NTA Rules
From North Texas Airsoft Wiki
1.0 Code of Conduct
Airsoft is a game of honor and as players we must have faith that other players will play honestly. Not following the spirit of any of the rules listed below will be considered cheating and will not be tolerated. All players will conduct themselves in an adult and appropriate manner at all times while representing NTA and the sport.
1.01 Cheating
Cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating is defined as any attempt to circumvent the spirit of the safety or gameplay rules to give yourself or your team an advantage not available to players following in the spirit of the rules. In addition to concrete violations such as hit shrugging, this will also include camping on players’ spawn points, or any other attempt to utilize the simulated nature of the game to your advantage. Players called for cheating do not need to be quoted a specific rule, chapter and verse, that they were breaking at the time. This being a game of honor, and a military simulation, cheating of any kind detracts from the game for all players involved, and for that reason cheating will get you warned, sent to the penalty box, or ejected from the game at the admin’s discretion.
1.02 Hits
Any contact with a fired BB with any part of your body or any piece of clothing or equipment attached to your body is a hit. Unless specified explicitly in a particular game’s rules that players may take more than one hit, any hit is a kill, whether center mass or on your little toe. Ricochets and gun hits do not count.
A hit player should call out “hit”, “out”, or some other indication that they have been hit, loudly and clearly so that other players know they have been taken out of play. That player should then place their dead rag in a clearly visible area, preferably near their head or shoulders, so that other players know not to continue firing on them.
Hit players should avoid obstructing the field of play (unless specifically encouraged to for a particular gameplay), and should remove themselves to their designated spawn points as soon as is possible without interrupting gameplay.
1.03 Hit Shrugging
If there is ever an occurrence when you feel you have hit someone and they do not call it, do not yell and swear at them on the field or off the field. If you have a problem, talk to that player and if necessary, involve an admin. Maybe the player didn’t feel it; maybe you didn’t hit them. It’s only a game. If there is ever an occurrence when you think you might have been hit, but are not sure, just call yourself out. Honorable play is everyone's responsibility.
1.04 Accidental ROE Violations
Accidents happen, and players shouldn’t get angry or upset about it if it is truly an accident. Sometimes you shoot someone in the face, sometimes you shoot them inside your MED, and so on. If it is truly an accident, apologize, call yourself out, and tell them to play on. This is the honor part of our honor-based sport. If you shoot someone at point blank and you really didn’t intend to, it’s only right to call yourself out. Even if it wasn’t accidental, you just didn’t realize how close you were, call yourself out. If it’s even questionable, call yourself out. It is not worth stopping the game to argue about it over a single respawn.
1.05 Inappropriate Fire
Players should only be firing at other players who are in play. Intentionally firing on dead players, observers, admins, or any other non-participating persons is strictly prohibited. Accidents happen and people are misidentified, but a player should make every effort to avoid shooting people who are not in play. This includes shooting at players with a dead rag on. Shooting at vehicles that have not been specifically designated as targets is prohibited.
1.06 Surrender/Bang Rule
If you manage to approach an enemy player to such a close distance that they are a certain kill, you can give them the option to call themselves out without getting shot. This is not required, but is a respect rule, and most players will take it out of respect for the fact that you got close enough to kill them and held your fire. To use the bang rule, simply approach close enough to a player to make them a certain kill, and tell them “bang!” They do not have to surrender, in which case feel free to shoot them (assuming you are not under your MED for the weapon class you are aiming at them).
1.07 Blind Fire
Blind fire is any shot taken into an area you cannot directly observe. This rule serves a dual purpose, both to avoid accidental point blank shots, and also to ensure that any player who is firing at you is also presenting a target for you to fire back at. Blind fire includes shooting around corners, over barriers, out windows, and even through heavy brush and trees, if you are not also putting your face through, over, or around those same obstacles so that you can see where your BBs are going.
1.08 Dead Men
Dead men do not talk. Unless specifically outlined in the game’s rules, dead men should say nothing while dead, except the word “medic” (if medic rules apply). If the specific game makes use of searching dead players for information, the dead players may talk as is appropriate for the purpose of that game.
Dead men are also not shields. Hiding behind a dead player is prohibited, unless specifically agreed to prior to the beginning of play and as part of the designated gameplay.
1.09 Safe Zone Procedures
When entering a safe zone or leaving the gaming area you must first make weapons safe and clear. Magazines are to be removed, the weapon cleared (3 shots on semi in a safe direction), and safety on. Players will not fire into or out of safe zones at any time, for any reason.
1.10 Field Boundaries
Players will observe all field boundaries and limits as established prior to the beginning of the game. There is no acceptable reason to cross outside the areas designated for play unless there is an emergency requiring that gameplay completely stop. If areas are marked “do not enter”, “do not climb”, or any other warning that a reasonable person would understand, those areas are off limits for gameplay. Crossing those boundaries is grounds for ejection from the field.
1.11 Physical Contact
This is a difficult rule because it is subjective. Different players will perceive physical contact in different ways. While no type of physical contact can be strictly forbidden during gameplay, the only officially approved contact during gameplay is a single hand on the shoulder or upper back, used to designate either a knife kill on an enemy player or to perform a “medic drag” on a friendly player. That is the only contact that is actually necessary to the sport.
Officially, this is a non-contact sport. Realistically, players come into contact with one another in every game. Friendlies may come in close contact stacking up on a door or diving behind cover, team players may use contact to signal movement, and all manner of other types of contact. This cannot be realistically regulated, since different players have different levels of comfort with this kind of contact. Common sense and respect are the rule. If touching a player makes them uncomfortable and you are aware of it, consider that contact prohibited. Touching female players in places or ways that make them uncomfortable will not be tolerated. If a player touches you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, tell them so, but be polite about it, because they may not be aware they are making you uncomfortable. If they continue, bring it to the attention of an admin.
Physical altercations of any kind are unacceptable, and will get any and all participants ejected from the field. Again, common sense and respect are the rule. If a player is getting physically aggressive with you, alert an admin.
1.12 Penalty Box
The penalty box will be a designated area near the safe zone, where players will be sent to wait out their penalty time. Players found leaving the penalty box before their time is up, even to leave the game for the day, will be ejected from the field and refused re-entry. This is like detention, you can’t sit it out at the Burger King down the road.
The penalty box sounds like a punishment, but in fact it is not. The purpose of the penalty box is to give admins an option other than ejecting you from the field if they see you flagrantly or repeatedly breaking these rules. Consider time in the penalty box an admin’s way of saying “I don’t want to throw you out and ban you from the premises, but I have to do something.” You are either intentionally breaking the rules, in which case you need to be put on notice, or you are repeatedly accidentally breaking the rules, in which case you need something to remind you not to break them again.
Time in the penalty box will be at the admin’s discretion, based on observation of the situation and personal judgment, in increments from 5 minutes for a minor warning to 30 minutes for a major infraction, or anywhere in between. Any action that would require more than 30 minutes in the penalty box should simply get the player ejected from the field.
1.13 Administration
Administrators are not there to babysit or solve conflicts. Administrators are there to ensure the safety of the players, to keep the game moving, and to ensure that the players representing NTA are behaving in a manner that is fitting for representatives of this organization. Administrators have the authority to remove you from the field if your behavior or actions interfere with any of those goals. They have the authority to resolve questions and disputes, call you hit, warn you, send you to the penalty box, or eject you from the game. They do not hold this authority by force: no admin will ever need to physically touch a player in order to perform his duties. Administrators are veteran players who understand the game, the kinds of conflicts that occur in a game, and how best to resolve the issue and, most importantly, keep the game moving for everyone. Remember, your one problem that you feel needs admin attention is very likely not important to 96 of the other 99 players involved in the game, and the vast majority of them would not like to see play drag to a halt so that you can discuss whether that hit was a ricochet, or whether someone was 19 feet and 11 inches from you and shouldn’t count.
Administrators are well-known and trusted members of the community. You can be certain that if you argue or fight with an administrator, it will not do any good for your standing in the community, or the willingness of other members of the community to participate in games, online transactions, or any other activities with you. Administrators are representatives of NTA, and as such, when they make a judgement call or decision, it is as if the entire NTA community has made that decision. If an admin has to eject you from a game, your name will be brought up with the other administrators and the NTA council, and your behavior will not be forgotten. Your actions follow you from field to field, game to game, and event to event.
Administrators also do not owe you an explanation. Airsoft is not a democracy, it is a military simulation. When a superior officer tells you to move or act, you move or act. Admin calls are not up for debate among the players, and no one owes you an explanation why you are being punished. It the players’ responsibility to read and understand the rules, apply them with common sense, and behave in an adult manner. Additionally, if your teammates tell you you’ve broken the rules or performed some questionable behavior, it is the player’s responsibility to call themselves out and use their common sense and best judgement. Players should not wait for an administrator to call them on questionable behavior, they are responsible for policing themselves. Players can be certain that their infractions will be mentioned to admins at some point, and admins and other players will be stricter on you if you flagrantly or repeatedly break the rules.
1.14 Transitioning/Breaking the Plane
Transitioning from indoor-to-outdoor and outdoor-to-indoor bears mentioning because the rules of engagement often change during this transition. In the case of transitioning indoors, unless you are on a field following CQB rules, you will almost always need to transition to a sidearm prior to entering the building. Likewise, you will need to transition back to your primary when leaving a building. Something to keep in mind, though, is that when leaving the building, if you haven’t broken the plane of the door, you are still within the indoor ROE. That means no full-auto fire from primary weapons at targets outside of the building unless you break the plane of the door.This also goes for shooting out of windows. If you are standing in a small room, you are bound by the ROE of the room.
Breaking the Plane - In order to fire your primary out of a structure using outdoor ROE, the barrel of your weapon must break the plane of the door, meaning the tip of the barrel must be at least 12 inches past the outer frame of the door or window. This goes for all weapons classes. As long as your weapon is fully inside a structure, you are bound by the ROE of that structure.
This serves 2 primary purposes. First, it prevents people from walking in front of a window and putting their head in the line of full-auto, 400fps fire. With the barrel of the gun out the window, they should be observant enough to recognize that they will get hit walking in front of it. The second purpose is the same as the second purpose of the blind fire rule: it prevents a player from targeting another player without presenting a target as well.
In special cases, on a field-by-field or event-by-event basis, exceptions may be made for snipers. Part of sniper field craft is finding a shooting position that keeps them hidden while presenting target opportunities at a distance. Shooting from well behind a second floor window is one of those positions. However, as a rule this is not allowed, because of the possibility of another player walking directly in front of the window and being hit at close range by a high-powered rifle. Individual fields and events may makes exceptions for this, but those exceptions should be explicitly defined by the field prior to the start of play.
2.0 Special Rules
2.01 Vehicles
Vehicles, as a rule, are not in play and should not be fired upon at any time during a game. In specific games or at specific fields where vehicles are designated as in play, they may be fired upon. If a vehicle may fire on players, that vehicle may be fired upon by players, no exceptions. If you do not want your vehicle shot, then players should not be allowed to fire from that vehicle. There are a few basic rules about both the use of vehicles and engaging vehicles on the field.
Vehicle Safety Rules for Vehicles
a
- All vehicles must be approved by the field owner, admins, and the owner of the vehicle, prior to entry in the area of play.
- Flat side and/or rear windows must be covered by plexiglas or some other safe means of deflecting bbs, or they must be rolled down to avoid the possibility of sending glass shrapnel into the cabin.
- Players in vehicles must adhere to the same safety rules as players on the field, including goggle rules, MEDs, etc.
- A vehicle is not to exceed 5mph on the field of play.
- A vehicle must have a dedicated driver, who is not firing a weapon or otherwise engaging in gameplay.
- The vehicle’s driver must have an in-ear, hands-free means of hearing radio communications, in case of game stoppages or emergencies.
- Vehicles must remain on clear roads and open areas unless accompanied by a “scout”
- A “scout” is a “dead” player, and should wear a deadrag while playing the position. The scout will walk ten feet in front of the vehicle and ensure there are no players or equipment in the path of the vehicle. Dead man rules apply until the player retires from the “scout” position.
Vehicle Safety Rules for Players
b
- Players will not approach within less than 5 feet of moving vehicles.
- Do not approach the front of a moving vehicle. Approaching from the side or rear in order to roll grenades or other destructive devices under it is acceptable.
- Do not intentionally shoot the front windshield of a vehicle.
- Do not stand in the path of vehicles.
2.02 CQB and Night Games
CQB and night games are special situations because of their up-close nature. The risk of extremely close engagements with high-powered weapons causes an unacceptable risk. For the purposes of NTA rules, any game held after dark, or in a location where the median engagement distance is 20 feet or less, shall be designated a CQB game. A game designated CQB may not use weapons in the Assault Rifle, Sniper, DMR, SAW, or Rocket Launcher classes. Sidearms, CQB Weapons, Personal Explosives, Distraction Devices, and BB Showers are acceptable.
As an example of how to determine whether a game is CQB or not, think of the size of the rooms. A building with a 100 foot hallway and ten 10 foot rooms has a median engagement distance of 10 feet. A building with five 10 foot rooms, five 20 foot rooms, three 50 foot rooms, and a 100 foot hallway has a median engagement distance of 20 feet, and is a CQB game. You don’t need precise measurements to make a determination, though, common sense will tell you where the majority of engagements will take place. If half or more of them take place at 20 feet or less, it is a CQB game. There is some room for discretion on the part of the approving admin in this ruling.
Additional equipment is required for night games, specifically a chem-light (glow stick) for use as a deadrag, and a flashlight to help avoid injury. Some fields with a combination of indoor and outdoor areas of play may require flashlights and chem-lights at all times on the field, while others may only require them during night operations. When these items are required, they are absolutely required, and not option, nice-to-have items.
3.0 Required Personal Equipment
3.01 Eye Protection
Eye protection is mandatory in the form of full seal goggles or full face protection. Full seal is defined as not allowing a standard #2 pencil eraser to be inserted behind the goggle. (If a BB can get in, the goggles are NOT full-seal)
Full face protection is required for all players under 18 years of age.
All lenses must be rated at ANSI Z87.1-2003 (also known as Z87.1+)
Goggles and or masks must be worn at all times in the gaming areas outside of the safe zone.
Players that loose, break or have an issue with their goggles will sound off with “BLINDMAN”, all play in the area will cease until the problem can be corrected or the player is escorted off the playing field.
3.02 Water
A water source, which can be carried on your body, must be on your person at all times during gameplay. No one enters the field without hydration, anyone found in the field without hydration may be asked to return to respawn and get water before returning to the game.
3.03 Dead Rag
All players must have a dead rag, in a bright color such as, red or yellow. Bright Green is NOT permitted, it is reserved for player admins.
Player/Embedded Admins must use a bright green dead rag. If you see someone pull out their bright green dead rag and walk over to you and give you instructions, they speak for and have the full support of NTA and the community, and you need to follow their instructions. They are not just bossy, they are authorized to remove you from the field if they feel it is necessary.
4.0 Suggested Personal Equipment
4.01 Face Protection
Though only recommended, face protection can be just as important as eye protection in some cases. When playing in tight quarters or at very close proximities, the use of full paintball masks and/or Balaclavas can greatly reduce the chance of welting if by accidentally hit in the face. Many indoor events or fields require full face protection as an additional measure. Outdoor use of full face protection is not required, but recommended. A $20 mouth guard will save you thousands of dollars in dentist bills.
4.02 Hand Protection
Commonly overlooked as a good form of protection, a players hands can be very important in the prevention of unnecessary pain when accidentally hit. The use of gloves (full or fingerless) greatly helps in the reduction of energy transfer when hit by a BB.
4.03 Foot Padding
Definitely a given, proper footwear is important when playing Airsoft or any other action sporting game. Tennis Shoes and Sandals just don't cut it when running around the woods or a bombed out CQB facility. Proper Law Enforcement/Military Grade Boots are highly recommended for play. For some of you soft-footed players out there, it's recommended to wear an additional pair of socks for protection against blisters. However purchasing a cheap pair of foot inserts for your boots can save you a lot of extra grief.
4.04 Knee Padding
Another item not often considered for standard play, knee pads are also recommended when on harsh terrain that could be hazardous to kneel on. Aside from there obvious protective qualities they too are excellent for comfort and safety.
4.05 Elbow Padding
Often not considered for standard play, elbow pads are recommended when playing on harsh terrain. Aside from their obvious protective qualities they are an excellent comfort factor item for people do a lot of crawling, sneaking, and laying down.
4.06 Barrel Plug
While not required at many fields, some fields insurance requires the use of barrel plugs while in safe zones. It is a good idea to have a barrel plug in your bag or car, so that if a field does require one, you have one. Many guns come with an orange plastic barrel plug, which should suffice.
4.07 Flashlight
Flashlights are useful for many reasons, and required in some cases. Operating indoors without a flashlight is a bad idea, since you never know when the lights may go out, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Stumbling around in the dark can be dangerous, especially in buildings with stairs or large obstacles.
4.08 Chem/LED Light
Chem/LED lights are mostly useful for night games as a deadrag, but may be useful in any low-light situation (indoors, evening, heavy shade, etc) where a deadrag may be difficult to see.
5.0 Weapon Classes
a
All velocities given in this rule set are absolute maximum velocities. They are not suggestions, and going over these velocities by even 1 foot per second disqualifies that weapon for play under that class.
b
All velocity limits are given in feet-per-second as measured with .2g, 6mm, spherical airsoft BBs at 1-6 inches from the muzzle. Measurements taken with other size or weight projectiles must be converted to impact energy in Joules for comparison. Use the energy chart at the end of this document for comparison.
c
MED, or Minimum Engagement Distance, is also not a recommendation. Shooting someone inside the MED for your weapon's class is an infraction that may get you a warning, time in the penalty box, or ejected from the game and property, at the observing administrator's discretion.
d
For weapons with no MED, common sense and respect are the rule. Face shots happen, no one will yell at you for accidentally hitting someone in the face, but you should make an effort to aim for center mass.
e
“Semi-only” vs. “semi-auto”. The difference between these two designations is that “semi-auto” means that the weapon is capable of firing full-auto, but that full-auto may not be used in the field; the weapon must stay in semi-auto mode. “Semi-only” means that the weapon is physically incapable of being made to fire in full-auto mode in the field. This means the weapon is either physically modified (e.g. cut-down selector plate) or electronically modified (e.g. MOSFET unit) to disable full-auto mode with no easily accessible way to re-enable it in the field.
f
Weapon classification is explicit. Every weapon that may be used on the field falls under one of these classes. If your weapon is a pistol but meets the assault rifle velocity, that weapon is an assault rifle class weapon, and will follow the assault rifle limits. Any deviation from the requirements of a class excludes the weapon from that class. If your gun fires full auto, it may only be fielded as an assault rifle, a DMR, a SAW, or a CQB weapon. If the velocity exceeds CQB classification, it may not be fielded as a CQB weapon. If it does not meet the physical appearance or magazine requirements of the SAW and DMR classes, it may not be fielded as those classes. That leaves assault rifle, and if your velocity exceeds the assault rifle limit, that weapon may not be fielded, period. All weapons must fit into one of these classes to be fielded. Every replica firearm fits in to one of the firearms classes, or is excluded from play. All non-firearms fits into one of the non-firearms classes or is excluded for play. Weapon classes not listed are excluded by default, and may only be fielded at the field owner’s or game organizer’s explicit permission.
g
The CQB class tends to be exclusive, disallowing all other firearm-based classes except with explicit rules, and is mutually exclusive with the Assault rifle class. These two classes may never be used on the same field at the same time. It is too difficult for administrators to tell them apart at a glance, making the probability of confusion and accidental ROE violations too high.
h
Other firearms classes may be individually allowed under conditions based on field-specific rules. For example, a CQB field with an outdoor area may choose to allow sniper rifles, DMRs, or SAWs for use outdoors and for shooting from second-floor windows at targets outdoors and from outdoors at targets on the second floor, but not allow the use of these classes for indoor-to-indoor fire. These inclusions must be explicit and clearly defined.
i
Non-firearms classes, such as personal explosives and BB showers should be included or excluded individually.
Firearms Classes
5.01 Assault Rifle
Assault rifle is the default class for all airsoft weapons that don't fit into other classes. If there is not a specific ruleset for your weapon, these rules apply. If your weapon meets any of the criteria of another class, that class applies to your weapon. For example, if you put a long barrel, full stock, scope, and bipod on your assault rifle, it is a DMR and you must follow DMR MEDs and remain on semi-auto regardless of the velocity. This is to help administrators easily identify weapon classes for the purpose of spotting MED infractions on the field.
Velocity: 400 fps
Mode: Full-auto
MED: 20 feet
Features: N/A
5.02 Sidearm
Sidearm is the class of weapon you carry as a secondary, for engagements inside your MED. These are generally pistols, but may also be SMGs, Shotguns, and other weapons. This weapon may be any size or shape, as long as it does not meet any criteria of any other class.
Velocity: 350 fps
Mode: Semi-only
MED: None
Features: N/A
5.03 CQB Weapon
CQB Weapons are weapons that may be used for indoor and other close-quarters engagements. These weapons may look like anything, as long as they have a velocity below 300 feet per second.
Velocity: 300 fps
Mode: Full-auto
MED: None
Features: N/A
5.04 Sniper Rifle
Sniper rifles are special-class weapons used for long-range, accurate fire. They should be immediately identifiable as a sniper rifle based on the external characteristics, such as a long barrel, scope, full-stock, bipod, etc. These are often, but not always, bolt-action rifles. Assault rifles with sufficient characteristics to identify it as a sniper rifle may be fielded as this class. These are bolt-action or assault rifle type weapons with sufficient external features to identify it as a sniper rifle, and must be a type that is used or may be built in the real steel. Examples are bolt-action guns such as Remington replicas, and assault rifle types such as AR-types (M16, SR-25, etc), AK-types (Dragunov), and other long-range automatic rifles.
Velocity: 550 fps
Mode: Semi-only
MED: 100 feet
Features: Incapable of full-auto fire. Immediately identifiable as a sniper rifle.
5.05 DMR (Designated Marksman’s Rifle)
DMRs are special-class weapons used for medium-to-long range, accurate fire. They should be immediately identifiable as a DMR based on external characteristics, such as a long barrel, scope, full-stock, bipod, etc. These are always assault rifle type weapons with sufficient external features to identify it as a DMR, and must be a type that is used or may be built in the real steel. Examples are the AR-types (M16, SR-25, etc), the AK-types, longer-barreled H&K assault rifles, etc. These weapons must use mid-caps, low-caps, or real-caps. High-capacity magazines are not allowed.
Velocity: 450 fps
Mode: Semi-auto
MED: 50 feet
Features: Immediately identifiable as a DMR. Mid-caps only.
5.06 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon)
SAWs are special-class weapons used for medium range, suppressive fire. They should be immediately identifiable as a SAW based on external characteristics, such as a long barrel, large, bulky size, box-based ammo, etc. These are always light machine-gun type weapons with sufficient external features to identify it as a SAW, and must be a type that is used or may be used in the real steel. Examples are the M-60 LMG, M-249 SAW, etc. These weapons must use high-capacity ammo platforms, such as box-mags. For the purposes of realism, these weapons are supposed to be heavy and cumbersome, just like the real thing.
Velocity: 450 fps
Mode: Full-auto
MED: 50 feet
Features: Immediately identifiable as a SAW. High-capacity ammo platforms only.
5.07 HMG (Heavy Machinegun)
HMGs are special-class mounted weapons used for heavy, suppressive fire. They should be immediately identifiable as an HMG based on external characteristics and the fact that they are mounted, either to a field position or a vehicle. These are always heavy machine-gun type weapons with sufficient external features to identify it as an HMG, and must be a type that is used or may be used in the real steel. Examples are the MG42, M2HB, etc. These weapons must be mounted to either a vehicle or location. Often these will be vortex-block guns or other non-AEG, non-GBB type guns, which produce a very high rate of fire but are largely inaccurate.
Velocity: 450 fps
Mode: Full-auto
MED: 50 feet
Features: Mounted in a single position on the field or a vehicle.
Non-firearms Classes
5.08 Personal Explosives
Personal explosives are any kind of explosive weapon that expels bbs, such as mines, grenades, or any kind of actuated trap device. Devices must be approved, either by brand and model, or indivudally. They must expel only BBs and possibly compressed gas, no liquids, no pyrotechnics and no other chemical reactions. Examples are the AI Tornado grenade and others. A list of approved devices will be made available on the site.
Tripwire devices must be approved commercially available devices or individually approved. Tripwire devices must not present a trip hazard, and the wire mechanism must easily pull free of the device so as to not cause players tripping it to fall. A list of approved devices is provided on the website.
Velocity: 300 fps per individual BB
Mode: N/A
MED: N/A
Features: Thrown devices must be thrown underhand. Placed devices must be aimed at low-center mass to avoid hitting players in the face.
5.09 BB Showers
Any commercially available under-barrel or standalone gernade launcher device, using commercially available grenade shells. Must be loaded with BBs and using “green” or lower-pressure gas. No CO2. Showers should be aimed at low-center mass to avoid hitting players in the face.
Velocity: 300 fps per individual BB
Mode: N/A
MED: N/A
Features: N/A
5.10 Rockets
Rockets are any simulated munition larger than a BB expelled by compressed air from an airsoft gun, attached device, or standalone unit. This includes under-barrel launchers, mortars, shoulder-fired launchers, etc. These weapons are indirect-fire only, and should never be fired directly at players. They may be lobbed into a group of players for a radius kill, or fired directly at buildings and vehicles. Hit/kill rules are at the discretion of event organizers.
Velocity: 230 fps with a ~32g Nerf Rocket
Mode: N/A
MED: 30 feet, indirect-fire only
Features: Launches rockets
5.11 Distraction Devices
These are devices that do not cause a player kill, but serve as cover or distraction. Includes smoke grenades, flashbangs, and any other distraction device. No pyrotechnics of any kind are allowed. Cold smoke and non-combustible flashbangs only. Devices must be approved either by brand and model, or individually. A list of approved devices will be made available on the site.
Velocity: N/A
Mode: N/A
MED: N/A
Features: Maximum of 130dB for “bang” devices
5.12 Melee Weapons
Melee weapons are soft weapons used for direct kills, such as knives, swords, axes, etc. These weapons must be soft (Nerf, for example) and incapable of cutting or otherwise injuring other players. Melee weapons must not be thrown. A thrown knife is not a kill, the knife must be in your hand when it comes into contact with the player in order to qualify as a hit. You do not need a rubber knife to make a knife kill, you only need to put your hand on the player and say “knife”.
Velocity: N/A
Mode: N/A
MED: N/A
Features: N/A
5.13 Ballistic/Riot Shields
Shields are any type of device intended to block or deflect rounds. In order to qualify as any kind of ballistic protection, the shield must weigh at least 30 pounds and be fully opaque, and must have a width of twenty-two (22) inches with a two 2 inch margin of error (+/- 2”) and a height of fifty (50) inches with a margin of error of 2 inches (+/- 2”). If the shield corners are rounded, measurements are made across the longest surface of each side. Any areas of a shield that are partially or fully transparent do not offer ballistic protection, and hits to those areas count as hit to the player holding the shield. Any shield that weighs less than 30 pounds or is outside the size requirements is considered a riot shield, which offers no protection against bbs. Any hit on any part of a riot shield constitutes a hit on the player. Riot shields may still be useful for certain scenarios, such as zombie games or other scenarios where unarmed opponents are in play, but are actually a hindrance in normal gameplay.
Shields offer no protection against rockets and personal explosives.
Shields MAY NOT be used as melee weapons or to physically assault any other person. A shield should not come into physical contact with another player at any time.
NOTE: This rule may be changed for the purpose of a single game, where ballistic or riot shields are used as part of the scenario, but as a general rule, the above applies to any shield. Changes to this rule for specific scenarios should be explicitly stated in that scenario’s gameplay rules.
Velocity: N/A Mode: N/A MED: N/A Features: N/A
Appendix
Appendix A: Weapon Class Quick Reference Chart
| Weapon Class | FPS | MED | Mode | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | 400 | 20 | Full-Auto | N/A |
| Sidearm | 350 | N/A | Semi-Only | N/A |
| CQB Weapon | 300 | N/A | Full-Auto | N/A |
| Sniper Rifle | 550 | 100 | Semi-Only | N/A |
| DMR | 450 | 50 | Semi-Auto | Mid-Cap Only |
| SAW | 450 | 50 | Full-Auto | Hi-Cap Only |
| HMG | 450 | 50 | Full-Auto | Mounted position |
| Explosives | 300 | N/A | N/A | Underhand |
| BB Shower | 300 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rockets | 230 | 30 | N/A | Indirect Fire |
| Distraction | N/A | N/A | N/A | 130dB |
| Knife | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Appendix B: Energy Reference Chart
| Energy | 0.20g | 0.25g | 0.28g | 0.29g | 0.30g | 0.36g | 0.43g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.37 J | 200 | 179 | 169 | 166 | 163 | 149 | 136 |
| 0.47 J | 225 | 201 | 190 | 187 | 184 | 168 | 153 |
| 0.58 J | 250 | 224 | 211 | 207 | 204 | 186 | 170 |
| 0.70 J | 275 | 246 | 232 | 228 | 225 | 205 | 188 |
| 0.84 J | 300 | 268 | 254 | 249 | 245 | 224 | 205 |
| 0.98 J | 325 | 291 | 275 | 270 | 265 | 242 | 222 |
| 1.14 J | 350 | 313 | 296 | 291 | 286 | 261 | 239 |
| 1.49 J | 400 | 358 | 338 | 332 | 327 | 298 | 273 |
| 1.88 J | 450 | 403 | 380 | 374 | 367 | 335 | 301 |
| 2.32 J | 500 | 447 | 423 | 415 | 408 | 373 | 341 |
| 2.81 J | 550 | 492 | 465 | 457 | 449 | 410 | 375 |
| 3.35 J | 600 | 537 | 507 | 498 | 490 | 447 | 409 |
