Club shoot, DFBV or DBSV: what tournament formats exist in 3D archery, what a license is, and how a typical competition day runs from start to finish.
"Do I already need a club card or license for my first 3D tournament?" In most cases, no — open club tournaments are almost everywhere accessible to guests too. Only once you step into the scored championship level does a license come into play.
Germany's federation landscape splits into two main branches: the German Shooting Federation (DSB) covers many sports, including 3D under World Archery rules. More specialized is the German Field Archery Sports Federation (DFBV), founded in 1981 as the German representative of the International Field Archery Association (IFAA) — it focuses specifically on areas the DSB doesn't cover, above all field and 3D archery. Alongside that, the German Archery Sports Federation (DBSV) runs its own 3D championships. For you as a beginner, this mainly means: there's more than one path into competition, and none of them is the only right one.
The formats differ too. At DBSV German Championships, for example, 28 animal figures are set up, split across a forest round (up to three arrows per target) and a hunter round (only one arrow, noticeably harder). That split reflects two different skills: precision under repetition versus precision on the first shot.
DSB, DFBV and DBSV are the three relevant addresses for 3D archery in Germany, each with their own rulebooks and championships. You don't have to commit right away for your entry — most techniques and basic rules overlap heavily.
A forest round lets you shoot up to three arrows per target, making it more forgiving. A hunter round allows only a single arrow per target — every shot counts immediately, no second chance. Forest rounds are far friendlier for beginners; hunter rounds become worthwhile once your technique is solid.
Ask your club about club or taster tournaments — usually low-stakes and often without a license requirement. Some federations also offer qualifying tournaments, where you can qualify for higher competition levels without jumping straight to championship level.
For open club tournaments, informal registration is usually enough. For scored championships you need a license from the relevant federation — you get one through your club once you start competing more regularly.
You'll be assigned to a group of three to four archers and walk the whole course together. Higher classes sometimes add a time limit per target — US federations like the ASA use around 60 seconds, roughly the time it takes to finish a cup of coffee unhurried. For German grassroots tournaments this is more the exception than the rule, but good to know if you move up.
Large tournaments often have several groups on the course at once — stick even more strictly to trails, barriers, and your group's order than during relaxed club practice. Even under time pressure from a limit: better to lose a second than shoot hastily into unclear terrain.
Go to your first tournament without any expectation on placement, but with a concrete process goal — for example, "I want to call out my distance estimate on every target before I shoot." A tangible process goal moves you forward more, tournament-wise, than the vague goal of "doing well."
Usually not for open taster or club tournaments. Only scored championships requiring a license need club membership and the matching federation license.
In a forest round you may shoot up to three arrows per target; in a hunter round, only one — noticeably less forgiving. Both formats often appear on the same tournament day, for example at DBSV championships.
Three, actually: the DSB with a broad sports offering, the specialized DFBV (founded 1981, German IFAA representative), and the DBSV with its own 3D championships. For starting out, membership in a club belonging to any of these is enough.
Not at most grassroots tournaments in Germany, but yes at higher or international levels. US federations like the ASA, for example, use around 60 seconds per target as the standard.
3D Archery: Building Fitness for the Trail