By now you should be familiar with the larger changes coming in 2024 with the new ruleset. If you aren’t, start with the Rules Summary video for the basics. There are also a lot of resources that you can review in our rules resource folder.

What we want to highlight today are a number of the “lesser known”, but no less important, updates to the 2024 rules. These are changes that have either been allowed or disallowed or allowed in the past or have been altered in important ways that deserve noting.

This is not a comprehensive change list, and as always, your ultimate source of information should default to the official rules page.

Specifications

Axe Regulations

• There are no longer any minimum specifications for a hatchet (handle length or weight).

Judging

• Judges must not only disclose any conflict of interest but also directly ask if the throwers would like a new judge.
• Head Judges have the discretion to interpret the rules in the context of a situation and make a final determination when required.
• It is no longer completely disallowed for judges to drink while judging, but if they become intoxicated they must be removed from their duties.

Target Specifications

• There is now a placement allowance for drawn components of a target to be up to ½” off of the required placements, but no more than ¾” off between two corresponding targets (e.g. the left and right outer bullseye cannot have a height variance between the two of greater than ¾”).
  • Variances must be consistent across targets within the same event.
• 6 more targets added to the board
  • 2 lower Killshots
  • 4 outer bulls (upper and lower) surrounded by 5 rings (2” in diameter), with the bullseye being ¾”
• Upper and lower Killshots remain 1 ½” in diameter, but now include a ¾” center Killshot addition.

Gameplay

Targets

• Only lane judges or head judges have the authority to call board changes.
  • Throwers may initiate a change request, and appeal to the head judge if a lane judge disagrees. In this case, the head judge has the final call on changing a board or not.
• A board can be changed at any time through the course of a game/match if they become unscorable.
  • If a board is changed during a game, each player may take one practice throw at the new board before continuing.
• Players may now tap in splinters or parts of the board without requiring permission, but cannot intentionally alter the board to gain a scoring advantage.

Warm-up Throws

• WATL’s recommendation is to move to a 10-throw warm-up model for tournaments, instead of a period of warm-up throwing before the start. This model is:
  • Each thrower gets 10 warm-up throws before their first game, and one warm-up throw for every game thereafter.
• Discretion remains with league and tournament runners to determine warm-up throw procedures.

Safety and Faults

• Any overhead throws MUST be done with the blade facing away from the thrower (no overhead 1.5 rotation throws).

Playing a Game

• Throwers that have declared as Advanced in the App must throw their second 5 throws from 15’.
• The 10-second rule remains, but to count a throw exceeding 10 seconds, the judge must be using a timing device, and the throwers must be notified.
• ONLY a thrower or if they are a minor, their representative, can ask for a second opinion.
  • Lane Judges CAN NOT ask for a second, they must make a first call for it to be challenged.

League Specific

• In overtime, when players hit the Killshot and tie (either both with 6 or both with 8) on their throw, they rotate their Killshot throws clockwise from where they started until either both miss (then measure) or one thrower scores a higher value kill than the other.

Tournament Specific

• Until a thrower “sticks” a throw on any part of the target (i.e. the axe does not land on the floor before scored), all Killshot remain open to be thrown at.
  • Once an axe is stuck, even if missed, the nearest Killshot is assumed to be the one attempted, and clockwise rotation starts from that point
• In overtime, if both throwers MISS or score the same Killshot value on throws 1, 2, and 3, the match continues.
  • From throw 4 onward, if both throwers miss, the throws are measured to determine the winner.
  • If both throwers hit the same value Killshot, overtime continues, and throws must continue to rotate clockwise.

Scoring

• All scoring is now TOUCH scoring
  • Throws are not required to have the scoring area on BOTH sides of the axe, only that the axe is touching the scoring area.
• Killshots have an inner scoring area of 8 points (¾”) and the “old” Killshot space surrounding that is now worth 6 points.
• When a Killshot is hit (6 or 8 point area), it closes not just that specific Killshot, but both Killshots at that height.
  • The second Killshot attempt after the first is hit now alternated to the other HEIGHT, but NOT the other SIDE necessarily.
    • e.g. if you hit the top left or right Killshot (6 or 8) on the first attempt, you can only attempt the bottom left or bottom right Killshots for your second one.
  • Drop Killshots still exist, and must follow the alternation rules EXCEPT when the first two Killshots have already been hit, in that case, all Killshots are available to be attempted.

League Specific

• When a bullseye (any of the 5 on the board) is HIT it “closes that scoring area”, meaning any further bullseye hits to that same spot, before they are reset result in scoring 5 points.
  • Closed bullseyes are reset when the players switch sides, or the game ends.

Tournament Specific

• When a bullseye OR the surrounding area that is worth 5 points is hit, that entire area is closed, meaning any further hits (bullseye in the area, or defined 5-point area surrounding it) will result in a score of 0 until those bullseyes are reset (when players change sides, or the game ends).
  • When an axe touches a closed value and overlaps another scoring area (i.e. touches a closed outer 5 ring and also the 3 ring area) it will still be scored as a 0.

Big Axe

• The game now consists of 7 throws, with 2 Killshotsthat can be attempted anytime
  • There is no third “drop Killshot” like in Hatchet.
• The 17’ line has been removed, there is no longer any requirement to start with a foot behind it. The only fault line in Big Axe is now the 15’ faultline.
• None of the Hatchet-specific scoring areas (outer 5/bullseyes, inner Killshots) apply to Big Axe
• Non-Killshot scoring areas do not “close” like in Hatchet.
• Lower Killshots are now open to be attempted in addition to upper Killshots.
  • Hit Killshots are all that close, not HEIGHTS like in Hatchet.
    • e.g. if you hit the top left Killshot on attempt 1, you can attempt top right, bottom left or bottom right for attempt 2
  • The exception to this is overtime, which follows league overtime rules for clockwise rotation of attempts (both for league and tournaments).

Duals

• None of the Hatchet-specific scoring areas (outer 5/bullseyes, inner Killshots) apply to Duals
• Lower Killshots are now open to be attempted in addition to upper Killshots.
  • Hit Killshots are all that close, not HEIGHTS like in Hatchet.
    • e.g. if you hit the top left Killshot on attempt 1, you can attempt top right, bottom left or bottom right for attempt 2
  • The exception to this is overtime, which follows league overtime rules for clockwise rotation of attempts (both for league and tournaments).
• Killshots are now closed AFTER they are scored – meaning that throwers can, if they wish, attempt the SAME Killshot at the SAME TIME so long as they both call Killshot

Get Exclusive Offers & Stay Up-To-Date

Sign-up today and never miss an update in the exciting world of axe throwing.

SUBMIT

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.