Field & Equipment
A boomerang tournament field typically has a half-dozen or more throwing circles. For the Australian round and maximum time aloft competition, the circle has a radius of 50 meters. Within the circle are concentric circles at distances of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, and 40 meters.
For most other types of competition, the throwing circle has a 20-meter radius with a 2-meter circle in the center.
The boomerang may have any number of arms and can be made from any non-metal material. Metal can be embedded or taped onto the boomerang, provided no sharp edges are exposed. Catching, launching, and propulsion aids are prohibited.
Mandatory and Optional Events
To be sanctioned by the U. S. Boomerang Association, a tournament must include Accuracy, Australian Round, Trick Catch/Doubling, Fast Catch/Endurance, and Maximum Time Aloft.
Optional events include Juggling, Five-Minute Juggling, Individual Relay Trial, GLORP, Team Beaver Scramble, Team Relay, Team Position, and Team Supercatch.
Mandatory events must be completed before optional events take place.
Accuracy
Each competitor gets five throws from the center of the throwing circle. The boomerang must travel at least 20 meters before it begins to return and it's scored based on where it comes to rest without being touched.
| Circle | Pts |
|---|---|
| 2-meter | 10 |
| 4-meter | 8 |
| 6-meter | 6 |
| 8-meter | 4 |
| 10-meter | 2 |
If any part of the boomerang is touching or over a line, the score is the average of the two areas on either side of the line. Thus, the line between the 2-meter and 4-meter circles is worth 9 points.
The five throws are totaled to get the competitor's score.
Australian Round
This event combines accuracy, distance, and catching ability. As in the accuracy competition, five throws are made from within the 2-meter circle and each throw must travel a minimum of 20 meters.
If the boomerang is allowed to come to rest, points are awarded as in the accuracy event. If the competitor chooses to catch the boomerang, accuracy points are awarded on the basis of where it is caught. A catch made within the center accuracy circles is worth the same number of points as if the boomerang had landed there.
In addition, catching points are awarded based on the following table:
| Location | Pts |
|---|---|
| Inside the 20-meter line | 4 |
| On the 20 meter line | 3 |
| Between the 20- and 50-meter lines | 2 |
| On the 50 meter line | 1 |
Thus, if the catch is made within the center 2-meter circle, it's worth 14 points, 10 for accuracy and 4 for a catch inside the 20-meter line.
The location of the catch is determined by the location of the competitor's feet. Both feet must be entirely within a circle to score the number of points that circle is worth. If one foot is touching a line, the score is the same as if the boomerang had landed touching that line.
If the competitor fails to catch the boomerang but touches it, the score is the lower of what it would have been for a catch at the spot where the boomerang was touched and the spot where the boomerang comes to rest.
Distance, or range, points are awarded only if the competitor earns accuracy or catching points on the throw, based on the following table:
| Location | Pts |
|---|---|
| 50 meters or more | 6 |
| 40-50 meters | 4 |
| 30-40 meter | 2 |
The score for a throw is the total of the accuracy, catching, and distance points and the five throws are totaled to determine the competitor's total score. The perfect score for a throw is 20: 10 accuracy points, 4 catching points, and 6 distance points.
Trick Catch/Doubling
In the first phase of the trick catch event, the competitor has to make 10 designated catches in a specified sequence. Each catch has a specific point value.
There are also ten catches in the second phase, called doubles or doubling, but the competitor has to throw two boomerangs simultaneously, with one hand, and catch them both. For each double throw, the first boomerang must be held while the second is caught. Two catches are specified for each doubles throw, but they can be made in either order.
All throws have to be made from within the 2-meter circle, and a throw has to travel at least 20 meters before returning. On a doubles throw, if either boomerang is short of the required distance, the score is zero for the round.
The designated catches, by round, are:
Singles
| Rd | Catch | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left hand clean | 2 |
| 2 | Right hand clean | 2 |
| 3 | Behind the back | 3 |
| 4 | Under the leg | 3 |
| 5 | Eagle | 4 |
| 6 | Hackey | 6 |
| 7 | Tunnel | 6 |
| 8 | One handed behind the back | 7 |
| 9 | One handed under the leg | 7 |
| 10 | Foot/leg catch | 10 |
Doubles
| Rd | Catch | Pts | Catch | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Behind the back | 3 | Under the leg | 3 |
| 12 | Hackey | 6 | Left hand clean | 2 |
| 13 | Tunnel | 6 pts | Right hand clean | 2 |
| 14 | One handed behind the back | 7 | One handed under the leg | 7 |
| 15 | Foot/leg catch | 10 | Eagle | 4 |
If two or more competitors have perfect rounds, a throw-off is held. In the throw-off, the qualifiers throw simultaneously, in separate throwing circles. There's a designated series of four throws and catches, two singles and two doubles.
Throw-Off
| Rd | Catch | Pts | Catch | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunnel | 6 | --- | --- |
| 2 | Hackey | 6 | --- | --- |
| 3 | One handed behind the back catch | 7 | One-hand under-the-leg catch | 7 |
| 4 | Foot/leg catch | 10 | Eagle | 4 |
A thrower who fails to make a designated catch is eliminated and the throw-off continues until only one competitor remains.
Most of the catches are pretty much self-explanatory, but a few need some further description.
The eagle is a one-hand catch in which the catching hand approaches the boomerang from above, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
The hackey, from "hackeysack," is a catch in which the first contact must be made with the foot. Typically, the competitor will kick or toss the boomerang up with the foot and then catch it.
The tunnel is an under-the-leg catch on which both feet remain on the ground. It can be made with one or both hands. If the catch isn't made before the boomerang has passed under the leg, the boomerang must be withdrawn under the leg for the catch to be complete.
Fast Catch/Endurance
This event combines two rounds of fast catch with one round of endurance.
In the fast catch competition, each contestant is timed on five catches of the same boomerang. Each throw must be made from within the 2-meter circle and must travel a minimum of 20 meters. There are two timed rounds; the fastest round counts.
In the endurance phase, the competitor throws and catches the boomerang as many times as possible within a 5-minute period. If a throw is made before the 5 minutes has expired, the catch counts, even if it comes after the time limit. Again, each throw must be made from within the 2-meter circle and must travel a minimum of 20 meters.
Maximum Time Aloft 100 (MTA100)
Each competitor is given five throws and the total time of the best three flights is the score for the event.
A throw must be made from anywhere within the 50-meter circle and the thrower must catch the boomerang somewhere within the circle. Time is measured from the moment of release until the boomerang is first touched on its return.
Records are also kept for a non-tournament event, the MTA Unlimited, in which the boomerang may be caught outside the 50-meter circle.
Juggling
The competitor holds two boomerangs and throws one. The second boomerang must be thrown before the first is caught, and there must always be one boomerang in the air. Each throw must go at least 20 meters. The round ends when the thrower fails to make a catch. The highest number of catches wins.
5-Minute Juggling
This is like the juggling competition, except that there's a five-minute time limit and the competitor with the most catches made within that period wins. If a competitor fails to make a catch, the turn ends at that point.
Individual Relay Trial
This is a timed event that combines running speed with throwing and catching. The competitor begins outside the 30-meter circle, downwind from the center. On a signal from the starting judge, the competitor runs to the 8-point scoring circle, throws and catches the boomerang, tags any part of the 8-point circle, and then runs back to the starting point on the 30-meter circle.
The boomerang must travel at least 30 meters. Each competitor is given two chances and the fastest time of the two attempts counts.
If the catch isn't made on the first throw, or if the boomerang doesn't travel the required 30 meters, the competitor has to retrieve the boomerang, return to the 8-point circle, and make another throw.
On the second failure, the competitor can pick up the boomerang, tag any part of the 8-point circle, and run to the finish line.
GLORP
This contest is patterned after the basketball shooting game known as HORSE.
The first thrower, called the Dominator, performs any trick catch except a two-handed catch, and each competitor must then attempt the same catch. If a competitor fails, a letter is added, beginning with G. Once a competitor has spelled GLORP by missing five times, he or she is out of the game.
The contest continues until only one competitor remains as the winner. If the Dominator fails to make a catch, the next thrower becomes Dominator.
Team Beaver Scramble
This event involves one boomerang and two opposing teams. As determined by a coin toss, one team begins on offense and a member of that team makes a throw from within the 2-meter circle.
A team is awarded 1 point for three consecutive throws caught by a member within the 20-meter circle; 1 point for a catch made inside the 2-meter circle; and 2 points for a catch made by a team member with one foot on the center spot of the 2-meter circle.
If a throw is caught outside the the 20-meter circle, there's no score, but the catching team makes the next throw from the closest point on the 20-meter circle.
For a catch to count, the boomerang must complete at least a half-circle before the catch. Underhand throws and passes are prohibited.
If the boomerang is dropped, the defensive team becomes the offensive team and makes the next throw from the spot of the drop or from the closest point on the 20-meter circle, if the drop took place outside the circle.
The winner is the first team to reach a predetermined number of points (usually 5) or the team with highest score after a predetermined period of time (usually 10 minutes.
Team Relay
This a competition involving two to four teams per heat, with four players per team.
The teams line up on the 30-meter circle, at intervals of 4 to 10 meters, downwind from the center spot. On a signal from the starting judge, the first thrower from each team runs to the 8-meter circle, throws and catches the boomerang, then runs back to the 30-meter line and tags the next thrower, who repeats the process.
Each throw must travel at least 30 meters. If the catch isn't made on the first throw, or if the boomerang doesn't travel the required 30 meters, the competitor has to retrieve the boomerang, return to the 8-point circle, and make another throw.
On the second failure, the competitor can pick up the boomerang, touch any part of the 8-point circle, run to the finish line, and tag the next thrower.
Play continues until each member of a team has run twice. The fastest time wins.
Team Position
There are four to six throwers on each team. The first thrower on each team goes to the 4-meter line and makes a throw and catch. The next thrower must then make a throw and catch from the spot of the previous catch. If a catch is not made, the spot is the point where the boomerang first makes contact with the ground or where it comes to rest, whichever is farthest from the center of the circle. The next thrower must then take two giant steps, approximately 2 meters, from that spot away from the center before throwing.
Play continues until each thrower has had two turns. The team that ends up closest to the center spot wins.
Team Supercatch
There are four throwers on each team and four rounds competition. At the beginning of a round, one member throws a boomerang for maximum time aloft. As soon as the boomerang is released, the other three team members begin a fast catch round, making as many throws and catches as possible before the MTA boomerang is caught. A boomerang that was in the air when the MTA boomerang was caught may also be caught for a point. The same rules apply as in the fast catch competition.
If the MTA is not caught, the team gets no points for that round.
There are four rounds, with a different team member acting as the MTA thrower in each round. When the four rounds are complete, the team with the most successful fast catches wins.