The handicap improvement medal: how to work out the winner
The handicap improvement medal goes to the member whose outdoor handicap dropped most between 1 January and the end of the year.
Take each archer's handicap on 1 January and their handicap at the end of the year, and the biggest drop wins. Club copies of the award's rules add conditions: a handicap on 1 January, a minimum number of rounds in the year, and membership before the year began. The records desk lists every archer's start, end and improvement, and flags who meets the conditions.
The rules as clubs publish them
- The period is the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December, and only outdoor rounds count.
- The archer needs a handicap on 1 January, so a new archer who gains their first handicap during the year cannot win it that year.
- A club copy of the rules asks for at least 8 rounds in the year and 6 months' membership before 1 January.
- The medal belongs to the national body and is loaned to the club; the winner is sent in after the year ends.
These conditions come from county and club copies of the rules; the national body's own page could not be opened on 27 September 2026. Check the current rules before sending a winner in. The desk shows the conditions as flags rather than hiding anyone, so you can decide.
Worked example: the demo club in 2026
By 27 September 2026 the biggest improvement in the demo club is Dev Rana, from 52 to 41, 11 points. But the demo club shoots too few rounds for the 8 round condition, so nobody is eligible yet; Dev Rana's row says 6 of 8 rounds shot. A new archer with no handicap on 1 January shows "no handicap" and cannot be ranked.
| Archer | Bowstyle | Start | Now | Improvement | Rounds | Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dev Rana | Recurve | 52 | 41 | 11 | 6 | no: 6 of 8 rounds shot |
| Ann Farrow | Recurve | 38 | 34 | 4 | 4 | no: 4 of 8 rounds shot |
| Cara Mottram | Barebow | 60 | 56 | 4 | 2 | no: 2 of 8 rounds shot |
| Ben Hollis | Compound | 23 | 20 | 3 | 3 | no: 3 of 8 rounds shot |
| Eli Brook | Longbow | 76 | 74 | 2 | 2 | no: 2 of 8 rounds shot |
| Fay Kinnear | Recurve | none | 41 | none | 3 | no: no handicap on 1 January 2026; 3 of 8 rounds shot |
| Gus Penhale | Barebow | none | 66 | none | 5 | no: no handicap on 1 January 2026; 5 of 8 rounds shot; joined less than 6 months before the season |
Common mistakes
- Comparing the handicap at the start of the year with the one after the 1 January reset of the next year. Use the handicap at the end of the year.
- Counting indoor rounds. The medal is outdoor.
- Ranking a new archer on their first handicap. They need a handicap on 1 January to start from.
- Forgetting the archer who changed bowstyle. Their handicaps are separate; the improvement is for one handicap.
Work it out now
Look up one score in the free calculator, or open the records desk to keep members and scores and print the lists. Everything stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account.
Frequently asked questions
Who wins the handicap improvement medal?
The member whose outdoor handicap improved most between 1 January and the end of the year, among those who meet the award's conditions.
Can a new archer win the improvement medal?
Not in the year they gain their first handicap, because they need a handicap on 1 January to improve from.
Do indoor scores count towards the improvement medal?
No. The medal is worked out on the outdoor handicap.
Does the club keep the medal?
Club copies of the rules say the medal is loaned to the club and remains the national body's property.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- Archery awards, Leicestershire and Rutland County Archery Association, updated August 2018, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The improvement medal as a calendar year award for the greatest improvement, loaned to the club and remaining the national body's property.
- Handicap Improvement, Royston Heath Archery Club, undated, read 27 September 2026. Used for: A club's list of winners with their start and end handicaps.
- How to be an Archery Club Records Officer: Part 3, Handicaps, Archery Geekery, published 4 April 2023, read 27 September 2026. Used for: First handicap from three official rounds, improvement averaging, rounding down, season restarts on 1 January and 1 July from the best three, and one handicap per bowstyle indoors and out.
This guide is our own summary, not a rule book. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and if this page disagrees with the current published rules, the rules win. Endbook is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Archery GB, Archery Australia, Archery New Zealand, World Archery or any county or regional archery association.