POLICIES OF THE EARL MARSHAL OF ÆTHELMEARC 

POLICIES FOR THROWN WEAPONS

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I.                    THESE POLICIES ARE IN ADDITION TO SOCIETY LAW AND POLICY.  IN THE CASE OF ANY DISCERPANCY, SOCIETY POLICY TAKES PRECEDENCE.

II.                  Introduction

A.      These rules are in addition to those rules set forth by the Society Thrown Weapons Handbook.

B.      These rules are designed as a set of thrown weapons "Rules of the Line," to be used at any and all times that the martial art of thrown weapons is incorporated into any SCA event or activity. Covered in these rules are such items as basic authorization of throwing marshals, weapon classifications, inspections, line procedures, line courtesy, and the layout of a thrown weapons range.

III.               Kingdom Marshal Of Thrown Weapons

A.      Shall promote thrown weapons activities throughout the Kingdom.

B.      Shall designate deputies as needed.

C.      Shall train and warrant Thrown Weapons Marshals.

D.      Shall establish policy for thrown weapons activities.

E.       Shall enforce thrown weapons policies.

1.       The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons can suspend any thrown weapons marshal for safety violation(s) for 30 days pending review of the Kingdom Earl Marshal.

2.       The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons reserves the right to deny any warranted thrown weapons marshals addition to the roster with documented valid reasons and after consultation with the Kingdom Earl Marshal.

IV.                Thrown Weapons Marshal At Large

A.      The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons will select thrown Weapons Marshals at Large from experienced and responsible Thrown Weapons Marshals.

B.      Thrown Weapons Marshals at Large are encouraged to exhibit a level of travel.

C.      Shall train Thrown Weapons Marshals.

D.      Shall test new applicants and on successful testing submit a completed Marshal Warrant Forms and proof of membership of the applicant to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons for review and signature.

V.                  Warranting Procedure

A.      The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons or Thrown Weapons Marshals at Large must test the applicant to ascertain the applicant has a working and applied knowledge of those policies and a current copy of the Æthelmearc Thrown Weapons Policies.

B.      On completion of the testing of the applicant, a completed Marshal Warrant Form and proof of membership must be sent to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons for final review and signature.

C.      The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons, or at the Thrown Weapons Marshals at Large recommendation of the applicant's working and applied knowledge will:

1.       In the event that only part of the training is complete, consider the applicant a Marshal in Training until such time as the training is finished.

2.       In the event the Kingdom Earl Marshal determines the applicant unacceptable, the applicant must be informed of the reason(s) for refusal and can re-apply after 60 days.

3.       Add the applicant to the roster and issue a Thrown Weapons Marshal Warrant Card.

VI.                Requirements for Thrown Weapons Marshal

A.      All Thrown Weapons Marshals must successfully complete the warranting procedure.

B.      All Thrown Weapons Marshals must be listed on the roster of Thrown Weapons Marshals kept by the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons.

C.      All warranted Thrown Weapons Marshals are expected to exhibit a level of activity.

VII.             Responsibilities of Thrown Weapons Marshal

A.      Gentles who have not thrown before must be instructed as to the basic safety rules of the range prior to entering the range.

B.      All Thrown Weapons Marshals must submit a report to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons or designated deputy by February 15th, May 15th, August 15th and November 15th of each year, containing:

1.       SCAdian name:

2.       Mundane name:

3.       Mailing Address:

4.       Telephone number (with area code):

5.       E-mail address:

6.       Local Group:

7.       Membership Number:

8.       Membership Expiration Date:

9.       A Brief description of past events (for this quarter) that you either ran or helped out with:

10.    Upcoming events that you plan on attending to either run the range or help out with:

11.    Any additional information the Kingdom marshal request

C.      The Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge at an event should send a brief summary of activities and number of participants to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons.

D.      A new Marshals Warrant Form must be filled out whenever a Thrown Weapons Marshal's SCA membership is renewed and sent to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons.

E.       Failure to fulfill the requirements and responsibilities listed above may result in removal from the roster of warranted Thrown Weapons Marshals.

F.       Failure to submit two consecutive reports will be deemed as a voluntary resignation and the Thrown Weapons Marshal will be removed from the roster.

VIII.           Equipment Standards

A.      General Standards

1.       Wood putty and wood glue are acceptable to be used to fill in nicks and gouges in wood handles but using them to hold two pieces of wood together is not acceptable.

2.       Knives

a.       Each knife must have a single point. However, the entire cutting surface counts towards scoring.

b.       The knife must be free of cracks in the blade or handle.

c.        The knife should not have any major bends, twists or kinks in them that would affect the throwing properties or balance of the knife.  Bends, twists or kinks severe enough to compromise safety (increase the likelihood of bouncing back or in tumbling in flight) will not be allowed.

3.       Axes

a.       The axe should not have any major bends, twists or kinks in them that would affect the throwing properties or balance of the axe.  Bends, twists or kinks severe enough to compromise safety (increase the likelihood of bouncing back or in tumbling in flight) will not be allowed.

b.       Axes have only one scoring edge. Double headed axes are allowed but one edge must be clearly marked as the scoring edge. Only when this marked edge is in the target does it count for points.

4.       Spears

a.       Spears are loosely defined as a pointed stick with a spearhead at one end that is no longer that 1/3 the over all length of the spear.

i.         Shafts must be made of solid wood. Plastic, Siloflex, fiberglass, bamboo, rattan or metal shafts are not allowed as they are either prone to breakage, are flexible enough to cause them to bounce back or have too much mass and might damage or destroy the target.

ii.        Spearheads may be made of metal, either with a cutting blade or a thrusting spike, or be made of fire harden wood.

iii.      Only one end may count as a scoring surface; a spear with a sharpened butt-spike may be used but only hits made with the spearhead will be counted.

iv.      Atlatl darts, thrown without the atlatl, are acceptable.

b.       Spears may range in length from 18 inches to 96 inches (8 feet).

c.        The spearhead may have a bit of "play" but should not be loose enough that it might be twisted or bent off of the shaft.

d.       The spearhead does not need to be permanently affixed to the shaft but can be held in place by friction.

e.        Breakaway heads (harpoons) are not permitted at any time.

f.        The shaft cannot have any burrs or rough surfaces that can cut or give splinters to an unprotected hand upon release.

g.        The shaft and spearhead should not have any major bends, twists or kinks in them that would effect the throwing properties or balance of the spear. Bends, twists or kinks severe enough to compromise safety (increase the likelihood of bouncing back or in tumbling in flight) will not be allowed.

5.       Atlatl

a.       Darts used must be designed for use in the atlatl.

b.       Darts may be fletched or un-fletched as the thrower wishes

c.        The haft must be sound and without cracks.

d.       Breakaway heads (harpoons) are not permitted at any time.

e.        The spear holder and any other attached components must be firmly attached to the atlatl.

f.        The alt-alt cannot have any burrs or rough surfaces that can cut or give splinters to an unprotected hand upon release.

6.       Slings

a.       Slings shall be of any natural material. These include leather, cloth, or woven fibers.

b.       It is preferred that slings be no more than 3 feet, in over all length.

c.        The slings must have a restraining method for the hand, such that the sling cannot fly out of hand. A loop that goes around a finger or wrist is best. A disc or toggle that is held in the hand is also acceptable.

d.       Slings should not have any rips, tears or fraying in the material.

i.         Acceptable payloads

1)       A payload shall be a hacky sack, golf ball or similar size beanbag object.

ii.        Unacceptable payloads

1)       Super Balls© are not to be used as they have too much bounce in them to accurately be scored, and might, potentially, bounce back to the caster.

2)       Stone or metal slugs should not be used as they can damage or destroy the targets.

3)       Golf balls can be used in an "open field," i.e.: no targets or obstacles that could deflect the payload back towards the caster or spectators. The Marshal In Charge will decide if the range is safe to use these payloads.

7.       Specialized Throwing Weapons

a.       Non-spiked hammers and maces, which are not specifically designed to stick in a target, are not allowed.

b.       Throwing axes with spikes and spiked hammers belong to this category. As such, the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge will determine if they are acceptable to be used on the range.

c.        Weapons must be of a weight and configuration that will not cause undue damage to the target.

d.       Weapons that are illegal by mundane law enforcement are not to be used on SCA ranges.

8.       Targets

a.       Targets should be selected to best match with the weapon

i.         Axes, because of their mass, should only be used with hard targets.

ii.        Knives and spears can be used with either hard or soft targets.

iii.      Hay bales are really only effective with spears and atlatl.

iv.      Clout targets are to be used for long range casting, such as slings, spears and atlatls.

v.       Cardboard sheets placed vertically make good sling targets.

b.       All targets should be stable and secure enough to withstand repeated impacts by thrown weapons without shifting, rocking, swaying or falling over.

i.         A swinging wood butt or other target would need to be hung from a stand that is capable of supporting the targets weight without falling over or collapsing.

c.        Scoring surfaces should be clearly marked on the target, either with paint, marker, tape or preprinted paper.

i.         A layer of burlap, wrapped around a hay bale, is very effective for marking scoring targets when used with spike style spears.

1)       Burlap tends to push against broad bladed spears and should be tested prior to any competitions.

IX.               Range Set-up

A.      Ranges can be broken down into two categories: Closed and Open Field.

1.       Closed ranges are the most common in our Kingdom and are used for knife, axe and spear throwing. 40 feet is the furthest we throw on a closed range.

a.       The range is enclosed with fixed targets and throwing lines marked for each distance.

2.       An open field range is used for sling and atlatl and is used for long distance throws up to 60 yards.

a.       An archery range, when it is not being used for archery, can be considered an open range.

b.       Like an archery range, an open field range has only one throwing line with targets spaced at various distances.

B.      Closed ranges will be marked with a 10-foot line and a 20-foot line. Corresponding lines of 30 foot and 40 foot should also be marked if needed. Open field ranges will have one throwing line.

C.      If possible, make the entrance to the thrown range to the back of the range, not the side.

D.      Targets for spears should be at least 15 feet away from the throwing line. The added distance provides a larger safety area in case the spear bounces back towards the thrower.

E.       Targets for atlatl and slings should be at least 10 yards from the throwing line.

F.       The "safe zone" starts 6 feet from the thrower on each end and continues down-range at a 45-degree angle away from the targets. The safe zone behind the targets should extend for a minimum 60 feet and 75 feet would be optimum beyond the last target.

G.      There must be a buffer zone of at least 10 feet behind the thrower who is farthest from the throwing line.

X.                  Range Procedures

A.      All throwers on the line must throw from approximately the same distance (between 10 and 20 feet or between 20 and 30 feet). If individuals wish to throw from different distances, use the following guidelines:

1.       Have everyone on the line move to the farthest distance.

2.       When the range is called, allow the gentle(s) who wish to throw at that distance to throw at their leisure.

3.       When done, have all of the people on the line move forward to the next position.

4.       Have the throwers throw their next flight.

5.       Continue this pattern until everyone is done.

B.      If the throwing range is set up so that it is part of an archery range, then the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge must coordinate retrieval activities with the marshals tending the archery range.

XI.               Rules of the Line

A.      No bare feet or open footwear.

B.      No side arm throwing of weapons.

1.       Under hand and over hand throws are allowed.

2.       Rotational spear throwing (throwing a spear in such a way that it rotates like an axe or a knife) should not be used at distances closer than 20 feet and should not be used against hard targets. This is to prevent unnecessary damage to the spear and target and to keep the spear from bouncing back to the throwing line.

a.       Rotational spear throwing is safest on a large, open range, along with atlatl and slings.

C.      Do not throw at a target containing other gentles' weapons without their expressed permission.

D.      Remove only your own weapons from the target. Unless prior permission is given by the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge or the owner of the given weapons.

E.       Remove weapons by "worrying" them out. Do not yank them out.

F.       Juggling or tossing weapons from one hand to the other are expressly forbidden.

G.      Do not handle other people's weapons without their expressed permission.

H.      No one who has been drinking alcoholic beverages is permitted on the range either as a thrower or as a marshal.

XII.              Rules of Royal Rounds for Thrown Weapons In Æthelmearc

A.      Allowed Weapons

1.       At this time, Æthelmearc Royal Round will consist of knives and axes only. Spears may be added to the Royal Round in the future.

B.      Weapon Standards

1.       Axes must be designed to be thrown with one hand and have a single scoring blade. Double bladed axes, hurl-bats and any other axe with extra cutting edges must be marked such that only one cutting edge will count for score.

2.       Knives should be designed to be thrown with one hand and will consist of one blade (i.e. blade consisting of one point and one or two edges) and one handle.

3.       Swords or any other type of weapon will not be thrown with out the inspection permission of the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge.

C.      Equipment

1.       Wood Butts

a.       Due to availability, hardwood or softwood wood butts can be used for Royal Rounds. The diameter of the wood butts should be greater than 16 inches (the wood butt should be at least one inch larger than the outer 15 inch ring circumference) and at least 12 inches thick.

2.       Stands

a.       The wood butt stand should hold the wood butt so that the center of the butt will be 40 to 50 inches from the ground. Multiple targets should be uniform in height.

b.       Stands should hold the wood butt so that it does not shift or rock.

3.       Targets

a.       The Royal Round target will consist of three circles with the following values:

i.         3-inch circle of red equal to 10 points.

ii.        8-inch circle of blue equal to 7 points.

iii.      14-inch circle of white equal to 4 points.

iv.      Outside the 14 inch circle equal to 1 point.

D.      Range:

1.       The Royal Round Range will have clearly marked 10 foot and 20 foot throwing lines.

2.       The Royal Round Range will adhere to all Kingdom and Society rules and policies regarding range preparation and safety.

E.       Rules:

1.       No person's foot may completely cross-throwing line.

a.       The thrower's foot may not cross the line.

i.         If a throw is made and the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge has determined that a person's foot has passed over the line, then a ― FOUL! may be declared and the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge may give a friendly advisory warning if the foul was, in the opinion of the Marshal, only slightly over the line and completely unintentional. If the offense is more obvious, the marshal may count the score for the particular throw as null and void. All subsequent offenses after one warning will be non-scoring and judged as fouls.

b.       Throwers may throw from as far back as they wish as long as another thrower in not within the 45 degree safety zone required for each thrower.

i.         If a ― FOUL! has been determined and the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge does not know which foul / throw has scored, then he may eliminate the higher of the two scores.

ii.        Any ― FOUL determined by the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge will not be re-thrown.

iii.      Any part of the cutting edge of the axe or knife that cuts the line separating the scoring zone will count as the higher score. (e.g. if the knife /axe cuts two zones only the higher of the two is counted).

iv.      All weapons must be sticking in the scoring zone long enough to be scored. This is at the discretion of the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge.

v.       As a rule of thumb, the weapon must be observed by the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge to be in the target more than three seconds. This does not include a weapon that is knocked out of the target by the following cast.

1)       Any weapon knocked out of the target will not be counted.

F.       Scoring:

1.       The Royal Round will consist of:

a.       4 axe throws from behind the 10-foot line (2 flights of 2)

b.       2 axe throws from behind the 20-foot line. (1 flight of 2)

c.        4 knife throws from behind the 10-foot line. (2 flights of 2)

d.       2 knife throws from behind the 20-foot line. (1 flight of 2)

2.       Throwers may throw their flights in any order as long as no additional throws are made at any time during the Royal Round.

3.       Any additional throws made during a Royal Round will void that Royal Round and it will be crossed off of the scoring sheet.

4.       A thrower may choose to prematurely end a Royal Round and start a new one. Once the thrower states they wish to start over, any previous score will not be counted and should be crossed off of the scoring sheet.

G.      Miscellaneous

1.       A Thrower reserves the right to throw only one weapon at a time. (Because they only possess one weapon, or, if previous weapon is blocking the target)

2.       Once a Royal Round has been started it must be completed or all scores discarded before starting another round.  No practice throws area allowed at any time during a Royal Round on it has been started.

3.       The Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge can conduct Royal Rounds by flights, (i.e. rotate throwers through each flight before continuing to the next scoring flight).

4.       A thrower may throw as many Royal Rounds as they choose, however, only one score may be submitted per thrower, per day from an announced official practice or event, by the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge.

a.       The practice must be announced in an official newsletter, website or electronic mailing list or at an official group meeting at least one week in advance of the practice.

H.      The Thrown Weapons Ranking System

1.       The ranking system is designed to provide throwers and casters of the Kingdom with a method of comparing levels of skill. Solely the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons and staff administer it. The rankings are not to be considered titles and carry no rank in the Order of Precedence.

2.       Ranking of the Royal Rounds is determined by averaging the three highest Royal Round scores thrown and submitted to the Thrown Weapons Scorekeeper within the last 12 months.

a.       Royal Rounds will be reported to the Kingdom Thrown Weapons Scorekeeper and or entered in to the online database within three weeks of the activity by the Thrown Weapons Marshal in charge.

b.       Scores that are older than 12 months will be dropped from records and will not be used for averaging Royal Rounds.

c.        Throwers who have submitted less than three scores to the Scorekeeper may not appear on the list of published Royal Round averages except to indicate that that thrower needs one or two more scores to complete an average.

3.       The rankings and their required averages are listed below:

a.       Any thrower who has submitted three Royal Round scores has attained the rank of Thrower.

b.       Those with an average of 30 or greater, yet less than 59, shall be adjudged a Verfur.

c.        Those with an average of 60 or greater, yet less than 79, shall be adjudged a Caster.

d.       Those with an average of 80 or greater, yet less than 99, shall be adjudged a Huntsman.

e.        Those with an average of 100 or greater shall be adjudged a Marksman.

4.       Each Thrower is entitled to wear a badge that signifies his/her rank as described below. With the exception of Marksman, who is allowed to keep their ranking permanently, all throwers are allowed to wear only the badge that signifies their current rank.

5.       Junior Thrown Weapons Ranking System

a.       At this time, there is no specific ranking system for children. Any thrower who has attained any rank is entitled to wear the badge of that rank regardless of the thrower's age.

6.       Presentation of Badges

a.       Thrower, Verfur and Caster badges may be presented by the local Thrown Weapons Marshal or a member of the local Nobility.

i.         The local Thrown Weapons Marshal is encouraged to add some form of ceremony to the presentation.

b.       Huntsman and Marksman badges are of sufficient note that the Crown of Æthelmearc reserves the right to present them at Royal Court.

c.        The presentation of Huntsman and Marksman badges must be arranged with the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons as follows:

i.         The local Thrown Weapons Marshal must provide a letter to the Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons.

ii.        The letter will include the thrower's full SCA name and group, the rank achieved and the next three Royal Progress events that the thrower will be attending.

iii.      If possible, the name of the recording marshal(s), the scores and the place and date of each score should be submitted.

iv.      No ranking will be recognized until the Thrown Weapons Scorekeeper has received and accepted the necessary scores. The Kingdom Marshal of Thrown Weapons will confirm this.

I.        Thrown Weapon Badges of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc