International Knife Throwers Hall Of Fame
Association's Ranking System

IKTHOFA Membership Form
Official Throwers Ranking Trial Form

Tournament Score Sheet - Knives
Tournament Score Sheet - Hawks

Note: In order to be ranked, individuals must be a member of the IKTHOF Association.  Membership forms must be completed and sent in to the Headquarters in Austin, TX before a ranking may be processed. 

 

The International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame Association ranking system establishes an international standard by which knife throwers may measure their accuracy and versatility, and compare their skill to that of throwers anywhere in the world. 

A knife thrower wishing to be officially ranked by the IKTHOFA must first be a member of the Association.  Membership forms may be obtained at the IKTHOF website or from IKTHOF headquarters.  (Click this link for a Membership Form)

A thrower may test a maximum of three times in a 48-hour period.  A member of the IKTHOFA Executive Board must conduct each test in person, sign the score sheet containing scores for all three tests (or as many as the thrower completes), have the scorekeeper sign as witness and send it to IKTHOFA headquarters. 

The top score of the three tests will be considered that thrower’s official score in the ranking system and posted on the IKTHOF website.  Throwers may retest after six months.

A Certification of Ranking will be sent to the thrower along with the association patches and level attained at the testing.  Board members of the IKTHOF may test throwers at any location of a board members choosing. You may also test at the annual Central US Knife Throwing Championships held in Austin, Texas.

THE TEST: Adults (16 years and older)
Throwers throw four rounds of five knives from each of five distances, for a total of 100 knives. 

Each round consists of five Half Spins (knife must be held by the blade) from a minimum of 8 feet; five single spins (knife must be held by the handle) from a minimum distance of 11 feet; five one-and-a-half spins (knife must be held by the blade) from a minimum distance of 14 feet; five double spins (knife must be held by the handle) from a minimum distance of 17 feet; and five two-and-a-half spins (knife must be held by the blade) from a minimum distance of 20 feet.

THE TEST:  Youth (11 to 15 yrs old) Same rules as Adults Division but Minimum Distances are 2 feet closer:

TOMAHAWKS
Throw five hawks, 1 Spin, from 14 foot minimum distance, 4 times.

Throw five hawks, 1½ Spins, 4 times. (No minimum distance)

Throw five hawks, 2 Spins, 4 times. (No minimum distance)

TARGETS (See Photos Below)
Five targets will be mounted perpendicular to the thrower (e.g., against a wall or backstop) like the dots on the “five” side of dice: one above another on the left, one above another on the right, and one centered in the middle of the other four.  The center of the highest targets on left and right sides will be set at 60 inches, and the lowest at 40 inches. 

Each target will be a log round at least 16 inches in diameter.  A 16-inch outer circle will be delineated on the round, within which an 8-inch diameter circle will be marked, containing a bulls-eye 4 inches in diameter.

THROWING SEQUENCE
Throwers throw five knives at the five targets in a “W” pattern: top left--bottom left--center--bottom right--top right.  The first knife thrown only counts if it sticks in the upper left target; the second knife only counts if it sticks in the lower left target, etc.  Knives that stick in targets out of this order do not count.  Knives cannot be pulled until all five knives are thrown and scored at each distance.

KNIVES
Knives must be no shorter than 12 inches, no longer than 16 inches, and must have a point on only one end.  One set of knives, of uniform shape, material and weight, must be used for each test.  Knives may not be exchanged during a test unless the replacement is of the same type.  Throwers may use a different set of knives for each separate test.

SCORING
Throwers may lean in, but the thrower’s feet after follow-through must remain behind the minimum mark for each distance; if any part of a thrower’s foot crosses the line the knife will not count, and may not be re-thrown.  Knives will be scored as they stick (they will not be moved or “straightened” for scoring).  Only knives sticking point first in the face of a target at the time of scoring are counted; knives that fall out before scoring do not count. 

Knives sticking in the bulls-eye or cutting its edge score 3 points; knives sticking in or cutting the edge of the 8 inch circle score 2 points; knives sticking in or cutting the edge of the 16 inch circle score 1 point as long as the point is in the face of the round.  If the point is not in the face of the target, even if the blade of the knife cleaves the edge of the outer circle, it does not count.  The Executive Board member present is the final arbiter of the score of a knife.  Instances where the call seems to be a “toss up” should be decided in favor of the thrower.

Official Throwers Trial Form
Membership Forms