TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS

1. Warm-up Throws
   1. If warm-up times are provided, every effort must be made to ensure these are made equally available to all competitors.
      1. Times and lanes must be posted and available for all competitors and should not deviate from posted times.
      2. Duration and number of available lanes must be equal for all brackets in a multi-bracket tournament.
      3. Staff must be available at each lane to ensure competitors are rotating in a manner that allows all competitors an equal number of throws.
   2. Any additional throws are prohibited for competitors with upcoming games in any active bracket.
2. Match Play
   1. Tournaments are always played in a best 2 out of 3 format (referred to as a match).
      1. The first competitor to win 2 games in each match is awarded the win.
3. Forfeits
   1. If a competitor does not arrive at the lane within 10 minutes of their match being called, that competitor will forfeit the match.
   2. If the forfeited match would be the 1st match for their opponent, that opponent may:
      • throw 2 ‘ghost’ games (in which the absent competitor will receive all 0s).
      • elect to not throw and receive warm-up throws for their second match as if it were their first.
   3. If a competitor has not arrived at the facility by the time their second match is called, their opponent will have the option to play two ‘ghost’ games with no opponent.
      1. Competitors who have not communicated with the hosting venue or tournament runners will be assumed missing and no grace period will be given for their second match.
      2. Competitors who have communicated that they have arrived or are on the way will receive a second 10-minute grace period before forfeiting the match.

HATCHET DIVISIONS & TOURNAMENTS

Below is a quick breakdown of Hatchet Division characteristics as they pertain to the Tournament Circuit. For more details on Hatchet Divisions, visit the official “Gameplay Rules”  page and navigate to Section C: Hatchet Divisions”.

Pro Division

• Competes under the Pro ruleset
• Earns bids to the World Axe Throwing Championship via Pro 128 Status or Pro leaderboard Circuit Points
• Earns Circuit Points from Tournaments
• Can only compete in Open tournaments

Am Division

• Competes under the Am ruleset
• Earns bids to the World Axe Throwing Championship by placing at the Amateur Championship
• Earns Circuit Points from Leagues and Tournaments
• Can compete in Open or Am tournament formats

Rec Division

• Plays under the Am ruleset
• Does not earn bids
• Earns no Circuit Points
• Can compete in Open or Am tournament formats

Hatchet Discipline Tournaments

• Tournaments created within the App will have the option to select a global ruleset; either Pro, Am, or Rec. To qualify for Circuit Points, sanctioned tournaments must select the global ruleset.
  • Any competitor can compete in an Open Tournament, regardless of their personal division, and will compete under Pro rules.
    • Am competitors may compete in either an Open or Am bracket, but may not register for both at the same tournament.
  • Am and Rec competitors may compete in the Am Division under the Am ruleset, but Rec competitors will not receive Circuit Points.
  • Any competitor may compete in a Rec division tournament, but the tournament will be considered unsanctioned, and no Circuit Points will be awarded.

CIRCUIT POINTS

• Most bids are awarded based on Circuit Points, which are earned from tournaments, leagues, and a combination of both
• Circuit Points are awarded to competitors for their top 3 Circuit Point earning leagues and also their top 3 Circuit Point earning tournaments in the year
  • Pro Hatchet league does not provide Circuit Points, as leagues in this division give direct bids to the World Championship
  • Tournament Circuit Points are awarded based on bracket division in which the competitor competes
    • EX) An Am competitor competing in the Open bracket would earn PRO tournament Circuit Points
    • For Local tournaments that host one division, Circuit Points are awarded based on the competitor’s division at the time of the tournament
• All tournaments (regardless of tier) will provide Circuit Points based on the number of participants in each division (calculator linked below)
  • Each division/discipline, in any tier level, must have a minimum of 8 competitors or 6 teams to be considered for bids or Circuit Points
  • Circuit points are awarded to the top 40% of finishers in each division as well as those above a certain league threshold average
  • Completing at least 2 games in any sanctioned WATL tournament awards 1 Circuit Point

WORLD AXE THROWING CHAMPIONSHIP

Approximately 12 bids in each discipline will be awarded at WATL’s discretion in order to meet the following goals. While regions no longer exist in a typical, bid-awarding capacity, representation from each region is still a priority and regional spread will be evaluated for the distribution of some or all of the WATL reserved bids. WATL aims to maintain global growth and will evaluate underrepresented regions, especially in areas of high potential. Additional bids may be granted to individuals to foster the continued development of the sport as a whole. 

Bids to the World Championship are awarded for each discipline following the process below.

256 Hatchet Bid Winners

WAKTC Hatchet will be played under Pro rules only; there will be no split divisions.

• The Winner of the previous year’s WAKTC Hatchet Tournament will earn the first bid as well as the first seed for the following WAKTC Hatchet Tournament
• Automatic bids will be awarded to anyone who earns Pro 128 status in at least 2 league seasons within the qualifying year
  • Pro 128 is awarded to the top 128 competitors (by total season score) on the Pro leaderboard each season
  • Leagues earning Pro status do not need to be consecutive to earn a bid
  • Ties in score will be broken by seeding calculation at the time of leaderboard assessment and documentation
• Additional Bids for the WAKTC Hatchet Tournament will be awarded to the following competitors:
  • Top Circuit Point earners from WATL-sanctioned tournaments (minimum 32)
  • Top finishers at the Amateur Championship (minimum 12)
  • The remainder of bids will be filled by Open Qualifiers. The exact number will be communicated later in the year
  • Up to 12 WATL reserved bids

128 (minimum) Big Axe Bid Winners

• The Winner of the previous year’s WAKTC Big Axe Tournament will earn the first bid as well as the first seed for the following WAKTC Big Axe Tournament
• 120 bids will awarded to the top Circuit Point earners
  • 60 bids will be awarded to the top overall Circuit Point earners
  • 30 bids will be awarded to the top 30 tournament-only Circuit Point earners who have not already qualified
  • 30 bids will be awarded to the top 30 league-only Circuit Point earners.
    • In the event multiple ties (more than 10) exist which would bring the total number of bids assigned to more than 40, that tie will be broken by the competitors’ cumulative league averages from the current, qualifying year
    • Any tied competitors who do not receive bids based on the tiebreaker will be the first in line for trickle-down bids
• A minimum of 20 bids will be awarded from Open Qualifiers
• Any declines that would bring the total number of competitors below 128 will trickle first to:
  • The tied league Circuit Point competitors as outlined above
  • Top overall Circuit Points from all competitors who have not already received a bid
• Up to 12 WATL reserved bids

128 (minimum) Hatchet Duals Team Bid Winners

• The Winner of the previous year’s WAKTC Hatchet Duals Tournament will earn the first bid as well as the first seed for the following WAKTC Hatchet Duals Tournament
• Bids for Hatchet Duals will automatically be assigned based on the highest Circuit Point-earning team for each competitor
  • EXAMPLE: If you have 90 Circuit Point with Partner A and 85 Circuit Point with Partner B, we will automatically assign the bid to the team with Partner A, and the team with Partner B will be removed from bid contention (unless Partner B has a second team which earns more Circuit Point)
  • If you throw with more than 1 partner, but you wish to have only 1 partner considered for worlds, you will be able to register with a specific team before bids are determined
• 120 bids will be awarded to the top Circuit Point earners
  • 30 bids will be awarded to the top overall Circuit Point earners
  • 40 bids will be awarded to the top 40 tournament-only Circuit Point earners who have not already qualified
  • 50 bids will be awarded to the top 50 league-only Circuit Point earners.
    • In the event multiple ties (more than 10) exist which would bring the total number of bids assigned to more than 60, that tie will be broken by the cumulative league average
    • Any tied teams who do not receive bids based on the tiebreaker will be the first in line for trickles
• A minimum of 20 bids will be awarded from Open Qualifiers
• Any declines that would bring the total number of competitors below 128 will trickle first to:
  • The tied league Circuit Point teams as outlined above
  • Top overall Circuit Points from all competitors who have not already received a bid
• Up to 12 WATL reserved bids

QUALIFYING THROWS

World Axe Throwing Championship Qualifying Throws are available annually for the following disciplines:

Hatchet
Big Axe
Hatchet Duals

RULES

1. Competitors will be allowed only one score submission per discipline. Scores must be submitted via the WATL app by a certified WATL judge.
   • Self-scoring is not permitted, for any reason
2. Throws must be scored using official current-year WATL targets without exception.
3. All throws must be recorded on video and are the responsibility of the competitor. Venues are encouraged to help facilitate this requirement. Videos must also conform to the stated format:
   • Ensure your battery is charged, and if using a phone turn on airplane mode.
   • During each throw, the competitor, fault line, and target must be visible.
   • Competitors must stay behind the fault line and wait for their score to be called before crossing.
   • Certified Judges MUST speak in a loud, clear, and concise voice, indicating the score of that throw.
   • Once recording begins, there cannot be any interruptions. The entire qualifying session must be recorded in full, continuous video, including any short breaks the competitor takes between games. If a video is unintentionally cut off (e.g. due to phone overheating or storage limitations), any subsequent video must clearly show a seamless transition with no noticeable gaps. Any throws not captured on camera will not be counted during final audits.
   • Refer to this video for correct camera placement.
4. Videos will be uploaded via YouTube or Google Drive link and submitted using the form that will be provided within the announced timeframe. Any videos submitted after the deadline will be disqualified from receiving entry to the WAKTC.
5. For competitors that cannot attend a venue for Qualifying Throws, please review the “Accessibility Considerations” section below.

FORMAT

1. Hatchet
   • 50 Throws + 10 Overtime Killshots
2. Big Axe
   • 35 Throws + 7 Overtime Killshots
3. Hatchet Duals
   • 30 Throws (per team) + 5 Overtime Killshots (per team)
4. Killshots
   • Mandatory every 5th throw for all disciplines
5. Killshots must alternate heights for Hatchet and alternate sides for Big Axe and Hatchet Duals every attempt as in league/tournament play

ELIGIBILITY & BIDS AWARDED

Open Qualifiers are available to all WATL competitors who have completed 28 games in at least 1 Standard, Marathon, or Flex League in the Qualifying Year and have not already been awarded a bid to WAKTC for that same Qualifying Year.

HATCHET

The Top 24 eligible scorers will get a bid.

BIG AXE/HATCHET DUALS

The Top 12 eligible scorers will get a bid, for Big Axe & Hatchet Duals respectively.

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS

WATL recognizes that not all competitors have the ability to attend a venue for Qualifying throws. If a competitor meets one or more of the conditions below and wishes to participate in Qualifying Throws, they must contact [email protected] for guidance. 

CONDITIONS

1. A competitor is not within a 1 hour travel* distance between their primary residence and their closest participating WATL affiliated venue
   1. *Travel is defined as driving and ferry, but does not include public transportation or air travel.
2. No WATL affiliated venue within a 1 hour travel distance from the competitor’s primary residence is hosting qualifying throws
3. There are no available WATL certified judges with a valid certification during the period Open Qualifiers are available at their local venue
4. In any of these cases, a competitor must have access to a fully compliant WATL target with sufficient lighting, internet speeds, a camera of acceptable quality in order to participate, and be willing to schedule a video call (still meeting the aforementioned video requirements) with a WATL-approved Certified Judge.

AFFILIATE GUIDELINES

To maintain the integrity of the WATL Championship qualification process, Affiliates must strictly follow these guidelines when offering qualifying throw sessions. These requirements are established to assure fair and legitimate competition as well as consistency across all submissions.

CERTIFIED JUDGE REQUIREMENT

A certified WATL judge with a valid certification at the time of scoring must oversee every qualifying session. The judge is responsible for accurately scoring each throw and ensuring that all WATL rules are followed. The judge must remain present during the entire session, visibly and audibly scoring each throw in real time for transparency.

FACILITY & TARGET STANDARDS

All targets and distance lines used for qualifying throws must be compliant with up-to-date WATL specifications. The facility must be well-lit so all target scoring rings are clearly visible from a reasonable distance.

FEE POLICY

Affiliates are recommended to collect $100 per attempt at qualifying throws for each discipline respectively. Each qualifying throw submission will require a token purchased from the WATL store. Venue attempts will be $25 each, and at-home attempts will be $100 each.

For qualifying throws that are recorded and sent in from home, WATL will collect $50 of each $100 payment to cover the cost of hosting/video review of the Qualifying Throws. WATL will then distribute the remaining $50 back to Affiliates within 77 miles/125 kilometers of that individual’s primary residence, divided equally among all Affiliates within the aforementioned range. This is to offset the benefits Affiliates would get from having that individual pay them instead of WATL directly due to distance from the competitor’s primary residence to their nearest WATL affiliated venue. If a WATL affiliated venue does not host qualifying throws, they will not be considered eligible for this compensation.

The recommended pricing reflects the time, expertise, and resources required to facilitate a qualifying session. When an attempt is made at an affiliate venue, staff provide setup, supervision, coaching, and materials, ensuring that competitors have a fair and consistent environment that meets WATL’s standards. A small portion of the registration costs covers WATL’s administrative costs to manage the overall qualifying throws system. These fees also help reinforce the seriousness of the competition, ensuring that those attempting to qualify are genuinely committed to competing at the highest level.

TOURNAMENT CIRCUIT

Sanctioned WATL Tournaments are placed within a tiered tournament system. Each tier has specific requirements for the prize pool, rule set, and registrations.

All tiered tournaments (except for Local) must run 2 hatchet divisions, split between Open (played under Pro rules)  and Am brackets. Am may register for either the Open OR Am Division, but not register for both at the same tournament. Pro competitors may only register for the Open division.

Each division and discipline hosted in any tier level must have at least 8 competitors or 6 teams to be considered for Circuit Points in that division/discipline.

Seeding

For all disciplines, a season is considered complete if 20 or more games are played.

Hatchet

Seeding is determined using the Seeding Formula below, calculated from a rolling average of all completed seasons in the current qualifying year.

Seeding Formula:
( Hit Percentage* × 500 ) + ( Average × 8 ) + ( Inner Kills Hit × 2 )

*Hit Percentage is defined as the number of 6s, 7s, and 8s hit in the season divided by the total number of throws.

If a competitor has no completed seasons in the current qualifying year, the formula is applied to a rolling average of all four seasons from the previous qualifying year, with adjustments made as needed to reflect current gameplay.

Competitors with no data from either the current or previous qualifying year will be assigned a seeding placement at approximately the 25th percentile.

Hatchet Duals-Specific Seeding Rules

• If a team does not have completed Hatchet Duals seasons in either year, Hatchet averages will be used to determine the seeding average.
• The Hatchet averages of both teammates are combined and averaged, then reduced by 5.
• If only one teammate has Hatchet data, the team will be seeded using that average minus 5.
• Teams with no Hatchet Duals or Hatchet data will be assigned a seeding placement at approximately the 25th percentile.

Tournament Tiers

Sanctioned WATL Tournaments are placed within a tiered tournament system; Nationals, Regionals, and Locals. Nationals and Regionals shall not be scheduled within a six-hour drive of one another, nor within the same region within a two- to three-week period, depending on regional competitor population density. Local tournaments are not subject to scheduling restrictions but may be reviewed for proximity to other events. All scheduling guidelines are subject to adjustment based on region, time of year, and competitor population density.

Circuit Points are awarded in all disciplines based on the number of participants in that discipline, not by tier. All tournaments must meet required participation minimums to be eligible to earn Circuit Points.

All Tournament Tiers require a WATL and/or WKTL certified Head Judge(s). If a dedicated Head Judge cannot be found for the entire event, the Head Judge may manage other disciplines but not their own.

NATIONAL

Four Nationals are held per competitive year, corresponding to the four seasons, and are distributed across four primary regions of the United States. This structure is intended to provide balanced geographic access, ensure equitable travel expectations, and allow each major competitive area the opportunity to host and attend a premier tournament.

• Three (3) WAKTC bids each are available for Open Hatchet, Big Axe, and Hatchet Duals.
• The top 8 finishers in Am Hatchet will receive an automatic entry to later stages of the Amateur Championship (see Amateur Championship section below)
  • Bids do not trickle, any extra bids from multiple placements will be filled via Am Circuit Point standings
  • Am Hatchet competitors who have placed 1st to 3rd at any National in the same competitive year are not permitted to compete in another National or Regional Am Hatchet tournament for the remainder of the competitive year, and must compete instead in the Open Hatchet division.
  • If an Am Hatchet competitor has a 1st place win at a Regional tournament, they may compete in a National Am Hatchet tournament.
• Must host the following disciplines:
  • Hatchet
    • Open Hatchet (Pro rules for all participants)
    • Am Hatchet
      • Ams who place 1st through 3rd at any National Am Hatchet tournament are not eligible to compete in other National Am Hatchet tournaments in the same competitive year, but may compete in the Open Hatchet division at other Nationals.
  • Big Axe
  • Hatchet Duals
• Prize pool payout must be at least 50% of entry fees (excluding taxes, fees, and discounts), with additional added cash provided.
• Required check-in to ensure axes are to specification.
• At least 1 WATL Certified Head Judge is required to actively preside over the tournament.
• Must have 1 Certified Tournament-level Judge per lane in use

REGIONAL

Three Regional tournaments are held each season in the United States, for a maximum of twelve per year. Regional events are scheduled to prevent overlap with Nationals or other Regionals. This approach is designed to offer regular competitive opportunities, support fair access across regions, and allow competitors to participate in each event without scheduling conflicts.

• One (1) WAKTC bid each are available for Open Hatchet, Big Axe, and Hatchet Duals.
• Amateur Hatchet competitors who have placed 1st to 3rd at any National tournament, or 1st at any Regional tournament in the same competitive year will not be permitted to compete in another Regional Amateur Hatchet tournament for the remainder of the year and must instead compete in the Open Hatchet division.
• Must host the following disciplines:
  • Hatchet
    • Open Hatchet (Pro ruleset for all participants)
    • Am Hatchet
  • Big Axe
  • Hatchet Duals
• Prize pool payout must be at least 50% of entry fees (excluding taxes, fees, and discounts), with a minimum of $1,000 in added cash.
• Required check-in to ensure axes are to specification.
• At least 1 WATL Certified Judge at the level of Tournament Judge or higher is required to actively preside over the tournament in a Head Judge capacity.
• Must have 1 Certified Tournament-level Judge per lane in use.

LOCAL

Local tournaments generally feature 48 Hatchet competitors or fewer, or may not include a Hatchet component at all.

• The tournament may feature any combination of the three disciplines.
• Hatchet may be run as a single division, using a competitor-defined mixed ruleset.
• Prize pool payout must be a minimum of 50%/maximum of 75% of entry fees (excluding taxes, fees, and discounts); no additional cash is required.
• A WATL Certified Judge at the level of Tournament Judge or higher may actively preside over the tournament in a Head Judge capacity.
• Must have 1 Certified Tournament-level Judge per 16 competitors.

Charity Tournaments

Charity tournaments provide an opportunity for competitors to support non-profit organizations and movements while participating in sanctioned play. These events are structured to prioritize community impact and ensure clear reporting and compliance with WATL standards.

• Charity tournaments follow the Local Tournament tier guidelines, in order for competitors to earn circuit points.
• Charity tournaments do not distribute prize pool payouts to competitors. Instead, all prize funds (excluding taxes, fees, and discounts) are directed to a certified non-profit organization, and WATL must verify receipt of the payment.

THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Entry to the Amateur Championship will be based on Circuit Points earned, as well as National tournament placements in the qualifying year. The top 112 Circuit Point earners will be invited to join the 40 bid winners from the 4 National Am tournaments and the US Open*. Any declined invites will be trickled to the next Circuit Point earner in line. Ties in Circuit Points will be broken using the Seeding Formula highlighted above under the seeding section.

*In the event of cancellation of the US Open, and WATL does not declare a direct reallocation of its bids to another torunament, 8 bids will trickle to the next highest Circuit Point earner without a bid.

The 40 tournament bid winners and the top 6 Circuit Point earners will gain entry directly into Stage 2.

Stage 1

• 18 groups of 5 for a total of 90 competitors.
• Compete in a round robin style tournament with the top competitor from each group moving to Stage 2.

Stage 2

• 18 competitors from Stage 1 will join 40 Am tournament bid winners and the top 6 Circuit Point earners.
• 64-person double elimination bracket to crown the Amateur champion.
• Competitors placing in the top 8 are awarded free entry to the Pro Hatchet championship tournament at the corresponding WAKTC.

WATL REGIONS

Representation from each region is a priority and regional spread will be evaluated for the distribution of some or all of the WATL reserved bids. WATL aims to maintain global growth and will evaluate underrepresented regions, especially in areas of high potential.

The Greater North West: British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, Alaska

The Greater North East: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut

Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada

Mountain: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho

South: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico

Midwest: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Atlantic: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee

East: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island

International East: Hawaii, Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Asia

International West: Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Europe