There will be two Youth Cup legs in 2026: 

1 st leg 1 – 6 June Ruse, Bulgaria (BUL) 

2 nd leg (EYC) 20 - 26 July Rome, Italy (ITA)

RULES 2026  

1     The European Youth Cup competitions are organized in accordance with WA 

Constitution and Rules.  

1. European Youth Cup competitions – General Format: 

2.1       There will be: 

• One leg of the European Youth Cup and the European Youth Championships that will be considered as second leg of the European Youth Cup Circuit in even years. 
• Two legs of the European Youth Cup in odd years (when World Archery Youth Championships is organized). 

2.2       Daily Schedule of the European Youth Cup competitions (including official 

training day, last day of the competition - Saturday) will be prepared by the organizers together with the appointed Technical Delegate: 

Total duration of the competition:  6 days (Monday – Saturday) 

               Ranking Round – 70m/60m/50m Round       

The individual and team finals will be shot, according to the WA rules, with set system matches for Recurve bow and matches with cumulative score for Compound bow. 

2.3       Allocation of European Youth Cup competitions 

2.3.1 Any organization willing to host Youth Cup event according to WAE requirements can submit a bid to WAE Secretary General through the Member Association (MA) of the country in which the Youth Cup event will take place. 

2.3.2 The bid must be submitted two years previous to the year of event.   

The application form has to be sent to the WAE Secretary General together with the Bid/Evaluation checklist for Youth events. 

2.3.3 The International competition calendar and the school calendar in Europe have to be taken into account. 

2.3.4  The Calendar of Youth Cup competitions for each year will be approved by WAE Executive Board and published on the WAE web site. (Appendix 1) 

2.4       Disciplines  

2.4.1  The European Youth Cup competitions are organized in the discipline of Outdoor Target Archery. 

2.5       Classes admitted 

• Under 18 Women (Recurve and Compound) 
• Under 18 Men (Recurve and Compound) 
• Under 21 Women (Recurve, Compound and Barebow) 
• Under 21 Men (Recurve, Compound and Barebow) 

2.6       Divisions admitted 

• Recurve Division with equipment as specified in WA Rules. 
• Compound Division with equipment as specified in WA Rules. 
• Barebow Division with equipment as specified in WA Rules. 
  1. Number of participants: 

The number of athletes that may be entered by a MA is limited to four (4) per Recurve and Compound and one (1) per Barebow categories.   

1. All WA MAs are eligible to compete in European Youth Cup competitions, but only the results of the athletes from WAE MA’s will be taken for the Youth Cup Circuit. 

1. Rounds shot at European Youth Cup competitions       Outdoor Target archery rounds (according to WA Rules) 

. 

2.9.1  Distances 

• 60m Round for Recurve Under 18 
• 70m Round for Recurve Under 21 
• 50m for Compound Under 18 and Under 21 
• 50m for Barebow Under 21 

3           Application of WA rules at European Youth Cup competitions 

3.1  The Outdoor Target Archery rules at European Youth Cup competitions will comply with those of WA, which are in force in the year of the organisation of the European Youth Cup competition with the following exceptions. 

3.1.1 The quarter and semi-finals matches may not be shot alternating. 

3.1.2 If the time frame of the competition doesn’t allow to fit the required number of alternated matches, the matches can be combined. A sufficient number of judges, who will lead the matches using stopwatches, will be provided. 

3.1.3  All bronze medal matches may be shot at the same time. 

3.1.4 All gold medal matches will be shot separately. 

3.2      Team competitions and Mixed Teams 

3.2.1 Teams in all categories consist of three (3) athletes. In case a MA participates with 4 athletes in one category, the highest three ranked archers of the category in the qualification round will form the team, unless the Team Manager notifies the official approved result verifier or the Chairman of Judges in writing at least fifteen minutes before the start of official practice of that round of competition of a substitution of another athlete who competed in the Qualification Round. Only 3 medals per team will be awarded. 

3.2.2 Mixed Teams consist of one male and one female archer of the same division. A team will consist of the highest ranked archers in the qualification round, unless the Team Manager notifies the official approved result verifier or the Chairman of Judges in writing at least fifteen minutes before the start of official practice of that round of competition of a substitution of another athlete who competed in the Qualification Round. 

4.      Results        

          The results of European Youth Cup competitions must be according to WAE results system, available to WAE Website and published live (end by end) on the Website of the competition, created by the organizers for each event.  

5          Awards at European Youth Cup competitions 

5.1  In each leg of the European Youth Cup competitions the top 3 placed individuals, teams and mix teams in each category as ranked after the Finals will receive awards as the winners of that tournament. Finals are organized when there are at least 2 individuals or teams. 

5.2 The awards at the European Youth Cup competitions will be provided by the Organizing Committee (10x3 for individuals, 24x3 for teams and 10x3 for Mixed teams). 

5.4  During the Awards Ceremony, the Country Anthem of the 1st ranked Individual, Team or Mixed Team will be played and the flags of the top three placed individuals’ and teams’ and mix teams’ countries will be raised when there are at least 3 individuals or teams. If there are 

less than 3 individuals, teams or mixed teams in the same category to be awarded, the winners will be called to the podium, but no flags will be raised and no anthem will be played.   

6.         Determining the winners of the European Youth Cup circuit 

There will be 3 individual winners determined by the Individual competitions and 3 MAswinners determined by the Team and the Mix Team competitions, in each category. 

6.1      Determining the winners in the Individual competition 

6.1.1  The winner, the second and the third placed archers in each category of the European Youth Cup Circuit will be determined among the WAE athletes by the highest total score of the Qualification rounds results of the two legs. 

6.2      Determining the winners in the Team and Mixed Team competition 

6.2.1  The placement of each team and mixed team in each category at the Qualification round of the two legs will be taken into account. In case that teams outside the WAE MAs are ranked in places 1-4, a separate ranking without those teams will be prepared to award points only to WAE teams. The number of points from the two legs will be added. 

 6.2.2 The following points are being given at each leg for teams and mixed teams placed after the Qualification round: 

                                            1st place          10 points 

                                            2nd place            8 points 

                                            3rd place            6 points 

                                            4th place            4 points 

And for lower ranking 1 point 

6.2.3  In the case of a tie in the score for first 3 places in the individual event, the ranking of the results will be determined by the highest number of 10’s (including inner 10’s) and if still tied the highest number of X’s (inner 10’s). If athletes are still tied, they will be declared equal. 

For all the other places except the first 3, athletes will be declared equal. 

In case of a tie in the score for first 3 places at the team event, the ranking of the results will be determined by the highest number of 1st places and if still tied, by the highest number of 2nd places, 3rd places and 4th places. If the teams are still tied, they will be declared equal.   For all the other places except the first 3, teams will be declared equal. 

6.3 The medals for the final ranking of European Youth Cup circuit for the top 3 individuals in each category will be provided by WAE. 

6.4 The cups for the final ranking of European Youth Cup circuit for the top 3 MAs will be provided by the host organizing committee. 

6.5  The medals and cups are to be engraved by the Organiser with the name and the year of the competition and the place (e.g. “EUROPEAN YOUTH CUP 2026 – 1st place/2nd place/3rd place”). 

6.6 During the individual awarding, winners will be called to the podium, but no flags will be raised and no national anthem will be played. WAE hymn will be played continuously during the awarding. 

 For the team/country awarding one official and two archers (one male and one female) will be invited to the podium. 

7          Technical Officials and technical requirements 

7.1  WAE Executive Board will appoint for each tournament a Technical Delegate, four (4) Continental Judges and one (1) Director of Shooting, who will be, if possible, a Continental judge from the Organizing country. 

7.2  The organizing MA will provide at least 5 Judges and 1 deputy Director of Shooting who have no lower status than Continental or National Judge. The organizing MA may invite Judges from other MAs. 

7.3       The Jury of Appeal will be appointed on the field by the Technical Delegate: a chairman and 2 members as well as 2 alternates. 

7.4 The organizing MA will provide the competition field with appropriate number of targets, a separate practice field, cameras and big screen for finals, a commentator and the IANSEO Team for the results. Furthermore, the organizing MA should try to have National TV coverage at least for the medal matches. 

  8        Entry fee and accommodation 

8.1  The Organizing Committee will offer sufficient number of rooms. The price should be not more than EURO 120 per person per day including full board (the price in double rooms). 

8.2      The Entry Fee should not exceed EURO 150 per archer. 

8.3      There will be no entry fees for officials and no entry fees for teams. 

9          WAE support for Member Associations 

9.1  WAE MAs who have not participated in any of the European Youth Cup competitions during the last five years may apply to WAE Secretary General for a grant to enable one archer and one coach to compete. The grant is fixed up to the maximum limit of 450 Euro each one (one athlete and one coach) as financial support for accommodation/entry fee cost. The grant will be awarded upon the decision of WAE Executive Board. 

9.2 The Organizing MA may apply to WAE Secretary General for a financial support up to   3000 EURO to provide requirements from art. 7.4. 

10        Annual awards for team officials 

The European Youth Development Committee will elect every year among the team managers/coaches one team of manager/coach or team of manager & coaches and will award him/her/them. The team manager/coach or team of manager & coaches of the year will be awarded at the Final leg with the framed photo written on it: 

European Youth Cup 

Team Manager/Coach or Team (with country and listed names) of the year 2026 

APPENDIX 1

Calendar of WAE Youth cup events 2026 

1. 1 – 6 June                                 European Youth Cup 1st leg 

                                                             Ruse, Bulgaria (BUL) 

1. 20 – 26 July                  European Youth Championships & Final leg   

                                                             Rome, Italy (ITA)      

APPENDIX 2 

Members of the Youth Development Committee and their contact information: