong direction.

### 3. Never Shoot Straight Up into the Air

An arrow shot upward will come back down — and you have no control over where it lands. Even at a slight upward angle, an arrow can sail over the backstop and travel hundreds of yards. Always shoot on a flat or slightly downward trajectory toward the target.

### 4. Be Sure of What Is in Front of and Behind Your Target

Before you shoot, confirm that the area around and behind your target is clear. People, animals, or property behind the target could be struck by an arrow that misses or passes through. On a well-designed range, backstops handle this for you — but you should still develop the habit of checking.

### 5. Only Shoot from the Shooting Line

The shooting line is a marked line on the ground where archers stand to shoot. You do not shoot from in front of it, behind it, or off to the side. Shooting from the same line ensures that all archers are at a consistent distance from the targets and that no one is accidentally downrange when arrows are flying.

> **Tip**
>
> A good way to remember these five rules is to think of them as layers of protection. Each rule covers a different type of risk — from when you handle arrows, to where you aim, to what is around you. Together, they create a complete safety system.

## Why These Rules Work

Notice that the five rules work together. If everyone keeps arrows in the quiver until told to shoot (Rule 1) and only shoots from the shooting line (Rule 5), then no one is handling arrows while others are downrange. If everyone aims only at the target (Rule 2) and checks what is behind it (Rule 4), stray arrows are virtually eliminated. And if no one shoots upward (Rule 3), arrows stay within the controlled range area.

![Several Scouts standing at the shooting line on an archery range, each aiming recurve bows at colorful round targets downrange, with a range officer observing](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/archery/guide/archery-shooting-line?v=fcc9a49d)

> **Be Prepared! What if someone walks onto the range while you are shooting?**
>
> If you see anyone — a person, a pet, or an animal — enter the range area while shooting is active:
>
> - **Stop immediately.** Do not release your arrow.
> - **Let down your bow safely** by slowly easing the string back to its resting position.
> - **Call out "Hold!"** or alert the range officer right away.
> - **Keep your bow pointed at the target** and your arrow nocked until the range officer gives further instructions.
>
> Never assume someone else will see the intruder. Speak up immediately.

[USA Archery Range Safety Guidelines](https://www.usarchery.org/participate/safety): Detailed range safety standards from the national governing body for archery in the United States.

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