• Players may have up to 3 practice throws before their first game. This applies to all disciplines.
• Reminder: A presiding official may, at their sole discretion, determine a different amount of warm-up throws during any sanctioned WATL® event

• Throws must be taken within 10 seconds of each other.
  • at their discretion and with verbal notification, judges may initiate a 10-second timer on a player’s throw.
    • Judges must utilize a stopwatch, timer, or other accurate timing device either physical or electronic. ie, a stopwatch, phone timer app, egg timer etc.
    • The judge must notify the throwers that they will be using the timer.
    • The count starts when the first thrower’s axe leaves their hand, and ends when the second thrower’s axe leaves their hand.
  • a player may request a judge to initiate a timer on their opponent, once per game or once per match set of 3 games depending on the format of the gameplay.
  • a 10-second countdown that is exceeded may, at the judge’s discretion, be rendered null and void if there are unavoidable distractions that cause the thrower to exceed 10 seconds.  ie, a purposeful distraction, equipment malfunction, act of nature, etc.
  • if, with appropriate timing in place, the thrower exceeds the 10 seconds allotted, that throw will be deemed, and recorded as, a fault and receive zero points.

• If either player calls for a second opinion, either on their axe or their opponents, both players must return behind the fault line until the second judge calls the score.
  • If the thrower of the axe for which a second opinion has been called affects the placement of that axe prior to it being scored, the lower score will be recorded for that throw.

1. Wording updated 12/19/22 to clarify:  If a thrower hits a Killshot during the game, that Killshot cannot be attempted again until the opposite Killshot is hit. The opposite being defined as the left Killshot (if the right Killshot was hit) or the right Killshot (if the left Killshot was hit). This alternating approach persists through any lane changes by players in the current game.
   1. If a 2nd Killshot is hit, the thrower must alternate (to the opposite/left/right as defined above) for the 3rd Killshot attempt (if applicable, see xii below)
   2. a Killshot does not reset until:
      1. the opposite (as defined above) Killshot is hit
      2. or the game enters into sudden death (OT)
      3. or the game is completed

• c. the first attempt in OT can be taken on either Killshot
  • Every subsequent Killshot throw in OT must be alternated, regardless of a hit, miss, or fault.
• Rule removed: If a player touches their axe before a measurement is made, the game is awarded to the opposing player. This rule no longer exists.

• If a thrower indicates to the Judge that they will throw a Standard Throw (non-Killshot attempt), they may change that call to a Killshot attempt, provided the change is communicated to the Judge before either opponent throws.

• A match is defined as “begun” when the names are announced and the lane judge is ready to begin play.

• The Judge making the second call may use all tools at their disposal in order to render a decision, EXCEPT to move or alter the axe where it lies on the board.

• The Head Judge has the sole discretion to pull a lane judge from scoring at any time.
  • Throwers are expected to report any unsportsmanlike conduct on the behalf of lane judges immediately to the Head Judge.

• Circuit Points will automatically be assigned to the single league per season that gives a Thrower the most Circuit Points.
  • Seasonal Circuit Points are cumulative throughout the entire year. Each season Throwers earn points according to their total score in the qualifying league.
  • At the end of the Fall 2023 season, circuit points will be adjusted so that throwers receive circuit points for their TOP 3 seasons through the year in each discipline. Example: A Thrower participates in hatchet for Winter and scores 1427. Spring they score 1532. Summer they score 1397. Fall they score 1402. They will receive circuit points for their Winter, Spring and Fall seasons, Summer will be dropped.
• Tournament Circuit Points will automatically be assigned based on a thrower’s highest points amount earned in each tournament tier. There is no limit to the number of tournaments a thrower can attend in each tier throughout the year.
  • Example: Player A attends two Tier 2 Tournaments in the year. They place 3rd (63 CP) in the first Tier 2 Tournament. In their next Tier 2 tournament, they place second (76 CP).
  • Player A will receive the 76 CP for their highest finish (2nd Place) in the Tier 2 Tournament.
  • The same thrower attends three Tier 3 tournaments and finishes 5th in a Tier 3c (0pts), 5th in a Tier 3a (26 CP), and 2nd in a Tier 3(b) (41 CP). In addition to their Tier 2 circuit points, that thrower will receive 41 CP for their best points finish in this tier (2nd in a Tier 3b).

• c. 2022 WATC Qualifiers will run after all other bids have been accepted, for a period of no less than 1 month. This date will be updated by mid-year 2023.
• Duals Qualifiers will consist of 3 full games per team. (i.e. 5 throws per thrower per game)
  • Mandatory Killshots on every 5th throw for both throwers
  • ii. 5 overtime Killshot throws for each thrower to be used as tie-breakers (10 total throws per team)
• Video submissions to the WATL inbox will no longer be accepted; throwers will upload videos to a form provided by WATL when Open Qualifiers begin.
• WATL will reserve a number of hatchet bids that will remain available to be earned through methods yet to be determined. These may include a form of Regionals, a qualifying tournament prior to Worlds, or other method yet to be determined. the method in which these bids will be earned will be published by mid-year 2023.

• If both players miss their Killshot attempt, 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.
  • If measurements are inconclusive, resulting in a tie, players must throw again for the alternate Killshot
  • If a player (or players) touches their axe before a call is made the first player to touch their axe forfeits the match.
  • If the Judge is unable to determine who touched their axe first, the Judge will determine a winner based on their sole discretion
• In the case that both throwers hit their overtime Killshot attempts 5 consecutive times, the throwers will be required to switch to a micro-dot as their target on the board. The size and placement of this dot will be determined and communicated with a minimum 3 months notice prior to the first WATL TV tournament of the 2023 season. Each opponent will throw at their own micro-dot. If one thrower hits, and the other misses, the thrower that hits will be declared the winner. If both throwers miss the micro-dot, a measurement will take place, and the closest to the dot will be declared the winner. If both throwers hit the micro-dot, they will repeat until one thrower misses, or both miss and a measurement determines a winner.

Bids to the World Axe Throwing Championship® can be gained through the following, and in this order:

1. Winning WATC
   1. Winners of each discipline gain an automatic bid into the next years WATC and are ranked as the first seed.
2. Pro League
   1. Standard Hatchet only
   2. 24 WATC bids are reserved, each season, for the top finishing Pro League players each season.
   3. For more information on Pro League, please see Section T.
3. Non-Region Locked Bids
   1. The top Circuit Point earning players that did not receive a Pro Bid
4. Region Locked Bids
   1. For all disciplines, the top Circuit Point earners in each region, that did not receive a bid through any method listed above.
   2. For more information about your Region, please the Region breakdown below.
   3. For the full breakdown of Bids in your region, please see the 2022 Bid Distribution breakdown. (link to bid distribution spreadsheet)
5. Qualifiers
   1. Qualifying throws will be held for each discipline after all of the above listed bids have been issued and accepted. Qualifying dates will be communicated to venues and throwers in 2023. 
6. Reserved Bids
   1. 12 bids for Hatchet only will be reserved for distribution in a method that will be communicated by mid-year 2023.

Bid Trickle Down Order:

Bids are assigned in the following order, with declines in each category handled as noted.

• WATC Champion Bids – in the case that a champions bid is abandoned, it will be reassigned as a Qualifier bid.
• Pro Bids – Any unfilled Pro Bids (decline or otherwise) are reassigned as Qualifier Bids
• Non-Regional Circuit Point Bids – any declines trickle down to the next qualifying thrower in the non-regional circuit point bid category
• Regional Circuit Point Bids – any declines trickle down to the next qualifying thrower in that specific region
• Qualifiers – any declines for qualifiers trickle to the next qualifying thrower

• 1st and 2nd Killshots for the team must be alternated if hit. A single thrower may still throw both Killshots, but they must alternate either throwing cross lane, or switching sides with their partner. Once a thrower hits a Killshot during the game, that Killshot is “closed” and does not reset until;
  • the game enters into sudden death (OT)
  • or the game is completed
• Once a Killshot is hit, it is considered closed. If both teammates throw for the same Killshot and both hit it, one axe will be scored as an 8 and the other axe will be scored as a 0.

1. No part of any sanctioned WATL tournaments will be thrown outdoors, including finals matches.
2. All sanctioned tournaments of any discipline will consist of a best 2/3 games, double elimination.
3. If tournaments do not meet the outlined criteria for the Tier they are representing two weeks before the published start date, that tournament will be recategorized into a lower Tier or unsanctioned by WATL.
4. Tournament tiers have changed in 2023 from Tier 3/4/5 to Tier 1/2/3 respectively, and WATL has dropped the 2022 Tier 1 and Tier 2 models.

World Axe Throwing Championship

• Televised on ESPN
• Hosted in April of the following year
  •  example: 2023 WATC will be hosted in Spring of 2024
• Organized and operated by WATL
• At least 1 Certified Judge per every lane being scored on
• Not considered a Tiered Tournament and will not award Circuit Points

US Open (to be rebranded)

• Televised on ESPN
• Hosted in late fall (estimated November)
• Organized and operated by WATL
• At least 1 Certified Judge per every lane being scored on.
• No Circuit Points or bids will be awarded for this event
• Participants chosen by a combination of invite, and lottery. Lottery registrations will incur a fee to discourage abandonment of bids after awarded.

Tier 1

• Minimum of 72 unique competitors across all disciplines
• All 3 disciplines must be represented
  • Hatchet – 48 competitors
  • Big Axe – 24 competitors
  • Duals – 16 teams (32 competitors)
• At least 3 Certified Judges must be present in each participating facility
• Prize pool payout – minimum 40% of entry fees + an additional $3,000
• see the Prize Pool section below for more information about distribution

Tier 2

• Minimum of 48 unique competitors across all disciplines
• All 3 disciplines must be represented
  • Hatchet – 24 competitors
  • Big Axe – 12 competitors
  • Duals – 8 teams (16 competitors)
• At least 3 Certified Judges must be present in each participating facility
• Prize pool payout – minimum 40% of entry fees + $1,500
• see the Prize Pool section below for more information about distribution

Tier 3

• Minimum of 16 unique competitors across all disciplines (not required to host all 3 disciplines)
• Circuit Point pool increases with levels of participation
  • 3a – 64+ throwers
  • 3b – 32+ throwers
  • 3c – 16+ throwers
  • the designation of a/b/c is calculated AFTER the completion of the tournament, based on the number of participants
  • See Circuit Point Distribution below for Tier 3 a/b/c points
• WATL must be given a minimum of two weeks notice for the event to be sanctioned
• At least 1 Certified Judge per 16 throwers must be present in each participating facility
• Venues cannot host more than four sanctioned Tier 3 Tournaments per year (regardless of the a/b/c designation)
• Prize pool payout – minimum 40% of entry fees
• see the Prize Pool section below for more information about distribution

All sanctioned tournaments will adhere to the same prize pool requirements to ensure all tournament payouts are consistent throughout the circuit.

• All sanctioned tournaments will payout a minimum of 40% of entry fees
  • Tier 1 must add an additional $3,000 over and above the entry fee prize pool
  • Tier 2 must add an additional $1,500 over and above the entry fee prize pool
• The prize pool is calculated by publicly posted entry fee multiplied by number of participants
• 40% minimum entry fee applies to all disciplines equally
  • i.e. Duals prize pool will equal at least 40% of Duals entry fees, Hatchet prize pool will equal at least 40% of Hatchet entry fees, etc
• All Tier 1 and Tier 2 tournaments will submit prize pool payouts to WATL after the tournament is completed to ensure consistency is being maintained
• All sanctioned tournaments will follow a set payout breakdown for each discipline depending on the number of throwers participating (see the table below for the outline of payout requirements)
• All payouts will follow the payout structure linked below at a minimum.

All sanctioned tournaments running will follow the same format for final matches.

• 1 bracket
  • Played through to the end
• 2 brackets
  • Double elimination finals bracket
  • A and B Finalists taken from each bracket
    • Seeded:
      • 1. bracket 1 A winner
      • 2. bracket 2 A winner
      • 3. bracket 2 B winner
      • 4. bracket 1 B winner
  • B bracket winners are manually pushed to B bracket in new finals bracket before matches are played
• 4 brackets
  • Double elimination finals bracket
  • A and B Finalists taken from each bracket
    • Seeded:
      • 1. bracket 1 A winner
      • 2. bracket 3 A winner
      • 3. bracket 4 A winner
      • 4. bracket 2 A winner
      • 5. bracket 2 B winner
      • 6. bracket 4 B winner
      • 7. bracket 3 B winner
      • 8. bracket 1 B winner
  • B bracket winners are manually pushed to B bracket in new finals bracket before matches are played