Rulebook Archives

(4.1) Axe Specifications

Reference Diagrams

Parts of an axe

Parts of an axe head

1. Axe Weight Specification

1.1 Weight is defined as the total weight of the axe, including the head and handle.

	Hachet	Big Axe (Felling Axe)
1.2 The minimum weight is:	1.5 lbs 680 g	2.75 lbs 1,247 g
1.3 The maximum weight is:	2.5 lbs 1,134 g	3.75 lbs 1,701 g

2. Axe Handle Specification

2.1 The handle must be made from wood.

2.2 The handle length is measured from the knob (bottom) of the handle to the eye (top) of the axe head (see Measuring the Handle).

2.3 If the handle protrudes from the eye (top) of the axe head, the protruding length is not included in the measurement of the handle length (see Measuring the Handle).

	Hachet	Big Axe (Felling Axe)
2.4 The minimum handle length is:	13" 330 mm	25" 635 mm
2.5 The maximum handle length is:	17" 432 mm	32" 813 mm

Measuring the Handle

Measure the handle from the knob to the eye of the axe head.

3. Axe Head Length Specification

3.1 The head length is measured from the blade to the plane of the butt of the axe head, perpendicular to the handle (see Measuring the Head Length).

3.2 The minimum and maximum head length are required at all points over the blade edge (see Measuring the Head Length).

3.3 If the axe head features any protrusion from the butt of the axe head, the protruding length is not included in the measurement of the head length (see Measuring the Handle).

	Hachet	Big Axe (Felling Axe)
3.4 The minimum head length is:	4.75" 121 mm	5.75" 146 mm
3.5 The maximum head length is:	7" 178 mm	7.5" 191 mm

Measuring the Head Length

Measurements made from the blue arrow to the green area are within the minimum and maximum lengths.

Measure the length between the plane of the butt and the blade edge, perpendicular to the handle.

Protrusions from the butt are not included in the length measurement.

Measure from butt to blade. This measurement is an acceptable length.

Measure from blade to butt. This measurement is an acceptable length

REPEAT THE MEASUREMENT OVER THE WHOLE BLADE EDGE

Measure from butt to blade. All measurements shown here are between the minimum and maximum length.

Measure from blade to butt. All measurements are between the minimum and maximum length.

All measurements shown here are above the maximum length.

All measurements shown here are below the minimum length.

4. Axe Head height Specification

4.1 The head height is measured on the face (side) of the axe head, parallel to the handle (see Measuring the Head Height).

4.2 The minimum and maximum head height are required at all points over the axe head (see Measuring the Head Height).

	Hachet	Big Axe (Felling Axe)
4.3 The minimum head height is:	1.5" 38 mm	2" 51 mm
4.4 The maximum head height is:	4" 102 mm	4.625" 117 mm

Measuring the head height

Measurements made from the blue arrow to the green area are within the minimum and maximum heights.

Measure the height of the axe head parallel to the handle.

Measure from the bottom to the top of the axe head. This measurement is an acceptable height.

Measure from the top to the bottom of the axe head. This measurement is an acceptable height.

REPEAT THE MEASUREMENT OVER THE WHOLE AXE HEAD

Measure from the top to the bottom of the axe head. All measurements shown here are between the minimum and maximum height.

Measure from the bottom to the top of the axe head. All measurements shown here are between the minimum and maximum height.

Both measurements shown here are unacceptable, one is too short, the other too long.

5. Blade Length Specification

5.1 The blade length is measured from the heel to the toe of the blade (see Measuring the Blade Length).

	Hachet	Big Axe (Felling Axe)
5.2 The minimum blade length is:	3" 76 mm	3.5" 89 mm
5.3 The maximum blade length is:	4" 102 mm	4.625" 117 mm

Measuring the blade length

Measurements made from the blue arrow to the green area are within the minimum and maximum lengths.

Measure from the heel to the toe of the axe head.

Measure from the heel to the toe of the axe head. This measurement is an acceptable length.

Measure from the toe to the heel of the axe head. This measurement is an acceptable length.

While this axe head may be an acceptable length and height, the blade measured from toe to heel is too long.

While this axe head may be an acceptable length and height, the blade measured from toe to heel is too short.

6. Attaching the Axe Head to the Handle

6.1 The axe head must be fixed to the handle with an eye-wedge or a pin.

6.2 "Floating" axe heads, where the head is wedged on a tapering handle, and only held on by gravity, are not allowed.

7. Axe Head Silhouette Requirements

Note: The axe head silhouette describes the shape of the axe head as viewed from the side looking at one of the faces.

7.1 The axe must be a single bit blade, meaning it has only one blade edge.

A single bit (single blade edge) is acceptable.

A double bit (two blade edges) is not acceptable.

7.2 No blade or sharpened spike may protrude from the butt (back) of the axe head.

A flat butt is acceptable.

A blade protruding from the butt is not acceptable.

A blunt protrusion from the butt is acceptable.

A spike protruding from the butt is not acceptable.

7.3 The blade must be one smooth, sharpened edge that forms a convex curve or straight line from heel to toe. This is to avoid an unfair reduction in the axe head cross section measured at the plane of the board during gameplay.

7.3a The blade cannot be concave.

7.3b The blade cannot have notches cut out.

7.3c The blade cannot have multiple edges.

A convex blade edge is acceptable.

A straight blade edge is acceptable.

A concave blade edge is not acceptable.

A notch in the axe head away from the blade edge is acceptable.

A notch in the blade edge is not acceptable.

Multiple blade edges is not acceptable.

7.4 The axe head must not have any holes through the faces (sides).

No holes through the faces is acceptable.

Any holes through the faces are not acceptable.

7.5 The path along the top of the axe head from the toe of the blade must curve smoothly back to the handle without any abrupt decreases in the height of the axe head. This is to avoid an unfair reduction in the axe head cross section measured at the plane of the board during gameplay.

A head with no abrupt changes in height is acceptable.

A head with a flat profile from toe to handle is acceptable.

A head with an abrupt decrease in height is not acceptable.

7.6 The path along the bottom of the axe head from the heel of the blade must curve smoothly back to the handle without any abrupt decreases in the height of the axe head. This is to avoid an unfair reduction in the axe head cross section measured at the plane of the board during gameplay.

A head with no abrupt changes in height is acceptable.

A head with a flat profile from heel to handle is acceptable.

A head with an abrupt decrease in height is not acceptable.

7.7 The axe head cannot abruptly decrease down to the minimum height close to the blade, nor in the middle of the axe head. This is to avoid an unfair reduction in the axe head cross section measured at the plane of the board during gameplay.

7.7a The axe head can abruptly decrease down to the minimum height within 1" of the handle.

Shown here, the decrease in height at point A is within 1" from the handle. This is acceptable.

Shown here, the decrease in height at point A is beyond 1" from the handle. This is not acceptable.

Shown here, the decrease in height at point A is well beyond 1" from the handle. This is not acceptable.

7.8 The height of the axe head just before it meets the handle cannot be the largest height measurement along the axe head between the handle and the blade.

Height at A is less than heights at B and C. This is acceptable.

Height at A is greater than at B, but still less than at C. This is acceptable, provided the height at B is greater than the minimum head height.

Height at A is greater than at B and C. This is not acceptable.

8. Axe Modification and Customization

8.1 Some modifications and customizations to the axe head and handle are explicitly allowed, provided the axe dimensions remain within the allowed physical specifications (weight, height, lengths, silhouette, see above):

8.1a Routine blade sharpening;

8.1b Painting the axe head or handle;

8.1c Changing or replacing the handle;

8.1d Adjustments to the grip of the handle. For example: tape, sanding the handle, etc.

8.1e Decorative etching into axe handle, the butt of the axe head, or the face (side) of the axe head, away from the blade edge such that the etching does not interfere with measurement during gameplay;

8.1f Thinning the faces (sides) of the axe head.

8.2 Some modifications and customizations to the axe head and handle are explicitly disallowed, even if the axe dimensions remain within the allowed physical specifications:

8.2a Adding material (welding, gluing, or otherwise) to the axe head that would render its use unsafe or would confer an unfair advantage by affecting the measurement at the plane of the board for gameplay;

8.2b Removing material (drilling, cutting, melting, or otherwise) from axe head that would render its use unsafe or would confer an unfair advantage by affecting the measurement at the plane of the board for gameplay;

8.2c Cutting notches into the blade edge;

8.2d Etching close the blade edge such that the etching interferes with measurement during gameplay;

8.2e Decorations that violate the IATF Code of Conduct.

9. Referee's Final Decision

9.1 The final decision on whether an axe can be used for gameplay will be made by the on-site referees at each competition.

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(4.2) Big Axe Specifications

Big Axe (Felling Axe):

A Big Axe (Felling Axe) has the following requirements. See image 2.2.

1. The axe must be a single bit blade, ie: no blade or sharpened spike may be protruding from the back of the axe head.

2. The axe must weigh between 2.75 and 3.75 pounds of total weight (handle included).

3. The handle must be wood, handle length must be at least 25″ including the handle in the eye of the blade.

4. The axe head must be no longer than 7.5" and no shorter than 6" and must be fixed to the handle of the axe with an eye or pin (ie: no ‘floating’ axe heads where the head itself is wedged on a tapering handle and only held there through gravity.)

5. The axe head must have a minimum height of 2” as measured parallel to the handle.

Image 2.2

1. Head Length

The axe head length must be no greater than 7.5″ and no smaller than 6” at any point from face to butt. The blade of the axe must remain true, with one smooth, sharpened edge that is a consistent length from point to point. For example, no notches cut out, cannot have multiple edges, or have one point set or angled back from the other point See image 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5 and 2.2.6.

1. The blade cannot be concave, for example, preventing contact of the axe, when a tip of the axe hits the target first. See image 2.2.6.

2. The head of the axe must remain one solid piece from face to the handle. ie no parts added to or removed from the head from its original design. Any manipulation beyond sharpening the blade will be considered heavily modified and illegal. (Standard sharpening practice)

3. The axe head must retreat from the blade back to the handle of the axe in its true form without any sudden or abrupt decreases prior to reaching the handle of the axe The head cannot suddenly decrease from the maximum height down to the minimum height immediately after the blade or in the middle of the head, creating multiple edges. For example, no notches cut out, no bearded axes. See image 2.2.2.

4. The axe head height at the handle cannot be larger than any other point of the axe head from the handle to the blade except, or until the point at which the head meets the handle.

2. Handle Length

The handle length must be at least 25″, including the handle in the eye of the head. The maximum handle length 32”.

3. Head Height

The axe head height, measured parallel to the handle, must be no greater than 4 5/8” and no smaller than 2”.

4. One Solid Piece

The head of the axe must remain one solid piece from face to the handle. ie no parts added to or removed from the head from its original design. Any manipulation beyond sharpening the blade will be considered heavily modified and illegal. (Standard sharpening practice)

5. Head Truth

The axe head must retreat from the blade back to the handle of the axe in its true form without any sudden or abrupt decreases in height prior to reaching the handle of the axe. The head cannot suddenly decrease from the maximum height down to the minimum height immediately after the blade or in the middle of the head. For example: no notches cut out, no bearded axes.

6. Head at the Handle Size

The axe head height at the handle cannot be larger than any other point of the axe head from the handle to the blade except, or until the point at which the head meets the handle.

7. Blade Length

1. The blade of the axe must be no longer than 4 5/8"" and no shorter than 3.5" and must be fixed to the handle of the axe with an eye-wedge or a pin (example: no ‘floating’ axe heads where the head itself is wedged on a tapering handle and only held there through gravity.)

8.Blade Modifications

The blade of the axe must remain true, with one smooth, sharpened edge that is a consistent length from point to point. See image 2.2.1.

1. Blade cannot have notches cut out. See image 2.2.2 and 2.2.3.

2. Blade cannot have multiple edges. See image 2.2.4.

3. Blade cannot have one point set or angled back from the other point. See image 2.2.5.

Concave Blades

The blade cannot be concave, thus preventing contact of the axe, when a tip of the axe hits the target first. See image 2.2.6.

1. Blade cannot have a concave blade, preventing contact of the blade with the target.

2. The Blade cannot have an inconsistent edge that abruptly drops creating multiple edges along the top edge of the axe head.

Image 2.2.1

Image 2.2.2

Image 2.2.3

Image 2.2.4

Image 2.2.5

Image 2.2.6

9. Acceptable Modifications

Acceptable modifications include:

1. Etching into the side of the axe head.

2. Painting the head or handle.

3. Changing the handle.

4. Adjustments to the grip of the handle. For example: tape, sanding the handle, etc.

10. Referee's Final Decision

Axes that have been modified or forged in a fashion beyond what would be considered a traditional axe shape, with the intention to manipulate the rules of the game and go against the spirit of the sport will be disqualified. At any given event, the final call on axe legality will be left in the hands of the on-site referees.

Acceptable Axe Head Examples

Unacceptable Axe Head Examples

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(4.1) Standard Axe (Hatchet) Specifications

Standard Throwing Axe (Hatchet) Requirements

1. The handle must be made from wood;

2. The axe must be a single bit blade, ie: no blade or sharpened spike may be protruding from the back of the axe head.

1. Handle length

The length must be a minimum of 13” long and cannot exceed a maximum of 17” long:

1. This measurement begins from the bottom (butt) of the handle to the top of the axe head. See Image 2.1.2;

2. If any of the handle protrudes from the top of the axe head (eye) it does not count towards the minimum or maximum handle length. See image 2.1.1;

Image 2.1 (2.1.1 & 2.1.2)

2. Weight

The axe must weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds of total weight (handle included).

3. Head Length

The axe head length, measured from blade to butt, must be a minimum of 5". The maximum length is 7".

4. Head Height

The axe head height, measured parallel to the handle, must be a minimum of 1.5". The maximum height is 4”.

5. One Solid Piece

6. Head Truth

The axe head must retreat from the blade back to the handle of the axe in its true form without any sudden or abrupt decreases prior to reaching the handle of the axe. The head cannot suddenly decrease from the maximum height down to the minimum height immediately after the blade or in the middle of the head. For example: no notches cut out, no bearded axes.

7. Head at the Handle Size

The head height at the handle cannot be larger than any other point of the axe head from the handle to the blade except, or until the point at which the head meets the handle.

8. Blade Length

1. The blade of the axe must be no longer than 4" and no shorter than 3” and must be fixed to the handle of the axe with an eye-wedge or a pin (example: no ‘floating’ axe heads where the head itself is wedged on a tapering handle and only held there through gravity.)

9.Blade Modifications

The blade of the axe must remain true, with one smooth, sharpened edge that is a consistent length from point to point. See image 2.2.1.

1. Blade cannot have notches cut out. See image 2.2.2 and 2.2.3.

2. Blade cannot have multiple edges. See image 2.2.4.

3. Blade cannot have one point set or angled back from the other point. See image 2.2.5.

Concave Blades

The blade cannot be concave, thus preventing contact of the axe, when a tip of the axe hits the target first. See image 2.2.6.

1. Blade cannot have a concave blade, preventing contact of the blade with the target.

2. The Blade cannot have an inconsistent edge that abruptly drops creating multiple edges along the top edge of the axe head.

Image 2.2.1

Image 2.2.2

Image 2.2.3

Image 2.2.4

Image 2.2.5

Image 2.2.6

11. Acceptable Modifications

Acceptable modifications include:

1. Etching into the side of the axe head.

2. Painting the head or handle.

3. Changing the handle.

4. Adjustments to the grip of the handle. For example: tape, sanding the handle, etc.

12. Referee's Final Decision

Acceptable Axe Head Examples

Unacceptable Axe Head Examples

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(6.4) Qualification Paths Discussion

Goals of the IATC

The International Axe Throwing Championship is the pinnacle event of the axe throwing year. The goal is for a representative group of skilled players to compete for the Wilson Cup and to crown an annual international axe throwing champion.

There are some important considerations for who participates in the tournament. The IATF strives to find a balance between creating a sporting chance for a large number of consistent league players to participate and ensuring highly skilled players are among those in the competition. In addition, the IATF ensures that all participating member organizations have at least one player competing from their organization’s qualifying leagues.

IATF Member Organization Reserved Spots

All IATF member organizations are reserved one spot in the tournament for a player from their qualifying leagues. Member organizations are not obligated to participate and may elect to release their spots.

Each organization’s league participation is used to apportion the remaining spots. League participation is calculated as follows:

If a player competes in five qualifying league seasons, then this will count as 5 units of league participation for the organization hosting those league seasons. If four other players each play in one qualifying league season, then this will count as 4 units of league participation for the host organization. Essentially this can be understood as the sum of each players’ seasons played at the host organization.

The remaining spots, beyond those initially reserved for each member organization, are granted based on each organization’s league participation as a proportion of the total IATF-wide league participation.

IATC Round 2 & Finals

The format of IATC Round 2 is a seeded double elimination bracket, traditionally hosted in Toronto.

The tournament has grown to include more competitors over time, reaching a field of 256 players in 2019.

Until 2018, the IATC (then NATC) was composed solely of this double elimination tournament.

IATC Round 1

In 2018, Round 1 was introduced to accommodate the increasing number of qualifying competitors. Round 1 is typically hosted on a single day at local venues across the IATF. In 2022, Round 1 was held over three days as a COVID accommodation.

In Round 1, players compete against the other players from their qualifying organization. Each player throws a set of 75 axes and 15 big axes. The total score of the 75 axes is used to rank the players within their qualifying organization, with the score from the 15 big axes used to break ties. Further ties are broken by the Standard average recorded during the qualifying period, then the players’ Collins Ratings. In 2018, the players threw 45 axes and 9 big axes in Round 1.

The results of Round 1 are used to determine which players advance to the Round 2 double elimination tournament.

Definition of a Qualifying League Season

Historically, a player’s performance was considered for IATC qualification if the league seasons in which they participated met all the following criteria:
The season was hosted by an IATF member organization in good standing
The season was not designated as Recreational
The season was played using either IATF Standard or IATF Premier rulesets
The round robin consisted of matches where each player competed in 28 matches
The round robin took place over 7 weeks of play
The league concluded on the eighth week with a double elimination playoff tournament

During the COVID qualification period, as an accommodation for IATF member organizations, in some cases, not being able to run 8-week league seasons, “marathon” seasons (seasons where all 28 matches and playoffs are played in a single day) and “sprint” seasons (seasons where the round robin is shortened, but each player still plays 28 matches) were included on par with seasons that met the above criteria.

Based on community feedback, these marathon and sprint seasons are allowable as qualifying seasons since IATC 2023.

Today, a player’s performance is considered for IATC qualification if the league seasons in which they participate meet all the following criteria:
The season is hosted by an IATF member organization in good standing
The season is not designated as Recreational
The season is played using either IATF Standard or IATF Premier rulesets
The round robin consists of matches where each player is scheduled to compete in 20-28 matches
The league concludes with a double elimination playoff tournament

Champions Points

Champions Points (Champs Points) are awarded to players at the end of every Standard and Premier qualifying league season, based on where they place at the end of round robin play (see the table below) and additional Champs Points are awarded based on playoff performance (see the table below).

Round Robin Rank	Champs Points
1st	16
2nd	15
3rd	14
4th	13
5th	12
6th	11
7th	10
8th	9
9th	8
10th	7
11th	6
12th	5
13th	4
14th	3
15th	2
16th	1

Playoff Finish Position	Champs Points
1st	8
2nd	4
3rd	2
4th	1

Minimum Participation

Historically, players were required to participate in a minimum of three seasons to be eligible for IATC qualification.

During the COVID qualification period, the requirement that players participate in a minimum of three league seasons to be eligible for IATC qualification was removed. This change accommodated IATF member organizations being closed at various times, and not able to run three league seasons within the qualification period. It also allowed players to participate when they felt able to.

This accommodation is no longer in effect as of the IATC 2023 qualification period. Players are again required to participate in a minimum of three league seasons (Standard or Premier) with one IATF member organization to be eligible for IATC qualification.

Requiring a minimum of three seasons participation ensures that players are demonstrating a commitment to the sport and also to the member organization at which they play.

In order for a season to count toward a player's participation, they must compete in a minimum of 12 matches. These must be played matches, not forfeits.

Top 4 Rule

When first introduced, the Top 4 Rule ranked participants based on their earned Champs Points within qualifying Standard league seasons throughout the year. The top 4 league members at the end of a qualifying period, from each qualifying league earned a spot in that year’s IATC. For example, if a player threw 5 seasons on Tuesday night at a one member organization, finishing 1st place in regular season and playoffs each season they would earn 120 Champs Points from the whole year and would qualify in 1st spot from their Tuesday night league.

Over time, players began to participate in more than one league season at time, which meant they would earn Champs Points in more than one league. These leagues were evaluated separately to determine which league players would qualify from. Eventually players switching leagues were allowed to “transfer” Champs Points between leagues. This became problematic as there was a real potential to “game the system” by strategically switching leagues late in the qualifying period. This type of switching was difficult to monitor and resulted in the perception that consistent league players were being prevented from qualifying by these players joining their league.

During the COVID qualification period, in order to increase the opportunity for players to qualify, the Top 4 Rule was amended to consider each league season separately, rather than tallying Champs Points over the entire qualification period. This change accommodated IATF member organizations being closed at various times due to jurisdictional mandates, and allowed players to participate when they felt able to. In practice, this rule change allowed many more players to qualify for Round 1 and also alleviated much of the administrative burden of managing Champs Points transfers. This rule change was made permanent for the IATC 2023 qualification period.

Today, Champions Points are awarded at the end of every qualifying axe throwing league season. The top 4 Champions Points earners in each Standard league season qualify for Round 1 of the IATC, provided they have also participated in the minimum three seasons (Standard or Premier) at the league’s member organization.

70 Rule

To qualify for IATC Round 1 under the 70 Rule, an axe thrower must throw an average of 70 or better in three non-concurrent seasons during the IATC qualifying period. The three seasons do not have to be back-to-back, nor do they have to be in the same league night or ruleset (please note; only Standard and Premier rulesets are considered); but they have to occur at one member organization and they must be in three separate time frames over the course of that qualifying period.

The 70 Rule was introduced to ensure highly skilled players qualify for Round 1, regardless of how competitive their league is. Also, since qualifying via the 70 Rule removes a player from consideration via the Top 4 Rule, more players are able to qualify for Round 1 (see Hierarchy of Paths below).

Top 8 Rule

Similar to the Top 4 Rule, Champions Points are awarded at the end of every Premier qualifying axe throwing league season. The top 8 Champions Points earners in each Premier Rules league season qualify for Round 1 of the IATC.

This rule was introduced along with the Premier ruleset in March 2020. Including the top 8 players from Premier league seasons encourages skilled and competitive players to join Premier leagues as it gives them a stronger opportunity to qualify for Round 1.

Today, Champions Points are awarded at the end of every qualifying axe throwing league season. The top 8 Champions Points earners in each Premier league season qualify for Round 1 of the IATC, provided they have also participated in the minimum three seasons (Standard or Premier) at the league’s member organization.

Regional Tournaments

IATF Regional Tournaments were introduced in 2017. They are double-elimination Premier ruleset tournaments hosted at a venue in each IATF Region once a year.

Historically, the winner of each of these tournaments qualified for IATC Round 1. Starting in the IATC 2023 qualification period, the winner is now given a berth into IATC Round 2. The winner will still compete in Round 1 to determine their seeding for Round 2.

IATF Regions

There are currently nine IATF Regions: seven North American Regions, one European Region and one Pacific Region.

The original seven North American Regions were adjusted in 2021 to accommodate COVID travel restrictions and requirements between the United States and Canada.

The COVID-adjusted North American Regions remain in place for the IATC 2023 qualification period. See IATF Regions

Reigning IATC Champion

Historically, the winner of the previous IATC (or NATC) was given berth into IATC Round 2 and was seeded #1.

Starting with IATC 2022, the winner is no longer seeded #1 and is required to compete in IATC Round 1 to determine their seeding for Round 2. This change was made to ensure that the seeding in Round 2 was more reflective of the current standings of players advancing via Round 1.

Wild Card Tournaments

Historically, Wildcard tournaments were introduced as a way for players that had not qualified for IATC, to have one more chance to qualify. The winners of each of the local Wildcard tournaments qualified for IATC Round 1. This was beneficial to players who were perhaps new to the sport or were just outside the Top 4 Rule qualification on their league night.

In practice, due to the introduction of new qualification paths, the competitor turnout for these tournaments diminished dramatically over the past three qualification periods.

Wildcard tournaments have been removed from the qualification paths for IATC 2023.

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(5.2) Global Rankings (The Collins Rating System – CRS)

Over a year ago the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) launched the Collins Rating System. This system is based on the Elo rating system widely used in chess, online gaming and other kinds of head-to-head competition. The system considers the level of stakes at hand as well as the value of one-on-one competition, and has been adapted by the IATF to accommodate the complexities of axe throwing. The Elo system was selected because it ranks players in head-to-head competition through a mathematical equation.

This system works well for the IATF. We value head-to-head competition, both in our sport and as sports fans, and see the value in a rating system that rates players according to skill and skill improvement. We operate in the spirit of fairness in competition; all venues operate differently, but still have an accurate system of rating for throwers across all IATF organizations.

Key Principles

Head-to-head competition should be used to assess skills and determine ratings. (true since version 1.0)
Beating lower rated players is less valuable than beating higher rated players. (true since version 1.0)
Higher levels of competition should raise the stakes by allowing larger adjustments, if required to better reflect players’ relative skill. ie. IATC has higher stakes than Regionals which in turn has higher stakes than league playoffs. (true since version 1.0)
Throwing an 81 and winning the tiebreaker should never result in a downward adjustment (this became clear from version 1.0)
Throwing more frequently should not disproportionately inflate ratings (true since version 1.0, however version 1.1 created a deviation from this principle, version 1.2 addresses the inflation from version 1.1)

Reviewing How it Works:

Each players’ rating goes up or down at the end of a match based on the result of each round. Players have their rating compared to the rating of their opponent. If the higher rated player wins, as expected, adjustments are generally small. However, if the lower rated player wins, an adjustment in ratings moves both players’ ratings – up for the lower rated player, and down for the higher rated player.

CRS 1.0 – The first version of CRS adjusted players rating based on winning or losing rounds within a match. These adjustments were affected by the ratings of their opponents as well as the expected result going into the match.

For example, in version 1.0 (example A): Alice and Bob are throwing a match. Alice is a higher rated player than Bob. When Alice wins the match, her rating goes up slightly and Bob’s goes down slightly, by the same amount. However, if Bob (as the lower rated player) were to win the match, his rating would go up and Alice’s rating would go down, again by the same amount.

Another example (example B): A highly rated player who ties a lower rated player at 81 and wins the tiebreaker. Based on their rating before the match, the lower rated player has exceeded their expectation by taking the match to a tie breaker, and needed an upward adjustment. Since in CRS 1.0 the adjustments were always equal, but opposite, the higher rated player’s rating would be adjusted downward to match the lower rated player’s increase after the match. The result of which was that the two players were now more closely rated, which was the desired result of the system.

Transition to Version 1.1 – After listening to feedback from the community and observing how the System worked in a live setting, it was clear that the rating calculation was not performing as desired in some match scenarios. It was determined that the cause was that ties at 27 were being treated in the same manner as other ties, which, since this is the maximum score, felt like a penalty for the higher rated player, as outlined in example B, described in the previous paragraph. The natural question was “How could I have done better? Why would my rating go down in that scenario?”

Version 1.1 – To address how ties at 27 were impacting rating adjustments, a modification to the calculation was made to treat these rounds as a win in that round for both players instead of a tie in that round for both players; the rationale being neither player could have done better, so this should count as a win. This meant that in matches with ties at 27, it was now possible for both players to be adjusted positively since both players threw as well as possible in that round. This effectively created new “bonus” rating points, adding them to the system. It also meant that the lower rated players’ adjustments were greater than the higher rated players’.

This modification created a new issue wherein players who were tying at 27 more frequently, especially by throwing in multiple leagues, were receiving a disproportionate boost to their ratings since these “bonus” rating points threw off the original balance of the system. This effect was more pronounced for the lower rated players.

For example, in version 1.1 (example C): Alice and Bob are both rated 1600. Alice and Bob both throw 27s at the same percentage rate, however, Alice throws in one league and Bob throws in four leagues. Bob stands to gain four times the “bonus” rating points.

Following the release of Version 1.1, after listening to community feedback and observing actual match rating adjustments, it was clear that another modification would be needed to align the CRS to some key principles.

Version 1.2

A modification to the calculation was made that would treat ties at 27 as follows:

The higher rated player’s round is treated as their expected result in the round. This means that it is no longer possible to tie at 81 and win the tiebreaker and have the rating adjusted downward.
The lower rated player’s round is treated as a tie in the round (as with Version 1.0). It should be noted that a tie for the lower rated player is better than expectation. This means that throwing an 81 against a better player can result in a positive adjustment, even if the tie breaker is lost. However, it also avoids the inflated rating adjustments of Version 1.1.

For example, in version 1.2 (example D): Alice and Bob play a match. Alice is rated 1700 and Bob is rated 1500. Alice is expected to win. They both throw three rounds of 27 and tie overall at 81. Alice wins the tiebreaker.

The resulting rating adjustment for each of the CRS versions would be (see The Full Nerd Version below):

CRS Version	Alice	Bob
1.0	-3	+3
1.1	+5	+10
1.2	+1	+3

This particular case highlights the differences between the versions. CRS 1.2 produces adjustments that best align with the key principles behind the CRS.

Players should note that when version 1.2 is implemented there will be a shift in rankings. Multiple tests have been carried out to assess the accuracy of version 1.2 and our team has concluded that this latest version is the most balanced and fair while maintaining the key principles of head-to-head competition that we hold dear in our sport.

Version 1.2 will be launched on Friday July 17, 2020. For those interested in a more detailed understanding of the rating calculation please see The Full Nerd Version below.

Remote Matches

We are excited to launch the IATF AxeScores app soon, which will include a remote challenge feature. The app will increase players ability to seek out higher levels of competition across all IATF players. Players who would normally not be able to geographically play against each other on a regular basis will now be able to throw heard-to-head matches via the app. These matches will count towards CRS ratings at half of the value of regular league play. This reflects the principles of competition outlined above wherein we value higher profile matches and tournament at higher rating multipliers ie. Playoffs have higher stakes than regular league play which in turn has higher stakes than remote matches. This also reflects the level of supervision during those matches. Remote matches will be regulated using tools within the app. Because there is less oversight and officiating, the matches’ rating value will be less.

The Full Nerd Version – CRS 1.2

The procedure for calculating rating adjustments is as follows:

Let the initial rating of a player be pi and the initial rating of the player’s opponent be qi.

Let the player’s match expectation value be E. The expectation value is calculated as:

E= 2 / 1+10qi – pi / 400

It follows that pi >qi1 < E < 2 and pi<qi0 < E < 1.

Each round in the match is evaluated to determine the result. A win is valued at 1, a loss at 0 and a tie at 0.5. In the case of a tie at 27, if pi>qi the round is valued at half the expectation value (E/2).

The set of the player’s round results is g1,g2,…,gnwhere g1 is the player’s result in round 1 and gn is the player’s result in round n and n is the number of rounds.

Let the player’s match result value be R. The match result value is calculated as follows:

R=2nk = 1ngk, where n is the number of rounds.

Observe ∵ 0<gk<10<R<2.

Let the player’s rating adjustment be A. The adjustment is calculated as follows:

A=f*R-E, where denotes rounding to the nearest integer, and f*is a swing factor¹.

Let the player’s final rating be pf. The final rating is calculated as follows²:

pf=pi+A

An example, for illustration:

Alice has a rating of 1700.

Bob has a rating of 1500.

Alice is the higher rated player, they are expected to win.

Alice’s expectation value is 2 / 1+101500 – 1700 / 4001.52.

Bob’s expectation value is 2 / 1+101700 – 1500 / 4000.48.

Alice’s expectation value is higher than Bob’s, since Alice is expected to win.

In round 1 Alice and Bob tie at 25.

In round 2 Alice wins 25-20.

In round 3 Alice wins 27-21.

Alice has won the match.

Alice’s round results are: 0.5,1,1.

Bob’s round results are: 0.5,0,0.

Alice’s match result is: 232.51.67.

Bob’s match result is: 230.50.34.

Alice’s adjustment is: 101.67-1.52 +1 (here 10 is the swing factor).

Bob’s adjustment is: 100.34-0.48 -1.

Alice’s rating after the match is 1701.

Bob’s rating after the match is 1499.

Since Alice won the match, and approximately by the expected amount, the adjustment is small.

Had the first round been a tie at 27 instead of 25, the results would follow:

Alice’s round results are: 0.76,1,1.

Bob’s round results are: 0.5,0,0.

Alice’s match result is: 232.761.84.

Bob’s match result is: 230.50.34.

Alice’s adjustment is: 101.84-1.52 +3.

Bob’s adjustment is: 100.34-0.48 -1.

Alice’s rating after the match is 1703.

Bob’s rating after the match is 1499.

Alice’s performance is a little better and the adjustment is a little greater. The tie doesn’t affect Bob differently though, a tie in this case is still better than their expectation.

Had Bob won rounds 2 & 3 (leaving the tie at 27), the results would follow:

Alice’s round results are: 0.76,0,0.

Bob’s round results are: 0.5,1,1.

Alice’s match result is: 230.760.51.

Bob’s match result is: 232.51.67.

Alice’s adjustment is: 100.51-1.52 -10.

Bob’s adjustment is: 101.67-0.48 +12.

Alice’s rating after the match is 1690.

Bob’s rating after the match is 1512.

Bob performed much better than expected and Alice performed worse. Their rating adjustments reflect the upset.

It should be noted that the first 28 matches a player completes in their career have an additional consideration, specifically, opponents’ ratings in these 28 matches are not adjusted unless the match is also one of the opponents’ first 28 matches. This prevents the uncertainty of new players’ ratings from affecting their opponents’ ratings in their first career season.

¹ The swing factor f*is a parameter chosen to reflect the stakes of the type of match. The swing factor acts as a bounding factor on how large a rating adjustment can be for any given match of that type. Observe A<2f*. The swing factor generally increases with the level of competition or tournament profile. Regular league play has a swing factor of 10, larger tournaments can have swing factors of up to 20.

² The calculation can be expressed in terms of source input values as:

pf=pi+2f*1nk = 1ngk-1+10qi – pi / 400-1

Definitions

where

pf is the player’s final rating,

pi is the player’s initial rating,

qi is the opponent’s initial rating,

f*is a swing factor,

gk is the player’s result in round k,

n is the number of rounds,and denotes rounding to the nearest integer.

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(7.1) IATF Member Representation

1. All participating member organizations will send to IATC Round 2 a number of competitors equal to their percentage of the total IATF league enrollment during the calendar year.

2. The league enrollment is calculated as players in each season.

1. An individual player participating in one season would count as 1, the same player participating in four seasons would count as 4.

3. Only the league members of organizations participating in Round 2 will count towards the member representation in the tournament.

1. For instance, if there are 6000 active league members across all organizations in the IATF, and they all participated in all 5 season through the year, then there would be 30,000 league enrollments in the pool of IATF representation:

1. If organization “Z” represents 10,000 of those league enrollments, and chooses not to participate for any reason, then those 10,000 league enrollments would be removed from the equation;

2. If all other organizations participate, then there are 20,000 league enrollments remaining in the equation;

3. e.g. If organization “A” represents 2,000 league enrollments, then organization “A” would represent 10% of all participating IATF leagues in Round 2;

2. That means organization “A” throwers will represent 10% of those competitor ‘seats’ in Round 2 of the tournament

1. eg. 25 seats would be organization A throwers if the final round hosts 250 total competitors, 10 seats would be organization A throwers if the final round hosts 100 total competitors

2. In the case of a decimal point percentage, the IATF will round up or down accordingly to match the amount of throwers in the final stage.

3. When applying these calculations to any official tournament numbers, keep in mind that 1 spot in Round 2 is reserved for the winner of the previous year’s tournament. Additional spots are reserved for the winners of the Regional tournaments.

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(6.3) Round 2 of the IATC

1. Format and Seeding

1. Round 2 of the tournament is a double elimination tournament bracket. The rules and format of Round 2 matches continue using the Premier ruleset and scoring system also used to score Round 1.

2. These competitors are the top throwers from each organization as determined by Round 1.

3. The seeding within this round of the tournament is determined by the player’s performance in Round 1.

2. Round 1 of the IATC tournament will be held at all IATF organizations on one set day each year***:

2. Previous Year’s Champion

1. The winner of the previous year’s IATC tournament is guaranteed entry into Round 2 of the tournament, however, will still need to throw in Round 1 for seeding purposes.

3. Attendance

1. If a competitor is late for their first match and misses it, then they automatically forfeit that match and move to the “B” Bracket and their opponent will automatically advance to the next set of matches:

2. If the same competitor who missed their first match also misses their second match in the “B” bracket, they automatically forfeit that match and are eliminated from the tournament.

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(6.2) Round 1 of the IATC

1. Round 1 of the IATC tournament will be held at all IATF organizations on one set day each year***:

1. All scoring for Round 1 will be based on the Premier ruleset and scoring system.

1. See Premier ruleset in section (1.4.1)

2. All qualifying throwers from every league will throw for Round 1 on the set date, at their home venue.***

2. Round 1 of the IATC tournament will be held at all IATF organizations on one set day each year***:

Format

1. In Round 1 of the IATC, players will be randomly split into groups of four. Players will take to their assigned lane, then throw the equivalent of 5 matches (a total of 75 throws) and 15 Big Axes:

1. In this round, competitors are not facing off one on one against an opponent, as in standard competition, rather, the goal here is to throw for the highest point total possible;

2. Once each group of 4 competitors has taken to their assigned lane, they will throw 15 axes in a row, scoring points under IATF Premier scoring rules.

1. Each thrower must throw for Clutch every 5th throw. Premier Clutch scoring applies.

3. Every 15 axes, scores will be tallied and competitors will move one lane to the right and throw another 15 axes until everyone has thrown 75 times:

1. Competitors on the farthest right lane will move to the far left lane of the arena to score their next throws when necessary;

2. Between every set of 15 throws, competitors can request a board change similar to regulation competition.

3. Every 15 axes, scores will be tallied and competitors will move one lane to the right and throw another 15 axes until everyone has thrown 75 times:

1. Competitors on the farthest right lane will move to the far left lane of the arena to score their next throws when necessary;

2. Between every set of 15 throws, competitors can request a board change similar to regulation competition.

4. Each set of 15 throws will count as the score for 1 match totaling 5 match scores for every competitor. Players will receive the average match score from these 5 matches:

1. e.g. for a competitor’s first set of 15 throws they throw a total match score of 42, in their second set, a 67, in their third set, a 61, in their fourth set 60, and their fifth set another 60. The total scored points obtained over the 5 matches is 290, divided by 5 to obtain an average score of 58.

5. Upon completion of these 75 throws each competitor will throw 15 consecutive big axes.

1. A competitor may call Clutch at any point during their 15 big axe throws.

2. Competitors are not required to score a bullseye prior to being able to call Clutch in these 15 throws

3. Their combined score from these 15 throws will be used as a tiebreaker in the case that throwers have the same Round 1 average as another thrower.

6. Upon completion of this round, competitors will be ranked against others from the same organization based on their Round 1 average and using Big Axe tie breaker score if needed:

1. The Round 1 rank will be used to determine who represents each organization based on the percentage of representation calculation for Round 2 of the tournament (See section 7.1 below)

2. The Round 1 score will also be used to seed a competitor that moves onto Round 2 of the IATC.

***exceptions may be made due to COVID-19

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(6.1) The Road To The International Axe Throwing Championships

The Championship

The International Axe Throwing Championship (IATC) is an annual tournament that brings together great players from around the globe to compete for the Wilson Cup.

The tournament is divided into two Rounds. Round 1 is played at many host venues internationally. The results of Round 1 determine which competitors advance to Round 2 and determine their seeding in Round 2. The format of Round 2 is a seeded double elimination bracket, hosted in Toronto, which takes place over two days in June.

Competing in the IATC

To compete in the IATC, competitors must qualify during the Qualification Period prior to the IATC. The qualification period for IATC 2023 is March 12, 2022 to March 10, 2023.

There are two primary ways to qualify: winning selected tournaments and league performance.

Qualification via Tournaments

The previous year’s IATC Champion qualifies for the next IATC. In addition, they are guaranteed to advance to Round 2, with their seeding determined by their Round 1 results.

Each IATF Region hosts a Regional Tournament in January. The winners of these tournaments qualify for the IATC. In addition, they are guaranteed to advance to Round 2, with their seeding determined by their Round 1 results.

Competitors who qualify via tournaments are removed from consideration for qualification via league performance.

Qualification via League Performance

IATF Member Organization Participation

IATF member organizations host qualifying league seasons (see below) throughout the Qualification Period. Any number of competitors may qualify for IATC by participating in an IATF member organization’s leagues. However, each member organization will advance a limited number of competitors to Round 2. Each member organization will have the opportunity to advance at least one competitor. Additional advancing competitors are determined by the organization’s total league participation as a percentage of the total IATF league participation.

Minimum Player Participation to Qualify

In order to qualify, competitors must participate in at least three league seasons at one IATF member organization within the Qualification Period. These league seasons can be Standard rules or Premier rules seasons.

The Top 8 Rule

A competitor who finishes in the Top 8, by Champs Points (see below), in a Premier rules season qualifies for IATC. Once a competitor meets

this qualification criteria, they are removed from consideration for any other league performance qualification.

The 70 Rule

A competitor who achieves an average of 70 or better in three non-concurrent seasons, Standard rules or Premier rules, hosted by one organization, qualifies for IATC. Once a competitor meets this qualification criteria, they are removed from consideration for Standard rules league performance qualification.

The Top 4 Rule

A competitor who finishes in the Top 4, by Champs Points (see below), in a Standard rules season qualifies for IATC.

All qualifiers via league performance compete in Round 1. The results of Round 1 determine which competitors advance to Round 2 and determine their seeding in Round 2.

What is considered a qualifying league season?

Players are considered for IATC qualification if the league seasons in which they participate meet all the following criteria:

The season is hosted by an IATF member organization in good standing
The season is not designated as Recreational
The season is played using either IATF Standard or IATF Premier rulesets
The round robin consists of matches where each player competes in 28 matches
The season concludes with a double elimination playoff tournament

What are Champs Points?

Round Robin Rank	Champs Points
1st	16
2nd	15
3rd	14
4th	13
5th	12
6th	11
7th	10
8th	9
9th	8
10th	7
11th	6
12th	5
13th	4
14th	3
15th	2
16th	1

Playoff Finish Position	Champs Points
1st	8
2nd	4
3rd	2
4th	1

Have I Qualified?

Please use the Qualification Flowchart to determine whether you have qualified for IATC.

Qualification Flowchart

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(5.1) Champions Points System

Champions Points are awarded to players at the end of every Standard and Premier league season only, as summarized below, based on where they place at the end of regulation (Week 7) play:

1st place receives 16 points;

2nd place receives 15 points;

3rd place receives 14 points;

4th place receives 13 points;

5th place receives 12 points;

6th place receives 11 points;

7th place receives 10 points;

8th place receives 9 points;

9th place receives 8 points;

10th place receives 7 points;

11th place receives 6 points;

12th place receives 5 points;

13th place receives 4 points;

14th place receives 3 points;

15th place receives 2 points;

16th place receives 1 point.

2. Players are also awarded Champions Points based on how they finish in their playoff bracket at the end of each league season:

1st place receives 8 points;

2nd place receives 4 points;

3rd place receives 2 points;

4th place receives 1 point.

Tie Breaker

1. If two players are tied for Champions Points, then Total Score for the season is used to determine the higher seed.

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