What determines the areas restricted for spectators on an archery range?

The correct answer is based on the fundamental safety protocols established around archery ranges. The distance from the shooting line to the backstop is crucial for determining where spectators can safely stand. This distance ensures that spectators are far enough away from the shooting area to minimize the risk of injury from stray arrows, which can potentially misfire or fail to hit the intended target.

A backstop is typically placed behind the target to catch any arrows that miss the target area, hence its position and distance from the shooting line are essential metrics for setting spectator boundaries. The regulations often design these boundaries based on standard practices to protect both the participants and observers, ensuring that safety remains the top priority on the range.

While the number of archers present, size of targets, and weather conditions may influence other operational aspects of the archery range, they do not fundamentally determine spectator restrictions in the same way that the physical dimensions and safety features, such as the backstop, do.