League rules

---

• Axes 
  • Axes may be inspected by an official at any time.
  • Axes that do not adhere to specifications, including broken axes, may not be used.
  • Participants are instructed to grip the axe by the handle and only the handle. 
  • If an axe breaks or if a Thrower would like to switch axes, they must notify the presiding official and are allowed up to 1 minute to switch axes. 
• Injuries 
  • If an injury occurs, resulting in a pause in play, a thrower must be assessed by a judge or onsite medical aid. 
  • If the thrower is assessed and able to continue, then the paused match may continue. 
  • If injured during league, a thrower is deemed to be unable to finish the remaining matches, a thrower may make up their matches the following league night with no penalty. 
  • When a match has not been completed and an injury occurs, the make up match will restart from throw one. 
• Throwing
  • Axes shall never be thrown when a participant is picking up an axe from the target area or when a judge is in the lane. This will result in an immediate disqualification (counted as a loss) for that match.
  • All spectators must be to the side or at least 5ft behind throwers

The number of warm-up throws allowed applies to all WATL sanctioned leagues and tournaments. 

• Players may have up to 5 practice throws before their first match
• Players may have 1 practice throw before any subsequent matches
• Players may have 1 practice throw between match games in the case of a best 2/3 match set
• Throwers are not allowed additional practice in empty lanes between matches
• During Leagues, practice or warm-up areas may be offered at the discretion of the venue so long as best efforts are made to make it available equally to all throwers. 
• Presiding official may, at their sole discretion, determine a different amount of warm-up throws during any league 
• The presiding official will notify players when their match will commence.

• Each match is played against different opponents, opponents must be selected at random and consists of the following: 
  • 10 throws per match. 
  • In each match, players will take 5 throws and then switch sides. 
    • This ensures fair play when there are varying densities in wood.
  • If there is a tie after 10 throws, there will be sudden death: See Scoring Section.
• Each league week allows every participant 4 matches. 
• Starting targets will be determined by the random selection initially made.
• Players are allowed to throw axes in one of two ways: 
  • 1 hand holding the axe, in an overhand or underhand position, with the blade facing the target before release. 
  • 2 hands holding the axe with the blade facing the target before release. 
  • No other style of throw is permitted. 
• Rotation: the axe must make approximately 1 rotation for the throw to count. 
  • If the axe is close to making a full rotation (ie. 50% rotation) and a portion of the blade touches and sticks to the target, the throw counts. 
• One foot must be on the floor while the axe is thrown. 
• A fault occurs when any of the following conditions are met, before both players scores are verbally expressed by the judge: 
  • A throwers foot crosses the 12ft fault line 
  • Any other part of the thrower’s body touches any part of the lane, equipment, or building, past the 12ft fault line and towards the target. 
• No throw will be taken without a verbal or gesture signal of an Open Lane from the presiding judge and confirmed by all throwers. 
  • If no signal is given or confirmation received, and a throw is made by a thrower, then that throw will count as a fault. 
• Throws must be taken within 10 seconds of each other. 
  • If a thrower throws after 10 seconds of the other throwers axe coming to rest, this will result in a fault. 
• In the case of a fault occurring, the throw will be marked as a fault in the scoring, resulting in a score of 0 for that throw. 
• If a player calls for a second opinion, both players must return behind the 12ft line until the second judge calls the score. 
  • If a player touches their axe before a second opinion call is made, the original score given by the first judge stands. 
• Throwers are limited to 8 single thrower matches each league season.  
  • If a Thrower records more than 8 single Thrower matches in a single season, without the prior approval, all single matches after the 8th will be scored an automatic 0. 
• Manual Matchmaking: 
  • Any individual found manually creating matches that Judges/Officials deems excessive (i.e. playing against the same person more than could be accounted for by the random matchmaking) may be subject to disqualification of their scores in league, and nullification of any circuit points gained from that league. 
• All scores must be accounted for by the end of the league night by officials. 
• After 7 weeks, the 8th and final week of each season will be the playoffs to determine the season’s Local Champion.
• Players may only compete at the venue and league they are registered for. There will be no scores recorded outside of that league or venue for their single registered league.
• No item or equipment used to impede or block external sounds may be utilized while throwing. 
• Pauses in play: 
  • A presiding official may call a pause in play for any reason deemed necessary (rules review, confirmation, second opinion, etc…) 
  • Should a pause in play occur, all match play must cease immediately and will resume at the discretion of the presiding official, where the pause began.
    • For Example: If one player has thrown but the opposite player has not and there is a pause in play called, the match will resume with the opposite player throwing as normal. 
  • Players may challenge a call or ruling which will create a pause in play 
    • During this call, gameplay will be paused at that moment in time 
• Throwing in a wheelchair: 
  • For individuals who use wheelchairs, all standard league rules apply except the foot fault line. 
  • Individuals in wheelchairs must have one wheel behind the fault line when throwing in competition play. 
  • Any wheel on the wheelchair is acceptable as long as one of them is behind the fault line. 

• Scoring Area of Axe
  • The axe head, blade and cheek up to the front of the eye but not past it. 
  • An axe’s score is determined as the axe rests in the target and should not be removed to determine the score. 
  • If there is no visible eye of the axe in the top of the axe head then it counts as where the handle would meet if going straight through. To be determined by the official presiding over the match. 
• A break (breaking) is defined as when the scoring area of an axe is embedded in the wood and the marked surface of the target area is visible on both sides. 
  • For example: Touching the black line of the 5 ring is scored as a 4.  Breaking the 5 ring (unmarked wood of the outer bullseye on both sides) counts as a five.
  • If the axe breaks multiple sections of the target simultaneously, then the player is awarded the points for the higher valued section. 
• Killshots must have a red outline  which will count as a scoring area, but any blue that bleeds outside of the red outline will not. 
  • The outline surrounding Killshots and Bullseyes is a valid scoring area. 
• The inner bullseye must have a black outline which will count as a scoring area, but any red that bleeds outside of the black outline will not.
  • To gain points for the inner bullseye, the axe must break red or black if inside of the black line.
  • 1 point for the outermost ring
  • 2 points for the 2nd outermost ring
  • 3 points for the 3rd outermost ring
  • 4 points for the 4th outermost ring
  • 5 points for the 5th outermost ring
  • 6 points for the bullseye
  • 8 points for the Killshots when activated and hit.
• If the axe falls before the presiding official scores the axe, the axe is counted as a drop.
• Killshot Throw 
  • The Killshots are active for any throw during the 10 throw, Standard Hatchet, match. 
  • Before throwing for the Killshot, the player must make clear to the Judge and their opponent that they intend on throwing for the Killshot. 
    • The call must be made to the Judge before either opponent throws. 
    • This is referred to as “calling the Killshot” and activates it for the full 8 points. 
    • The player cannot change their call once a Judge confirms the intent to throw a Killshot. 
  • During a match, both throwers may independently call up to 2 Killshots at any time. 
  • Once a thrower hits a Killshot during the match, that Killshot cannot be attempted again       until the opposite killshot is hit. A hit Killshot(s) does not reset       until; 
    • The opposite Killshot is hit 
    • Or the game enters into sudden death (OT) 
    • Or the game is completed 
• A judge should remind throwers on which Killshot they threw on if the Killshot is hit during previous attempt(s), so the throwers know which Killshot is open 
• It is also recommended that players confirm with the Judge, which Killshot is open      for subsequent throws when a previous Killshot is hit 
  • If a Killshot is attempted but missed, the thrower may throw for that Killshot again.
• In the event of a drop during any throw (except the tenth), the thrower who dropped may opt to attempt one additional Killshot 
  • A drop must be correctly recorded in the app allow a 3rd Killshot attempt. 
    • Example: If a player has taken their 2 Killshot attempts and a drop occurs on the 7th        throw, they are eligible for a third Killshot attempt on the 8th throw.
• If a stalemate is caused by both throwers refusing to call a Killshot, or initiate a throw, the Judge will make a verbal announcement that each thrower has 10 seconds to declare their intent to go for Killshot after which time the ability to call kill will no longer be available.
• If the player does not indicate that they are making a Killshot attempt, the Judge will assume it will be a standard throw (a non-Killshot      attempt) 
• If the Killshot is called, but the player’s axe does not hit the Killshot, then no points are awarded.
• Sudden Death
  • In the event of a tie after 10 throws in a single match game, the game enters sudden       death.
• Points are not counted or tallied during sudden death.
• ONLY Killshots are active during sudden death throws. 
• Players will remain at their respective targets for sudden death throws (no switching of targets required).
• If all players hit the Killshot, an additional sudden death throw is required and players must throw again for the alternate Killshot.
• Throwers will remain in their respective targets for sudden death throws.
  1. If both players       miss the Killshot during Sudden Death, a measuring tape or accurate       measuring device, will be used to measure the distance from the closest       valid scoring area of the axe head to the closest edge of the Killshot.
     1. If        measurements are inconclusive, resulting in a tie, players must throw        again for the alternate Killshot.
  2. The player with       the shortest distance will be awarded the match.
     1. If Player 1        has an axe that has dropped and Player 2 misses the Killshot, but is on        the board, Player 2 will be awarded the match.

     If a player touches their axe before a measurement is made, the match is awarded to the opposing player.