Archery Tag Field Gear: Everything Else You Need (2026)

The difference between a chaotic game and a great one is rarely the bows. It’s whether the boundaries are clear, the teams can tell each other apart, the arrows are where players can reach them, and the bunkers are up before the guests arrive.

This is the support kit we’d pack for any archery tag game, from a backyard skirmish to a 30-player camp session. None of it is expensive, and all of it makes the day easier.

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The game-day checklist

Copy this into your notes app and tick it off before every game:

• Masks: one per player, plus spares, with lenses cleaned
• Bows strung and checked, arrows inspected (see our arrow inspection routine)
• Boundaries, centre line and safe zone marked with cones
• Pinnies in two colors
• Bunkers inflated and anchored
• Whistle and a timer for rounds
• First aid kit and water
• Signed waivers for anyone who isn’t your own child

Set a safe zone, and enforce it

The safe zone is the one place masks may come off. It sits well behind the field, ideally behind a solid barrier or at a distance no arrow can reach. Bows are unstrung or laid down there, and nobody draws a bow inside it. This one rule prevents most of the injuries that happen in archery tag, because most of them happen to people who thought the game had stopped.

Why the referee needs a whistle

Every game needs one adult who doesn’t play and can stop everything instantly. One long blast means stop, lower bows and stand still. Practise it before the first round so everyone knows the sound. A referee with a whistle and the authority to use it is the best safety equipment on the field.

Frequently asked questions