The longer the distance, the more variable the score becomes

2 studies · 61 archers measured

Each circle is a study: its position gives the year, its row whether it is for, against or context, its size how many participants it measured. Light circles are studies on other populations or without archers.

The clearest measurement is sixty years old and comes from beginners. In 58 university students, 24 arrows per distance, the standard deviation of the score is between 12 and 15 points at 10 yards, on means between 177 and 190, and between 20.6 and 23.2 points at 40 yards, on means between 50 and 62: relative to the mean the spread grows a great deal, while in absolute points it rises but not steadily, since at 20, 25 and 30 yards it reaches between 27 and 30 points, more than at 40. The reading holds in relative terms and stays uncertain in absolute ones, because the study was designed for another question and did not test the variances. The only other data, three elite Brazilian archers followed for a season, do not help: the score band of their worst series is widest at 50 m in two cases and at 30 m in the third, and at 70 and 90 m it narrows again. For experienced archers at competition distances the question is still open.

Also phrased as: "scores are more erratic at long distances"; "the further away, the more the score varies"; "at ninety metres everyone has a bad end"; "score variability and distance"

In practice

It is said that at long distances a bad end happens to everyone, and that a score at 70 or 90 m tells you less about technique than one at 18 m.

Evidence

1966
For Archers Published later

58 beginner university students in three classes, 24 arrows per test (maximum 216): standard deviations of 14.34, 15.45 and 12.15 points at 10 yards on means between 177 and 190, and of 23.17, 20.60 and 20.89 at 40 yards on means between 50 and 62. At 20 yards one group reaches 30.48 on a mean of 121.5, and at 25 and 30 yards values reach 29.92 and 27.40. The spread grows a great deal relative to the mean, and only a little and unevenly in absolute points.

Transfer Effects and Ultimate Success in Archery due to Degree of Difficulty of the Initial Learning · Robert N. Singer
2008
Context Archers Published later

3 elite Brazilian archers over a season, series split into thirds: the band of the worst series runs for archer AA from 73-90% of the maximum at 30 m to 43-80% at 50 m, but at 70 m it is 73-80% and at 90 m 60-70%; for AC 77-87% at 30, 53-77% at 50, 63-75% at 70 and 55-68% at 90; for AB it is widest at 30 m (67-93%). The score falls with distance, while the width of the band does not grow steadily.

Affective and Physiological States during Archery Competitions: Adopting and Enhancing the Probabilistic Methodology of Individual Affect-Related Performance Zones (IAPZs) · Edson Soares Medeiros Filho, Luiz Carlos Moraes, Gershon Tenenbaum

Status history

1966 Reported The first study on the question, designed for another one: 58 beginner university students, split into three classes, shoot 24 arrows at several distances. The standard deviation is between 12 and 15 points at 10 yards, on means between 177 and 190, and between 20.6 and 23.2 points at 40 yards, on means between 50 and 62: relative to the mean the spread grows a great deal, while in absolute points it rises but not steadily, because at 20, 25 and 30 yards it reaches values between 27 and 30 points. A single study, on beginners, with no statistical comparison of the variances, so reported.
2008 Reported The first data on elite archers arrive: three Brazilians followed for a season, with their series split into thirds from worst to best. The score band of the worst series does not widen steadily with distance: for two archers it is widest at 50 m, for the third at 30 m, and at 70 and 90 m it narrows again. It is not a measure of variability and does not confirm the claim, so the only evidence in favour is still the 1966 study of beginners and the status does not change.

Why do your groups open up with distance?Double the distance and the group doubles, or a little more: what geometry and competition scores say, and how to use two distances to find what opens your group.

Research lines

Studies describe groups of archers, and your own numbers show how far the finding applies to your shooting.

See the full assessment

Cite

APA

Campagna, M. (2026). The longer the distance, the more variable the score becomes (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/competition/score-more-variable-with-distance

BibTeX

@misc{campagna2026_dispersionepunteggiocrescecondistanza,
  author = {Campagna, Matteo},
  title = {The longer the distance, the more variable the score becomes},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
  url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/competition/score-more-variable-with-distance},
  note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}

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