TIFAM & TAI Club Affiliation Information
TIFAM is registered as the National Governing Body for TAI in Ireland. Clubs joining TIFAM retain their own identity, committee structure, colours, traditions, and existing affiliations with other governing bodies or federations, including IFAF, AI, SIFA, and similar organisations.
Affiliated clubs in good standing receive representation and voting rights at the TIFAM Annual General Meeting. The AGM also elects two representatives to represent Ireland at TAI General Assemblies.
Membership and Club Management Portal
The TIFAM Membership Portal is open and fully operational, providing affiliated clubs with a central system for managing club affairs and membership administration. Club officers can maintain membership records, register existing archers, add new members, update club information, and administer their TIFAM membership records through the portal.
Archers registered with an affiliated club automatically become TIFAM/TAI members through their club and receive individual membership numbers and digital membership cards.
TIFAM membership is free, with zero joining fees.
Insurance
Members of affiliated clubs are covered under the TIFAM insurance arrangements for eligible insured activities, subject to the terms, conditions, limits, exclusions, and safety requirements of the policy.
The insurance arrangement consists of:
Arachas — Broker
Sportscover Europe Ltd — Underwriting Agency
Liberty Specialty Markets — Insurer
Cover includes Public Liability, archer-to-archer cover, coaching and training sessions, and competition days.
The TIFAM All Ireland Archery Festival is included under a separate clause as a perpetual annual event within the insurance arrangements.
Mandatory Health and Safety Documentation for Affiliated Clubs
To come within the TIFAM affiliation and insurance structure, each joining club must provide the required health and safety documentation adapted to its own club, venue, range, activities, and responsible officers.
The required documentation consists of a Club Practice/Range Policy, covering ordinary range operation, supervision, shooting procedures, access control, equipment arrangements, incident reporting, and first-aid provision. The supplied practice policy demonstrates the principal operational controls expected in such a document.
An Archery Competition Risk Assessment and Safe System of Work must address competition-day hazards, shooting-line control, danger areas, equipment, participants, members of the public, access and egress, first aid, parking, traffic management, marshals, and event conduct.
Where the club conducts introductory or public participation activities, a Have-a-Go Archery Risk Assessment and Safe System of Work must cover supervision, suitable equipment selection, shooting instruction, backstops, safety netting, access control, equipment inspection, and first-aid arrangements.
A First Aid Risk Assessment and Procedure must establish the club’s first-aid arrangements, equipment, responsible personnel, and response to serious injuries or medical emergencies.
A Manual Handling Risk Assessment must address the handling and movement of targets, stands, backstops, equipment, and other loads associated with club activities.
Written Emergency Procedures must establish emergency responsibilities, emergency-service access, communications, rescue arrangements, first-aid resources, and relevant local contact information.
An Accident, Incident and Property Damage Procedure must establish how incidents are made safe, documented, reported, and escalated, including the recording of relevant circumstances and witness information.
Where members may practise outside scheduled club sessions, a Separate or Unscheduled Practice Session Risk Assessment must establish minimum attendance, permission and notification arrangements, safe shooting procedures, access control, equipment storage, first-aid provision, and incident reporting.
Each document must be prepared for the individual club rather than submitted unchanged from another organisation. Club name, venue, responsible persons, local arrangements, identified hazards, control measures, assessment dates, and applicable procedures should correspond to the club seeking affiliation.
Coaching, Training and Development
TIFAM has appointed a National Director of Training, Mentorship and Development.
The Director oversees the development of TIFAM’s training, mentorship, and development structure under TAI rules, supporting affiliated clubs, coaches, and archers through an organised national approach to education and sporting development.
Safeguarding and Youth Archery
TIFAM supports junior and youth participation. Age classes, target distances, equipment provisions, competition requirements, and relevant safety arrangements follow applicable TAI regulations and TIFAM rules.
Garda Vetting and Safeguarding requirements apply according to the relevant TIFAM procedures and Irish safeguarding obligations for activities involving children and young people.
Club Events and Competition
Affiliated clubs may host TAI-sanctioned tournaments. Proposed events are submitted to TIFAM with the relevant date, venue, format, and event information for inclusion in the national calendar and operation under the applicable competition and safety requirements.
TIFAM charges zero target fees and zero tournament levies for affiliated clubs hosting events.
Archers may compete under their own club name. For international events such as ETO 2027, affiliation may be shown as Club Name / TIFAM, under TIFAM, or affiliated with TIFAM, preserving the club’s identity while identifying its TIFAM affiliation.
Full Set of Governing Documents:
Application for Club Affiliation with TIFAM
Admission to The Irish Foundation For Archery and Mentorship (TIFAM) is open to established archery clubs only. The applicant club must have a committee in place and must have a minimum of five members at the time of application.
TIFAM is registered with Traditional Archers International (TAI) as the Irish national body. Clubs and archers seeking TAI affiliation in Ireland should do so through TIFAM.
TIFAM charges no joining fee and no membership fee. The only cost payable by individual archers is their individual insurance, reviewed each year at the TIFAM Annual General Meeting.