Standard Rules

1. The Aim Games was founded in 2015 and is a free online tournament series for sport throwing knives and axes with active participants from 28 Nations. In 2023, the Aim Games became a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

2. The Aim Games are free to enter. We have a professional team ready to receive your entries, scan them (to be sure all entries are fair), and then review and score your entries for our tournament. Please treat Aim Games team members with respect and patience. They are there to serve and assist in accordance with our rules.  We follow up quickly and efficiently in the order of inquiry and submission. 

3. Use of the Aim Games logo, icon, or any artwork is strictly prohibited without the written permission from the Aim Games Executive Director. 

4. The Aim Games staff will validate all submitted entries within 48 hours and update all scores on-line continuously. 

1. All Aim Games events are 100% free to enter. 

2. The Aim Games adheres to internationally recognized Axe and Knife Throwing regulations, which are widely practiced globally. While we do not provide an exhaustive list of all rules in our Standard or Game Play Rules, we retain the authority to enforce or update rules at our discretion. 

3. Each entry must be on a single non-stop unedited video. 

4. All athletes must register for each tournament separately. 

4.a. You must use your legal name (the same name that is on your government issued ID, or birth certificate).

4.a.i. If you have previously competed in the Aim Games, provide the same name as it has appeared on previous score sheets.  

4.b. A preferred nickname that you provide will be in quotations within your legal name on our scoresheets and other mentions. 

4.c. You must provide accurate contact information as defined in and requested in our registration system. 

4.c.i.  Primary means of communication from the Aim Games staff and competitors is via email. Failure to provide a proper email address prevents the Aim Games staff from providing important information pertaining to entries (valid or invalid) and prize winnings, if won. 

4.c.ii. All Aim Games Staff email addresses have the suffix @aimgames.com 

5. PayPal is the only payment system used to pay any prize winnings in the Aim Games. . 

5.a. If anyone does not have a PayPal account, a third-party PayPal account is allowed. 

5.a.i. Written approval from the competitor and the 3rd Party PayPal account holder is required before payment is sent. Written approval can be a simple email to the tournament director at travis@aimgames.com. 

6. Entering the Aim Games, competitors are granting the Aim Games permission to: 

6.a. Use your full name, your city/town and nation as a way of identifying you throughout the tournament and in our publicly shared records and other marketing. 

6.b. Use any provided images or videos in Aim Games materials, and media. 

7. Competitors  under 18 years of age requirements. 

7.a. Must be supervised by an adult on the range for the entry to be validated. 

7.b. Must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian. 

7.c. Must throw standard sized implements and from the same distance(s) as adult competitors. 

8. Implement Specifications and Scoring

8.a. Rotational Knives (includes half-spin)

8.a.i. Must be between 12 to 16 inches (30.48 to 40.64 cm) long. 

8.a.ii. Must have a blade width between 1 to 2.25 inches (2.54 to 5.175 cm). 

8.a.iii. Must have unsharpened (smooth) edges. No live edges are allowed. 

8.a.iv. Must have a distinct tip that is facing the direction of the knife blade.  The width of the tip must not exceed 3 millimeters at the point where it would insert into the target. Flat fronted or curved blades with no distinct tip are strictly prohibited. 

8.a.v.. Determination if a knife meets the requirements is at the discretion of the Aim Games Staff. To make a determination, the Aim Games Staff will request validation pictures and measurements of any knife that may not meet the requirements. 

8.a.vi. For a knife to score, the tip of the blade must be fully embedded in the wood. A knife may not be artificially held up by the shelf or wood of the target stand. 

8.a.vii. A knife blade may not protrude beyond the outer edges of the target wood. If the knife does protrude, that knife will be scored as a miss. 

8.a.viii. Knives are scored from where the metal of the blade touches the solid paint of a target. 

8.b. No-Spin Knives 

8.b.i. Must be between 9.5 to 16 inches (24.13 to 40.64 cm) long. 

8.b.ii. Must have a blade width between 1 to 2.25 inches (2.54 to 5.175 cm). 

8.b.iii. Must have unsharpened (smooth) edges. No live edges are allowed. 

8.b.iv. Must have a distinct tip that is facing the direction of the knife blade.  The width of the tip must not exceed 3 millimeters at the point where it would insert into the target. Flat fronted or curved blades with no distinct tip are strictly prohibited. 

8.b.v.. Determination if a knife meets the requirements is at the discretion of the Aim Games Staff. To make a determination, the Aim Games Staff will request validation pictures and measurements of any knife that may not meet the requirements. 

8.b.vi. For a knife to score, the tip of the blade must be fully embedded in the wood. A knife may not be artificially held up by the shelf or wood of the target stand. 

8.b.vii. A knife blade may not protrude beyond the outer edges of the target wood. If the knife does protrude, that knife will be scored as a miss. 

8.b.viii. Knives are scored from where the metal of the blade touches the solid paint of a target. 

8.c. Axes and Tomahawks 

8.c.i. Must be between 13 to 18 inches (33.02 to 45.72 cm) long measured from the outer base of the handle to the tip of the blade. 

8.c.ii. Must have a blade width between 2.5 to 4.5 inches (6.35 to 11.43 cm) measured from tip to tip in a straight line. 

8.c.iii. Must have only one bladed edge 

8.c.iv.. Determination if an axe meets the requirements is at the discretion of the Aim Games Staff. To make a determination, the Aim Games Staff will request validation pictures and measurements of any axe that may not meet the requirements. 

8.c.v. The scoring area of an axe is from the blade up to the front of the eye of the axe/hawk if using a wood handle or up to the front of the handle where the handle meets the axe head if using a full metal axe. 

8.c.vi. Axes are scored from where the metal of the blade touches the solid paint of the target. 

8.c.vii. An axe blade may not protrude beyond the outer edges of the target wood. If the axe does protrude, that axe will be scored as a miss. 

8.c.viii. An axe may not be artificially held up by the shelf or wood of the target stand. 

9. Targets

9.a. It is important to keep your active Aim Games tournament target in excellent condition. We recommend having additional targets ready as it is common to wear out targets in Aim Games events. Always be sure to touch up worn target sections with paint and maintain them to meet the standards and measurements that are stated in our rules. 

9.b. Unless otherwise stated in specific Aim Games tournament rules: 

9.b.i. Targets may be placed at any height. 

9.b.ii. Targets must be affixed in a generally vertical position on a wall or on a target stand. Simply leaning a target against a wall is not allowed. 

9.b.iii. Targets must be painted in contrasting colors and on a smooth wooden surface. 

9.b.iv. Targets must not have any painted underlayers or boundary lines that are not specified in the target diagrams. 

10. Range measurements for throwing distances are measured on the ground from the face of the target to the back of the throwing line. Competitors must be clearly behind the throwing line during the action phase of the throw. 

11. We reserve the right to request verification of targets, throwing distance, and throwing implements in order to validate submitted entries at any time to include after an entry has been validated. All requests for measurements will be sent via email from the Aim Games staff. Failure to provide measurements within 48 hours upon request will result in that entry being invalidated until the measurements have been received. 

11.a. Competitors must provide pictures of the measurements with the numbers on the measuring device clearly visible in the image. 

1. Be respectful to all Aim Games Staff and Participants. The Aim Games welcomes all to enter our events regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including any gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, or military service. We all participate and compete together as one group of sports throwing athletes. 

2. No use of foul language, negative comments, trolling, playful insults, or discussions of subjects other than the Aim Games events are allowed. 

3. No use of memes or GIFS when interacting on Aim Games social media is permitted. 

4. Cheating of any kind is strictly prohibited. Anyone caught cheating will be permanently banned from participating in any Aim Games events. 

5. Submit rules or entry procedure questions to Aim Games Tournament Director Travis Blank by Facebook Direct Message for fastest response. Send any other inquiries by email to travis@aimgames.com. The Aim Games will auto-delete questions and comments on our posts. 

6. The Aim Games are a 501(c)(3) IRS Approved non-profit charity, California Corporation. No commercial posts, or use of tags are allowed without advance written permission from Aim Games Management. 

7. Report any scoring issues or rules violations to the Aim Games Tournament Director via email (travis@aimgames.com). When reporting, the following must be provided in the request:

7.a. Video file name as a reference which is provided by The Aim Games staff in all validation posts on the event page and the emails for validation or invalidation. (Example of the file name is 125. John Doe 05.15.25 11.00)

7.b. The time frame in the video of the reported rules violation or scoring issue

7.c. The game play or standard rule in violation, or the issue in scoring 

8. We will ban athletes from the Aim Games for staff abuse.   To be clear, if we make a ruling, it stands.   Writing in repeatedly to report false items will lead to a ban of that athlete from the Aim Games.   We are a free non-profit global tournament.  Our rules and rulings are always fair and balanced and we always provide written justification.  No one will receive special treatment, and we do not tolerate abuse of our dedicated staff time.

1. To ensure a safe and entertaining throwing experience, we require all participants to conduct themselves in a safe manner. The following rules must be followed at a minimum: 

1a. Closed toed shoes are required to be worn by the participant, other throwers on the range, observers and video assistants that are actively on the throwing range. The wearing of any open toed shoes or throwing barefoot is strictly prohibited. 

1b. Live edge (sharpened) throwing knives are prohibited. 

1c. The target must be affixed to a wall or target stand. No hanging of the target from a rope or chain is allowed. 

1d. When a participant is actively throwing, no one is allowed to be down range. Down range is considered in front of the active throwing line. 

1.d.i. Exceptions of multiple throwing lanes on a range provided that: 

1.d.i.(a) Lanes are separated by a wall made of wire mesh, wooden boards, or panels. 

1.d.i.(b) There is a minimum of 4 meters between each active throwing lane.

1.d.i.(c) Your club or facility ranges are “opened and closed” continually by an active range master. 

2. Additional safety recommendations 

2.a. Assess the surroundings and clear the throwing range of any obstacles, debris, or distractions to avoid injury. 

2.b. Regularly inspect / maintain throwing implements watching for rust, nicks or burs and remove when found. 

2.c. Proper handling of implements will provide an extra layer of protection. 

1.  All throwers are required to face the camera from the throwing line at the start of each entry and be clearly identifiable throughout.  The wearing of face masks, hoodies that cover the face, or avoiding showing your face to the camera is not allowed. The only exceptions for face coverings are for cultural or religious reasons. 

2. Each entry must be one continuous unedited video. 

3. Video must be recorded with a minimum of 720p and a frame rate of 30 FPS. 

4. It is highly recommended when recording entries with a cell phone that the thrower uses the forward facing camera, not the selfie camera. This will assist with the ability of the thrower to provide proper close ups. 

5. Ensure the throwing range is well lit. The target and the thrower must always be clearly visible when on camera. 

6. The camera must be stable when filming the action phase of the throw. The use of a tripod or a camera assistant holding the camera in a still manner is highly recommended. 

7. The use of mirrors, 360/VR cameras, drones, body mounted cameras, dual camera / split screens are not allowed. 

8. All submitted entries must be the original file taken from the camera. 

8.a. The editing of a video of any kind with the use of any editing software, the processing or transfer of the video through social media apps, or the use of AI is strictly prohibited in the Aim Games. 

8.a.i. We no longer allow editing to the first valid throw and therefore, the thrower must reset the recording prior to starting each new attempt. 

8.a.ii. We no longer allow editing the end of an entry video. Please make sure to end the recording once the last throw/ and subsequent close-up is completed. 

8.a.iii. No use of editing software of any kind is permitted. This includes the use of third-party software to incorporate multiple cameras. The requirement for camera original footage disqualifies such software as OBS, Adobe Premiere, iMovie, etc. This requirement also means that post-production lighting or contrast changes are not allowed. The scanning software being used will identify if the video was processed through any software and will flag the entry as an edited video. Any use of editing software or AI eliminates the video from being entered and sends an alert to our Oversight Team for violation analysis. The Aim Games are world leaders in the detection of editing and AI in videos in sports. Please do not make any changes to your entry videos! 

8.a.iv.. Videos are not allowed to be processed or transmitted through any form of Social Media applications, such as Facebook, Discord, Viber, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc. 

9. The thrower and the target must be in view of the camera during the action phase of throwing. The thrower can come out of view to reset the camera after conducting a close up, but must fully come back in view before throwing the implement. Fully in view means we can clearly identify the thrower, see they are clearly behind the throwing line, we can see the knife leave the hand, and the knife land in the target. 

9a. The throwing distances must be clearly marked (painted line, block of wood, etc.) and the thrower be visibly behind it on camera to ensure all throwers are throwing from the proper distances. 

10. Close ups are an essential part of proving the throw is scored properly. 

10.a. When approaching, the target and implements must always be on video. 

10.a.i. Accidentally stepping in front of the camera or camera moving away for a moment is fine if the movement does not involve a situation where the implements could be moved. 

10.a.ii. Repeated incidents throughout an entry can result in specific throws or the entry being invalidated. 

10.b. The thrower must show all needed details to prove the implement is clearly touching the paint of the intended target. 

10.b.i. The thrower must keep the camera in focus and move slowly when moving around the implement. 

10.b.ii. The use of a flashlight is needed to remove any shadowing that prevents proper scoring. 

10.c. When conducting close ups, do not touch the target or implement. Doing so may cause the throw to be invalidated. 

10.d. The use of straight edges such as rulers, paper, or other tools is prohibited to prove an implement is touching the intended target.