IATF Rules, Guidelines & Specifications

Introduction

This set of pages describes the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) gameplay rules; league and tournament operational guidelines; and lane, target and equipment specifications.

IATF gameplay has variations depending on the equipment being thrown (axe or knives) and the number of people constituting a Competitor (an individual, a pair, or a team) in the match context. The General Rules apply to all of these variations, unless otherwise noted. The variation-specific rules are included in this document

Revisions

This document is subject to change without notice and may be amended at any time for clarity or specificity.

This document was last revised April 30, 2025. See change log.

Quick Reference

Equipment specifications are detailed here: IATF Equipment Specifications

Target and lane dimensions are detailed here: IATF Target & Lane Specifications

Standard, Premier and Contact scoring methods are detailed here: IATF Scoring Variations

The IATF recommends a league attendance policy: IATF Attendance Policy Recommendation

General Match Overview

Matches are played head-to-head.

Two IATF lanes are needed to play (see IATF Lane Specifications).

Regular matches consist of three rounds, with a fourth tie breaker round only if necessary. In the first three rounds, ties are possible. The Competitor winning the most rounds in a match is the match winner.

Playoff matches typically consist of five or seven rounds that conclude when one Competitor has won the majority of the rounds. In every round, ties are not possible. The Competitor winning the most rounds in a match is the match winner.

The format of the rounds varies by equipment type and these are described in:

• Axe Throwing Rules
• Knife Throwing Rounds
• Big Axe Rounds
• Doubles Rounds

General League Rules

League Season Overview

1. An IATF league season is made up of:

• a set of regular matches between rostered competitors, typically scheduled over a period of weeks, or taking place on the same day. This set of matches is often referred to as the “round-robin” or “regular season”; and
• a seeded double-elimination playoff, consisting of playoff matches between the competitors based on their standings derived from the round-robin.

Round-Robin

2. The round-robin schedule is set by the League Host.

3. The round-robin may take place over any time period. Typical examples include:

• a series of weeks with each competitor completing a subset of their total scheduled matches on the same weeknight each week
• all matches are played on the same day (this is often referred to as a “marathon”)

4. In the round-robin, players are awarded 2 match points for a match win and 1 match point for a match loss in a tie breaker.

Playoff

5. The playoff is scheduled by the League Host to follow the round-robin.

6. The seeding order of the playoff is determined by ordering the competitors by their total match points awarded during the round-robin in descending order. i.e. the player with the most match points will be seeded first, the second most, seeded second, etc. Ties in match points are broken by average match score.

7. The top 16 seeded competitors may compete in the playoff
   1. In the event that a playoff competitor will not be present for the playoff competition, then all competitors below their seed move up one position

• i.e. the 15th seed competitor is absent, the competitor seeded 16th now takes the 15th seed position and 17th seed moves up to 16th seed position, etc.

2. If there are more than 16 players in the league season

8. The playoff bracket uses a double-elimination bracket.

• i.e. a competitor that loses twice is eliminated from the playoff.

Attendance Policies

• The League Host may adopt their own policies regarding league attendance
  • If they choose to do so, it is the responsibility of the League Runner and League Host to communicate any and all differences from the IATF’s Attendance Policy Recommendation to their league community

Forfeits

• League Members receiving a forfeit win may request the option to ‘Forfeit with Play’. This option allows them to play the forfeited match against a stand-in opponent
  • This match will be considered an automatic win, regardless of the outcome of play within the match
  • The winner’s score recorded during the match will count towards the season’s standings total score and average match score
  • The match is considered a forfeit for the forfeiting player. i.e. does not count toward the season’s standings
  • The Match Official will evaluate this request and approve or deny it based on time limitations during a given league night

Standings

• Each league season develops standings among the League Members based on the results of the matches.
• League Members are awarded
  • 2 standings points for winning a match
  • 2 standings points for a win by forfeit
  • 1 standings point for a loss in a tie breaker
• For standings, wins by forfeit credit the winner with a score equal to the average of the matches played on the same round-robin week as the forfeit win
• For standings, losses by forfeit are excluded from the calculation of the average match score. i.e. they do not count as 0, they are just excluded entirely
• At the conclusion of the league season’s round-robin, the standings are used to seed the season’s playoff
  • The League Members are ranked
    • the greatest total earned standings points, then
    • the highest average match score

General Tournament Rules

Code of Conduct

Formats

IATF Tournament Circuit

Majors

Grand Slams

IATC

Other Tournaments

General Gameplay Rules

Lane Choice

• Competitors will determine on which of the two targets they will begin gameplay
• In the event of a disagreement, i.e. both competitors wish to begin on the same target, then a suitable, time-effective, randomized process should be used to determine their starting targets. ex. Rock-Paper-Scissors, coin toss, etc

Communication and Inspection of Scores

• Competitors are responsible for relaying their scores accurately to the scorekeeper and their opponent
• The Scorekeeper or Match Official may inspect any throw at any time to confirm its scoring accuracy
• Competitors must confirm their score for any throw that could appear to be spanning more than one point value with their opponent before relaying them to the scorekeeper
• Competitors must not interfere with the resting position of throws until agreement on scores has been reached
  • ex. removing an axe of knife from the target
  • ex. moving, rotating or adjusting an axe or knife in the target
• In the event that the competitors cannot agree on a score, they must call for an inspection from the Scorekeeper or Match Official
• Competitors may pause to check their score, throw number, or rounds won at any time during a match with the Scorekeeper

Repairing and Replacing Target Boards

• A Match Official may repair or replace a target’s face boards at any time between matches
• A Match Official may repair or replace a target’s face boards at any time when deemed necessary for fairness or safety
• Competitors may request a change of a target’s face boards before a match begins, and before competitors determine their starting target choice
• Target board changes must be approved by a Match Official
  • A target board change requests may be denied if the Match Official determines the board is still fit to use
• At the sole discretion of a Match Official, if a target board becomes damaged to the degree that fair gameplay is deemed no longer possible, play will be paused and the target restored to playable condition
  • either the target board must be repaired or replaced
  • ex. A large piece of wood falls from the target, creating a void or large gap on the target, it is acceptable for a Match Official to add screws to reattach this piece to repair the target
  • ex. The corner of a target board pulls away from the backboard during gameplay, screws may be added to reattach the board to the backboard by a Match Official
  • ex. A Match Official determines that a board has too many knots, or is too dense, as evidenced by an unusually high rate of failed throws, the Match Official may decide to replace the board
    • The Match Official must make this replacement only after both competitors have thrown an equal amount of times on the board in question. e.g. after Round 2, when both competitors have each thrown a round on the board in question, before continuing to Round 3
  • ex. A part of the target rings or Clutch is missing due to chip, a Match Official may repaint the missing segment

Target Interference

• No spectator or competitor, whether involved in a match or observing, may interfere with any in-play target
  • ex. striking the target, chopping at Clutches, damaging the target, adding screws to targets, etc.
• Official counted throws made during gameplay are not considered interference
• Use of the butt of an axe head to gently hammer loose target wood back into place in between throws is not considered interference
• Wetting the target boards prior to the start of a match is not considered interference
  • Wetting the target boards during a match should be avoided, but is allowed if both competitors agree to pause play to take this action

General Scoring Rules

• All throwing equipment is measured at the plane of the surface of the target boards
  • In the event that the surface of the target boards is uneven due to normal gameplay wear, anyone inspecting a score must use their best judgement of the plane of the surface. i.e. do not measure into the bottom of a crack or chip
• All throwing equipment is measured in the final resting position following the throw
  • equipment that falls out of the target at any time before the competitor has retrieved it or before inspection has begun is considered to have dropped
  • equipment that falls out of the target while being inspected by a Scorekeeper or Match Official is awarded the lower point value of the two values being measured

General Scorekeeping Rules

Inspecting Scores

• The Scorekeeper or Match Official may use tools to aid in their inspection.
  • ex. a caliper, a ruler, a flat edged card, an instrument that matches the curvature of the ring or Clutch being inspected, a phone or camera

Scorekeepers

• Competitors must not act as their own Scorekeepers