Axe-Throwing Tournament Rules

The mission of Robinson’s Recreation Farm is to promote competition through sportsmanship and fair play. Our events should be played in a sportsmanship-like manner. Although competition may become intense, we expect our participants to maintain a high degree of sportsmanship up to and after the final throw.

As a participant in any Robinson’s Recreation Farm axe-throwing tournament or event, you must pledge to:
1. Respect the game, play fairly, and follow all rules and policies.
2. Accept & respect the decisions of Robinson’s Recreation Farm officials.
3. Demonstrate good sportsmanship before, during, and after games, win or lose.
4. Be responsible for the sportsmanship of teammates and assist in maintaining a respectful environment for all participants.
5. Be courteous to opposing players, teams, officials, spectators, monitors, or facilitators, and treat all players and Robinson’s Recreation Farm officials with respect.
6. Help to maintain and keep all equipment and conditions at the facility in good condition.
7. Obey all facility rules, while respecting all equipment, common areas playing areas, parking areas, and surrounding neighborhoods.
8. Refrain from the use of abusive language or profanity.
9. Do not engage in any behavior which would endanger the health, safety, or well-being of any player, official staff member, or spectator.
10. Do not engage in verbal, written, or physical threats or abuse aimed at any participant, official, staff member, or spectator.
11. Do not initiate a fight, scuffle, or exchange with any individual, including but not limited to pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, verbal threats, or harassment.
12. Not use alcoholic beverages at any location while on Robinson’s Recreation Farm property. Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
13. Not allow, use, or encourage illegal drugs at Robinson’s Recreation Farm.
14. Absolutely no smoking or vaping is allowed in the axe-throwing area. Smoking and vaping are permitted in the designated smoking area only. Tournament play will not be delayed to wait on a player to take a smoke break.
15. The referee will announce a three-minute warning at the start of each round.
16. If a player is not on the throw line one minute before the round begins, they will be eliminated.
17. Respect all decisions made by Robinson’s Recreation Farm referees.

Gameplay Rules
1. Players will have 5 practice throws before their first match.
2. Players will have 1 practice throw before any subsequent matches. A tournament referee will notify players before their match begins.
3. Each match is played against different opponents, selected at random, and consists of the following:
a. 5 throws per match.
b. The winner of the match will be the person with the most points after 5 throws.
c. In the event of a tie after 5 throws, there will be sudden death.
4. Players are not allowed to wear earphones while throwing

Pauses in play
1. A referee may call a pause in play for any reason deemed necessary (rules review, confirmation, second opinion, etc…).
2. Should a Pause in Play occur, all match play must cease immediately and will resume at the discretion of the presiding official, where the pause began.
a. For Example: If one player has thrown but the opposite player has not and there is a Pause in Play called, the match will resume with the opposite player throwing as normal.
3. Players may be able to challenge a call or ruling which will create a pause in play. During this call, gameplay will be paused at that moment in time.

Throwing in a Wheelchair
1. For individuals who use a wheelchair, all standard WATL rules apply with the exception of the foot fault line.
2. Individuals in wheelchairs must have one wheel behind the 12ft line when throwing in competition play.
3. Any wheel on the wheelchair is acceptable as long as one of them is behind the 12ft line.

Scoring
Scoring Area of Axe
1. The axe head, blade, and cheek up to the front of the eye but not past it.
a. If there is no visible eye of the axe at the top of the axe head, then it counts as where the handle would meet if going straight through.
b. To be determined by the referee.
2. The black line awards points associated with the ring.
3. 5 points for the bullseye.
4. 4 points for the 2nd ring.
5. 3 points for the 3rd ring.
6. 2 points for the 4th ring.
7. 1 point for the 5th ring.
8. 8 points for the Killshot.

Killshot Throw
1. The Killshot is active for the 5th throw of the match only.
2. The Killshot will be awarded 2 points if hit on any other throw.
3. Before throwing for the Killshot, the player must make clear to the referee and opponents they are throwing for the Killshot.
4. This is referred to as “calling the Killshot” and activates it for the full 8 points.
5. The player cannot change their call (Killshot or non-Killshot) once a referee confirms it has been called.
6. The Thrower with the higher points must decide to call first. In the case of the tie, either thrower may volunteer to call first.
7. If neither thrower volunteers to do so the referee will flip a coin to decide and assign one player as heads, and the other as tails.
8. The referee will confirm a Killshot call (or a non-Killshot call) with the throwers prior to a throw being made.
9. If a throw is made prior to a referee confirming the call, the throw will be counted as a fault.
10. If the Killshot is called but the player’s axe does not hit the Killshot, then no points are awarded.

Sudden Death
1. In the event of a tie after 5 throws in a single match, the match enters sudden death.
2. ONLY Killshots are allowed during all sudden death throws.
3. Players will remain in their respective lanes for sudden death throws.
4. Players may not score on the same Killshot twice in a row.
5. Players must alternate Killshots.
6. Both players must throw within 10 seconds of each other but not before the referee confirms that the lane is open.
7. If both players miss the Killshot during Sudden Death, a measuring tape or accurate measuring device will be used to measure the distance from the closest valid scoring area of the axe head to the closest edge of the Killshot. The player with the shortest distance will be awarded the match.
8. If any player has an axe that dropped and another player misses the Killshot, but is on the board, the player on the board will be awarded the match.
9. If one player has an axe that dropped and two players are left on the board, the player who dropped is eliminated and the two players left will continue Sudden Death play.
10. If a player touches their axe before a measurement is made, the match is awarded to the opposing player.
11. Points are not counted or tallied during sudden death.

Tallying Scores
1. When the axe is resting in its final place it will be scored.
2. The points from the axe will be determined by where the scoring area of the axe head meets the surface of the wood in which the axe head is embedded.
3. All scores must be verified by a referee.
4. No thrower may submit scores for themselves without verification from a third party.5. If a thrower touches any part of the axe before the referee announces the score, the thrower’s points are marked as 0 (zero).
6. If a thrower attempts to touch any part of their opponent’s axe at any time during a match without permission, they will be disqualified from the match.
7. If the axe falls before the referee scores the axe, the axe is counted as a drop.
8. A Break (breaking) is defined as when the surface of the axe is embedded in the wood and has the marked surface of the target area visible on both sides of the axe head.
9. If the axe breaks multiple sections of the target simultaneously, then the player is awarded the points for the higher-valued section.
10. Axes must be inside the black line to count for that value.
a. Touching the black line will not give you the point value, the axe must be inside the higher scoring area to receive those points.
b. For example: touching the black line in the bullseye counts as a 4 but breaking it (red on both sides) counts as a 5. This concept is now equally applied across the target’s rings.
c. To gain the points for the Killshot the axe must be breaking the blue.

Axe Throwing
1. Players are allowed to throw axes in one of two ways:
a. One hand holding the axe with the blade facing the target before release.
b. Both hands holding the axe with the blade facing the target before release.
2. No other style of throws is permitted.
3. No throw will be thrown without a verbal signal of an open lane from the referee and confirmed by all throwers.
4. If no signal is given or confirmation is received, and a throw is made by a thrower, then that throw will count as a throw fault.
5. Throws must be taken within 10 seconds of each other.
6. If a thrower throws after 10 seconds of the other thrower, this will result in a Throw Fault.
7. Rotation: the axe must make approximately 1 rotation for it to count.
8. If the axe is close to making a full rotation (ie. 50% rotation) and a portion of the blade touches and sticks to the target, the throw counts.
9. One foot must be on the floor while the axe is thrown.
10. Player’s feet may not cross the 12ft line until both players have thrown their axes.
11. Axes must be scored before crossing the line
a. An exception is made for throwers in wheelchairs.
12. All non-throwing spectators must stay behind the referee tables or on the side of the fence.

Tournament Play
1. Tournaments will be in a single elimination bracket style format.
2. Each player will be randomly paired with two other players for each round until the final round which will be the final two players going head-to-head until a 1^st and 2^nd place winner is declared.
3. The player with the most points after 5 throws in the head-to-head playoff will be declared the winner.
4. Each round will consist of three players competing against each other until we are left with 2 players.
5. The player with the highest score at the end of each round will advance.