For many Archery Clubs nationwide, revenue is a constant source of stress. Taxes, Utilities, and Maintenance Costs are relentless – chipping away at your Club’s bank account each month without fail. To ease the strain, your club must host routine events to pay the bills and increase activity. The Spot Tournament is an often underutilized event that is inexpensive to host and easy to manage.
A Spot Tournament is an Indoor or Outdoor Target Archery Event with broad appeal. It can follow various formats and be shot as a laid-back Fun Shoot or a more competitive Money Shoot with cash prizes. Don’t be afraid to try something new at your club – you never know what might spark the interest of your community and take off!
At Archery Compass, we aim to be a resource for Archers and Archery Clubs alike. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what goes into hosting a Spot Tournament and get you in a position to manage one at your club.
Table of Contents
Archery Spot Tournament Administration
Format
When planning an Archery Spot Tournament, the first decision is to select the format. Do you want a laid-back Fun Shoot where archers compete for bragging rights, or would you prefer a competitive Money Shoot with Cash Prizes? Both styles are enjoyable, but they tend to attract different crowds.
Money Shoot
A Money Shoot is a Tournament that awards cash prizes to the archers with the best scores. Payouts are determined by the number of archers attending and how much of the host club’s registration fee is held back. The remaining funds go into a Prize Pot and are divided out accordingly. Below is a sample breakout detailing how prizes could be awarded for 8, 16, 24, and 32 Archer Tournaments. Prize Amounts and Places Awarded are at the discretion of the tournament administrator.
Money Shoots are typically a Single Class Event where all participants shoot against one another regardless of equipment.
| Archers | Registration | Club Cut | Prize Pot | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | 5th Place | Random |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | $20 | $40 | $120 | $50 | $30 | $20 | $20 | ||
| 16 | $20 | $80 | $240 | $100 | $75 | $45 | $20 | ||
| 24 | $20 | $120 | $360 | $125 | $100 | $75 | $40 | $20 | |
| 32 | $20 | $160 | $480 | $150 | $125 | $100 | $60 | $35 | $20 |
Fun Shoot
A Fun Shoot is a Tournament meant to be laid back with broad appeal. It is inviting to archers of all skill levels and often offers a variety of Equipment Classes. This allows archers to spread out amongst divisions and compete for bragging rights. Prizes are not typically awarded; all proceeds go to the host club.
These events are great as Warm-Up Shoots leading up to popular tournaments. Equipment Classes and Rules can be set to mimic those of the upcoming tournament. In Southeast Pennsylvania, Lancaster Classic Warm-Up Shoots are popular in December and January leading up to the Lancaster Archery Classic.
Round Type
Once a decision has been made on the type of Tournament being held, the next decision to make is the type of round that will be shot. There are several Indoor and Outdoor Rounds to choose from. Below is a short list with a link to the rules and regulations for each.
If your club is hosting a Warm-Up Shoot, follow the tournament rules as closely as possible. Archers will attend as a practice session and don’t want to be tripped up by mismatched rules.
| Type | Round | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor | NFAA Indoor 300 | NFAA 40cm Blue Spot |
| Indoor | Vegas 600 Round | 40cm 10-Ring |
| Indoor | Lancaster Archery Classic 660 | 40cm 10-Ring |
| Outdoor | 50 Meter Match Round | 122cm 10-Ring |
| Outdoor | 900 Round | 122cm 10-Ring |
Registration
One of the biggest headaches that an Archery Club faces when hosting a Spot Tournament is dealing with No-Shows. Whether a Fun-Shoot or a Money Shoot, planning for a specific number of archers and adjusting on the fly can be frustrating. We’ve found the best way of dealing with this issue to utilize Pre-Registration.
Registering archers ahead of the event gets them in the system and reduces administration time during the event. This lets you keep in touch as the tournament draws near and verify their attendance. Pre-payment is ideal and dramatically reduces the chances of an attendee backing out at the last minute. Check by mail, PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo are popular pre-payment options.
The biggest piece of advice that I can offer on tournament registration is not to rely on walk-ins to fill your line. Advertise to get the word out and contact anyone interested to get them pre-registered. If necessary, determine a break-even point for attendance and consider canceling the event if you can’t meet this requirement.
Advertisement
I believe many Archery Clubs lack patience when it comes to hosting events. It is common to see a tournament pop up and quickly be deemed a failure due to low attendance. It takes time for an event to gain traction, and it is critical to advertise your tournament. Word of mouth, newsletters, social media, and archery-related websites can be great ways to spread awareness. Use these avenues to advertise your event four to six weeks in advance.
Archery Compass is here to help. Please feel free to share your event with us on Facebook and Instagram. We would happily include you in our Archery Club Directory as well.
It is also worth noting that consistency is just as important as advertising. Becoming known in the community for hosting specific events makes archers more likely to remember them. Instead of planning one spot tournament, why not shoot for three per year? Consistency could gain you the reputation of being the local club that archers turn to at certain times of the year.
Archery Spot Tournament with Google Sheets
One of the most significant benefits of Google Sheets is that it is a cloud-based live document. Rather than a lone Excel file saved on a personal computer, a Google Sheet can be accessed by anyone with the proper permissions from anywhere using a web browser. Additionally, Google also provides simple tools for embedding and sharing the Spreadsheet.
Below is a sample Archery Spot Tournament Template. It shows the spreadsheet in action and is an example of how it can be embedded on a Club Website. Please note that I have published the entire spreadsheet, including the Setup Tab. Under normal circumstances, I would exclude this and any other unnecessary information when placing the spreadsheet on a public club website.
Setting Up Your Archery Spot Tournament
The following sections are designed to walk you through setting up the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template. If something doesn’t make sense or you need additional help, please comment on this Blog Post, and I’ll do my best to help.
Archery Compass Template
You’ll first need to open the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template in Google Sheets to get started. The document is set to View Only to preserve it from accidental editing. For you to be able to make edits, you’ll need to make a copy of the spreadsheet. You can do that through File > Make a Copy. This will prompt you for a new name and save location.
When the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template is copied, your version will open and be available for editing. If you encounter a problem, verify that you are signed in to Google Drive (this requires a free Google / Gmail Account).
Setup Sheet
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template was created with simplicity in mind. I wanted to have one place to edit the bulk of the information in the spreadsheet. This lets you make quick and simple adjustments in one spot rather than editing dozens of cells across the entire workbook.
Headings
- Heading 1: Largest Line – Intended to be a Title
- Heading 2: Smaller Line – Intended as a Sub-Title
- Heading 3: Smallest Line – Intended as Supplemental Information
- URL: This Web Address creates a Hyperlink in the Heading 1 Space.
Each Tab in the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template contains a header. This places your club information at the top of each sheet if you want to print and post a physical copy for archers to view. The Header is made up of three customizable lines of text. The last line is an advertisement for Archery Compass and has been hard-coded into each sheet.
Equipment Classes
The Equipment Classes section of the Archery Compass Template houses all your Tournament Classes. There is space for up to 10 Classes, each with an Abbreviation (Abv) and Full Class Name. Any information added in these fields will automatically populate throughout the template. There is also a notes section for personal use – this data is not used anywhere else in the template.
The default Equipment Classes are NFAA Classes and can be changed to whatever is necessary for your tournament. The Abv Field must be unique – if an abbreviation is used twice, the cells will turn red, and the results will be duplicated on the Combined and Class Results Sheets.
Registration
The Registration Section on the Setup Sheet is the heart of the operation. Data placed into this area drives a variety of formulas to automate tournament results. Space has been allotted for 100 Archers with Name, Class, Payment, and Score data fields.
The Spot Tournament Template is simplistic in function and can be used for various round types. Results are filtered by Class, then by Total Score, and finally by X-Count. This effectively means that the round type doesn’t matter as long as it has a Class and Total Score.
ID Field
The ID Field shows how many archers have been signed up to shoot. This information is not used anywhere else in the Template.
Name Field
The Name Field is used for the Archer’s Name. This can be formatted any way you like – anything entered into this field will populate through the Template.
Class Field
The Class Field is used to separate each Archer based on Equipment Classifications. When these cells are clicked, you will be prompted to select a Class Abbreviation from the Equipment Class Section.
Paid Field
The Paid Field shows how much an Archer has paid to participate in your Tournament. This can be any value if it exceeds or equals $0. When this field is left blank, it will turn red to indicate an outstanding payment. This field must be filled out for an Archer to be posted on the results sheet. No Payment – No Results.
Total Score Field
This field is used for each Archer’s Total Tournament Score. The value must be a number between 1 and 9,999. When a value is entered into the Score and X-Count Fields, the Registration Section assumes that scoring is complete and the archer’s section is dulled.
X Count Field
This field is used for each Archer’s X-Count (or Bonus Ring Count). The value must be a number between 1 and 9,999. When a value is entered into the Score and X-Count Fields, the Registration Section assumes that scoring is complete and the archer’s section is dulled.
Tournament Report
The Tournament Report section is an overview of your event. It includes Total Shooters, Total Revenue, and a Per-Class Breakout.
Combined Results
The Combined Results Sheet lists the Top 5 Archers from each division. All information is populated automatically and sorted by Score, with X-Count as a tiebreaker.
Class Results
The Class Results Sheet displays the results of all Archers in a particular class. All information is populated automatically and sorted by Score, with X-Count as a tiebreaker.
Scorecards
There are three Scorecards included in the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template. Please feel free to use them or create your own.
- 300 Round | 10 Ends of 3 Arrows
- 600 Round | 20 Ends of 3 Arrows
- NFAA Indoor Round | 12 Ends of 5 Arrows
Each scorecard is a static sheet and is meant to be printed. Those printed scorecards should be distributed to participants and filled out manually. When completed, they should be turned in to the Tournament Administrator so scores may be entered on the Setup Sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template Free?
Absolutely! You can use the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template for free. This template was created to lend a helping hand and save your club time in setting up and managing a tournament. If you find the template helpful and would like to buy me a coffee, you can use my WaltInPA LLC Ko-Fi Button Below.
I Found A Bug!
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template was built in my spare time. It contains dozens of formulas to automate league administration tasks. Bugs are bound to exist, and if you come across one, please let me know so I can correct the problem. You can email me at ArcheryCompass@Gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.
I Need Help Setting Up My Tournament
I have tried to make the Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template easy to use. All cells that you are intended to edit have been highlighted in yellow. In addition, Cell Data Protection has been enabled to preserve the formulas and areas that were not meant to be changed. If you receive a warning popup, you are likely trying to edit something that should not be changed.
If you still need help using the template, please email me at ArcheryCompass@Gmail.com or leave a comment on this post. I’ll do my best to lend a helping hand.
Will This Work for a 3D Shoot?
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template is straightforward and could be used for a 3D Archery Shoot. You would need to create your own Scorecards and enter Total Scores as usual. You can ignore the X-Ring Field or use it for Bonus Rings / Tiebreaker Values.
Will This Work for a Field Tournament?
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template is straightforward and could be used for a Field Archery Tournament. You would need to create your own Scorecards and enter Total Scores as usual.
Will This Work for a Youth Archery Tournament?
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template can easily be adapted for a Youth Archery Tournament. Equipment classes are customizable, and you may create up to 10 youth-specific entries.
Will This Work for an Archery League?
The Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template was designed for a single-use tournament. If you need something for a multi-week league, please take a look at the Archery Compass League Template.
Change Log
| Version | Date Modified | Description of Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 01/04/2024 | Archery Compass Spot Tournament Template Published |
