Traditional Mongolian archery, in which each archer shoots a set number of arrows at a row of small woven targets from a fixed distance and is judged on how many arrows hit.
Archery is the second of the three manly games at Mongolia’s national summer festival, alongside wrestling and horse racing. Archers use a traditional composite bow and shoot at a long row of small cylindrical targets set on the ground at a fixed distance, so the contest is about accuracy over a full round, not a single lucky shot.
A round is a fixed number of arrows shot in turn by each archer. The targets are small and low, which means a slight error in aim, draw or release sends the arrow past them. Scorers stand beside the targets and signal each hit, and a hit is counted for the archer whose arrow strikes the target. The archer with the most hits at the end of the round wins, with further rounds or a shoot-off used by organisers when hits are tied.
Women and men have long shot in the same festival, and the festival traditionally gives archery its own ceremonial atmosphere. Wearing the traditional robe, calling out and singing a short chant when a hit lands, and saluting the targets are part of the occasion, so a round is as much a cultural display as a sporting one.
In the eTalenter template this item is one Individual entry in an Open (Adult) group of 16 and above, open to both genders, and the panel enters a rating out of 10. A coordinator can use the rating to record the result of a round once the hits have been counted, and eTalenter ranks the entries from those ratings. The shooting line, the targets and the counting of hits are run by the organiser on the day.
Organisers run archery because it is quieter and more precise than wrestling, it can include more entrants at once, and it gives a festival a second contest in which skill and steadiness, not strength, win.
Where Archery comes from
Archery has been a core Mongolian skill for centuries and is one of the three contests that make up the national festival. The festival itself was inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in 2010.
Where Archery is run
Archery is held at Mongolia’s national festival each July and at the smaller district and provincial festivals that feed it. Mongolian communities abroad also run archery rounds at their own local festival days. In eTalenter’s templates this item appears in one real-world template, the Mongolian festival template, where it sits beside Wrestling (Bökh) and Horse Racing.
- Mongolia
- Mongolian communities abroad
Key facts
- Individual item, never a team event
- Traditional composite bow shot at a row of small woven targets at a fixed distance
- A round is a fixed number of arrows per archer, with the most hits winning
- Hits are counted by scorers standing beside the targets, with a shoot-off for ties at the organiser’s discretion
- Template group: Open (Adult), 16 and above, both genders, rated out of 10
- The template sets no time limit, so the organiser decides the pace of the round
On eTalenter, Archery is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Archery is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Archery
What a Archery panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Accuracy: the number of arrows that strike the targets decides the round, so the panel’s rating follows the hit count more than anything else.
- Consistency across the round: an archer who keeps the same stance, draw and release from the first arrow to the last is the one who finishes with the most hits.
- Release and follow-through: a clean release without snatching or flinching sends the arrow straight, and panels watch for it as a sign of control.
- Safety and discipline on the line: waiting for the signal, shooting in turn and handling the bow safely are expected, and a breach can cost an archer the round.
- Conduct and tradition: wearing the correct costume and saluting the targets and officials is part of the occasion and can affect how an archer is received.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Archery under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.
How to prepare for Archery
How entrants and their teachers usually get Archery right on the day:
- Shoot a full round’s worth of arrows in every practice session, so that fatigue in the draw arm is something you have already learned to manage.
- Fix one repeatable stance, grip and anchor point and keep to it. Small changes between arrows are the most common reason for scattered hits.
- Practise at the real distance with targets of the real size, because shooting at big close targets builds confidence that does not carry to the festival.
- Train in wind and noise. An outdoor festival means gusts and a watching crowd, so shoot in open ground and with people around you before the day.
- Check your bow and arrows well before the event: string wear, loose nocks and bent shafts cost hits that no amount of technique can recover.
- Confirm the number of arrows, the distance, the tie-break and the entry deadline with the organiser early, since rules differ between local festivals.
Ready-made event templates that include Archery
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naadam (Mongolia’s Three Manly Games) | On Stage | Rating out of 10 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Archery judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How is a winner chosen in Mongolian archery?
Each archer shoots the same number of arrows at the targets, and the archer with the most hits wins. Ties are settled by the organiser, usually with a shoot-off.
Do men and women shoot together?
The template has one Open (Adult) group open to both genders, so entries are ranked together. An organiser who wants separate results can set up their own groups.
What bow is used?
The traditional contest uses a composite bow. Organisers using this template should state in the entry rules which bows are allowed, as the template does not set it.
Can eTalenter count the hits?
No. The shooting line and the hit count are run by the organiser. eTalenter records the entries, the rating for each archer and the final ranking.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Archery in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Archery, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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