1. Handling Your Axe

1. The blade must be covered or sheathed while carrying an axe, regardless if that axe is in a bag, holster or outside of the thrower’s hands;

2. Sound isolating devices are not permitted while throwing axes unless specifically required due to a medical condition;

1. e.g. including, but not limited to, headphones and earplugs.

2. Lane Choice (Rock-Paper-Scissors)

1. Players may use Rock-Paper-Scissors (or another randomizing method) to choose their starting lane if there is any disagreement:

1. Winner = best 2 of 3 rock paper scissors;

2. Players may ‘opt out’ of Rock-Paper-Scissors effectively giving the lane choice to the other player.

3. As noted, players may choose another random, time effective method of choosing a lane (eg: a coin flip)

2. Players get 3 practice throws before their first match of the session;

3. No practice throws are allowed once a player has completed their first match.

1. After warm up throws are complete but before a match officially begins, players may perform a courtesy clinking of axe heads, side against side;

1. If this does not happen, there is no penalty: It is strictly a courtesy and sign of sportsmanship that harkens back to the beginning of the sport.

4. Changing Target Wood

1. League runners may change a target’s face boards at any point in between matches or otherwise deemed necessary.

2. Any player may request a change of a target’s face boards but that request should be made before the match begins, before players determine their starting target choice

3. Board changes must be approved by the League Runner or a match official and may be denied if the board is considered ‘fine’ to throw on by either of those people.

1. If a player has completed their warm up throws then requests a board change, those boards may only be changed if the request is approved by the League Runner or Match Official, and not once the match has officially begun.

2. If a large piece of wood falls from the target during match play, creating a void or large gap on the target, it is acceptable for the League Runner or match official to add screws to reattach this piece and repair the target;

3. Similarly, if the corner of a board pulls away from the backboard during match play, screws may be added during the match to re-attach that board to the backboard by a League Runner or match official;

4. Keep in mind: Only a League Runner or Match Official may decide mid-match to change a faulty board (ie: when axes aren’t sticking, there are too many knots, the board is too dense, etc.) If that decision is made;

1. It can only be made at the discretion of the League Runner or Match Official and cannot be simply at the request of either thrower.

2. Can only occur once both players have thrown an equal amount of times on the board in question. (Eg. after round 2 when both players have each thrown 5 axes on the board in question, before continuing to round 3)

5. Target Interference

1. No spectator or thrower, whether involved in a match or observing, may interfere with any in-play target, be that striking the target, chopping at Clutches, adding screws to said targets, etc., outside of their official counted throws.

1. A player may use the back of their axe to hammer loose target wood back into place in between throws.

2. Should a target require maintenance or any outside manipulation, the throwers will request the League Runner and/or Match Official to make any necessary adjustments. This could include replacing boards, hacking out knots, screwing in a split piece of board, repainting an errant target line, etc.

3. This does NOT include wetting or watering the boards, which can be done at any point during the match by either thrower involved in the match or any third party.

1.Target – Either a wall-mounted or free standing (eg: A-frame) wooden apparatus constructed along the lines of IATF specifications (with room for small variations based on venue requirements) 

2. Backing Boards – Generally, several wooden boards (either 2x4s or 2x10s) sandwiched behind OSB or plywood and attached to the target subframe in order to create a solid backing for the face boards with no gaps between each layer.

3. Subframe – A wooden frame either wall-mounted or free standing attached to the target in order to house the backing boards. While face boards need regular replacing over the course of a week and backing boards sometimes require yearly replacements, subframes are meant to last.

4. Face Boards – Wooden boards (generally 2x10s) mounted vertically to the backing boards facing the thrower. These boards are recommended to be soft wood such as spruce, pine, poplar or cottonwood, but can be substituted according to availability within specific geographic areas.

5. Lane – A single target playing area available for axe throwers.

6. Half Arena – Sometimes referred to incorrectly as a ‘lane,’ this is the two lanes where a match generally occurs between players.

7. Arena – A four target area consisting of two lanes. A ‘double arena’ would consist of 4 lanes (8 targets) and so on.

8. Hatchet – A hand axe, between 1.5 to 2.5 total pounds (among other specifications) used for regular competition play.

9. Big Axe – A heavier, longer axe, between 2.75 and 3.75 total pounds (among other specifications) used for tie-breakers in regular competition play.

10. Blade – The honed or sharpened surface located on the face of the axe. If multiple edges have been forged on the face of an axe, each edge must be measured individually and meet IATF specifications.

11. Throwing Line – The black line at X distance from the target over which players are not allowed to take more than one step past while throwing an axe during regular play.

12. Fault Line – The red line at X distance from the target on which players are not allowed to tread nor pass while throwing an axe during regular play.

13. Big Axe Line – The ‘throwing line’ at X distance from the target over which players are not allowed to take more than one step past while throwing a big axe.

14. Device – A colloquial term for the calipers used to measure axe blades against the face boards of the target to determine how that axe should be scored.

15. Throw – One attempt to throw an axe at the target.

16. Drop – The failure of an axe to stick within the target.

17. Round – Four regular throw attempts culminating in the throwers ability to call clutch on the fifth throw attempt.

18. Match – A typical game in axe throwing consisting of an uneven number of rounds resulting in a winner and a loser. There are no ties in axe throwing matches, a match will run until there is a clear winner.

19. Clutch – Two 2” circles to the top left and right of the target rings which are only callable on the 5th throw of each round.

20. League Runner – The venue staff member nominally in charge of league operations for that particular session.

21. Match Official – An officially appointed scorekeeper by the venue or referee during playoff or tournament play.

22. Session of Play – Generally, one ‘week’ of games in a sanctioned IATF league played continuously through the AxeScores software in one period of time.