Axe throwing is a sport started in 2006 in a backyard in which the competitor throws an axe at a target, attempting to hit the bulls eye as near as possible. Axe throwing is an event in most lumberjack competitions. Today there are commercial locations in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Poland where participants can compete, similar to dart throwing, as well as opportunities at festivals and some theme parks.
Rules
Depending on the type of league there are different boards and scoring, but the board needs to made of wood. In 2020 there are 2 very popular leagues: and . IATF targets have 4 zones: 3 main and 1 extra - the clutch. WATL targets have 5 main zones and 1 extra. The distance of the throwing line to the target should be around 4.5 meters to allow the axe to rotate only once, but of course every league has its own rules for games, distance, board and even axes. E.g. Playing IATF classic league match the majority of the blade in the board counts but in the WATL it's enough to touch the line to have a point. Matches of both leagues are individual.The common rule is that thrower must not step over the throwing line before the axe hits or misses the target; a thrower who steps over the line gets 0 points. Before the competition, a special target for practice throws must be made available. Throwers practicing on the competition target will be disqualified from the competition. There are also championships in other games or trickshots. There are 2 main sizes of axes using in the leagues: small - for normal rounds and big - "tiebreaker". Weights previously written apply only to the blade. The rules of IATF allow to play only axes with wooden handle, WATL does not have any restrictions.
History
In 2020, there are now hundreds of axe throwing venues across Canada, USA, Australia, Europe and Thailand. The typical axe throwing venue in North America has at least 5 lanes and a place to sit, watch and write down points. There may also be bars serving beer and other drinks or snacks. The sessions last around 1-2hours.
Europe
In Europe, the first axe throwing clubs started to open in 2016 in UK and Poland. The one in Poland is the first member of IATF in Europe and since that time IATF has become worldwide and changed the name from NATF to IATF. In 2020 axe throwing is a common sport and entertainment hobby in Europe. It is popular for stag parties, hen parties, team building and many more events. Axe throwing venues are found in UK, , France, Slovenia, Spain, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands, etc. The least expensive axe throwing sessions are in Middle and East Europe and the prices start form $15 per person. Going west, prices are rising to as high as $100 per person.
Cautions
The sport of axe throwing deals with a potentially dangerous weapon, so the throwing area must be kept safe at all times. If there is an open area behind the target, then spectators and others should be plainly prevented from walking into said area. The target area should be taped off using flags or light fencing materials. A first aid kit and a person trained in first aid and CPR should be at hand in the event of an emergency. For competition in rural and remote areas, the GPS location for the event should be reported in the case of First-Responders being needed.
EuroThrowers
The umbrella association for non-commercial axe throwing sports clubs in Europe is the European Throwing Club 'Flying Blades'. With more than 250 direct members from 15 nations, it standardises the competition rules for Europe, which are adhered to by its more than 25 member clubs. The annual World Knife Throwing and Axe Throwing Championship is taking place in a different country each year. , China
