General Airsoft Rules - Courtesy of the Saint James Grenadiers

Airsoft is a game of honor, a tactical training, simulation and a game of fun...

Honor Code
1- Airsoft is a game of honor. Please call your own hits.
2- Mind your own hits. Do not call opposing players out.
3- Show respect for other players in both your words and actions.
4- Follow both the letter and intent of all scenario based rules and restrictions.
5- Follow the prescribed Med-Evac or Regen procedures. “Wounded” soldiers do not chit-chat!
6- Do not intentionally move into or engage other players within the 15 foot buffer zone. No “bunkering”.
7- Use the “Bang, Bang!” rule if you have another player “dead to rights” at close range. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION!
8- Use the “Parlay” rule if you and another player come into contact at an unsafe distance.   THIS IS NOT AN OPTION!
9- No blind fire. You must be able to see with your own eyes what you are shooting at.
10- No hosing. Give opponents a chance to call themselves out between bursts.
11- Subordinate players should observe and respect ranks such as Squad Leaders and assigned Officers.
12- Ranking players should recognize that rank is a tool to provide structure and enjoyment to the game.
13- Weapons should be made “safe” and magazines removed when in a staging area or other “safe zone.”
14- If you find a lost item, it should be turned in to Game Control as soon as possible.

Safety Code
1- Proper eye protection must be worn at all times while on the field.
2- “Blind Man” should be called to stop the game for a loss of eye protection or medical emergency.
3- All weapons brought into the AO must be within the chrono limits set by Game Control.
4- Velocity reducers are not allowed.
5- Discharging weapons in a “safe zone” is strictly forbidden.
6- Theft, assault, or any other violation of the law will result in your arrest by local law enforcement.
7- No smoking outside of designated areas. No smoke or pyrotechnics allowed.
8- Do not litter the AO. Pack up and dispose of your trash in an appropriate manner.
9- Players are encouraged to use “Bio” type BB’s for all outdoor fields. Some fields and field owners requires "Bio" type bb, if so, please follow the rules.

Proper Eye Protection:
All players are required to wear ANSI-Z87 (or equivalent) rated goggles or paintball masks which enclose the entire eye area and conform to the features of the face with a rubber or foam seal. Steel (not wire) mesh goggles that do not deform under test firing are also allowed.

Glossary & Rules Explanation

AO- Area of Operation. The field where the event takes place.

“Bang Bang!”- If you have an opposing player “dead to rights” in a close range situation where shooting them could result in unnecessary harm call out “Bang, Bang!” to indicate a verbal kill. The opposing player is now “dead” and should immediately pull out their red rag and follow the appropriate regen procedure.
“Bang, Bang!” is a safety call ONLY. It is NOT a way of killing someone tactically and should never be used in a situation where it could be disputed by a fellow player.

Blind Fire- Shooting without the ability to see what you are shooting at. The most common form is this is sticking your gun over or around cover and firing without looking at where you are shooting. Blind fire is strictly prohibited.

“Blind Man”- If a player loses his eye protection for some reason, he should immediately call "Blind Man." Upon hearing the call, other players should immediately repeat the call and wave their red rags to signal a halt in game play. The game is paused until the affected player pronounces "All Clear", at which point other players should return their red rags to their pockets and repeat the "All Clear" call. “Blind Man” may also be used to halt the game in the event of a medical emergency. Game Control Staff should then be contacted at once to assist the injured player.

Buffer Zone- For safety, all players are considered to be surrounded by a “no fire” zone of 5 yards (15 feet). Under no circumstance should you ever shoot another player inside this 15 foot zone, instead using the “Bang, Bang!” rule. Any player intentionally charging headlong into another player’s safety zone will be immediately removed from the game.

Bunkering- A paintball term which means to charge up on a player who is hiding behind cover and engage them at close range. For safety reasons, this tactic is forbidden in airsoft and will result in you being ejected from the game.

Chrono- Short for chronograph, this device measures the velocity at which a projectile travels.

Hit- If a BB hits ANY PART of your body or the clothing or gear that you are wearing it is counted as a hit.  *Hits to the weapon count as a kill too (*Amended for Mt. Top games).
Ricochets off cover (ie: a wall) do not count as a hit. Ricochets through cover (ie: branches) do count as a hit.
Friendly fire counts! A hit by a teammate is still a hit.
When two players fire simultaneously and both get hit, both are out regardless of who said "hit" first.

Hosing- Unnecessarily long sustained bursts or more than 15-20 rounds at a time. Even for support weapons this is not allowed. Short controlled bursts should be used to allow opponents to call themselves out.

Mil-Sim- Stands for Military Simulation. The essence of a Mil-Sim event is one where the experience is more important than the outcome. Objectives typically mimic those of real world military operations, uniform impressions are usually fairly strict, and “role playing” is highly encouraged.

“Parlay”- If two players encounter each other at a distance of 15 feet or less in the forward arc, they should call "parlay" and back off to a safe distance. This is MANDATORY. As with the “Bang, Bang!” rule, “Parlay” should be used to ensure the safety of you and your opponent, not as offensive or defensive tactical maneuver.

Red Rag (Wound Rag)- A piece of bright red or orange fabric used to indicate that the player is “wounded” and is no longer a valid target. The Wound Rag should be waved in the air briefly, then placed over your face as you lie down in a medic game.  In a respwn game, just put it on your head while holding your weapon above your head and head to base.

Safe Area- Anyplace outside of the active play area including campgrounds, assembly areas, or any place where Game Control Staff indicates it is safe for players to remove their goggles.

o       Hazard and Environmental Notices

Smokers may smoke in a clear area on the road but not during a live scenario.  Other than that, don’t light a fire! 

The owner says that there isn’t any poison ivy or oak fortunately.  There are probably no poisonous snakes but there are small (bad) scorpions now and again. Watch for these to crawl up on discarded clothing.  Seriously!!!

There are bobcats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, stupid condors, other birds, bears, wolves, fruit bats, orangutans... You get the idea.  Don’t shoot any of these!  Seriously!!!

There’s nothing more satisfying than a Snickers™ bar after a long airsoft battle.  Sit back and enjoy the peanutty goodness and rich caramel.  When you are done, put the wrapper in your pocket and throw it away later back near the latrines.  Same thing with bottles and whatnot.  Do not litter! 

o      The biggest hazard is the tree branches.  Yes, tree branches.  They are stiff, sharp,  and most are exactly eye height.  This is more than half the reason we are not allowing shooting glasses and are insisting on goggles.  Always wear your goggles while moving around out on the field! 

o       The next biggest hazard is getting lost.  Almost everywhere from the beginning of the game is downhill.  Therefore, heading uphill will get you home or to a road. .  Cell phone coverage is spotty (70%-ish) so keep that in mind when lost.  I have found that I have coverage when I can see southern mountains.  Stay in contact with your team and buddy up! 

o       Finally, the road to the field is rough for the first 1.8 miles and then there’s a near hairpin turn to the right (east).  Until then there are blind corners and steep grades.  Keep your momentum going forward so you don’t spin and rut the road and you should be OK.  Just keep it slow and steady.  I am likely to be coming up and down that thing as are moms dropping off Junior.  Do not hit me or a mom! Seriously!!!

When coming down the hill there is absolutely no justification to be speeding.  The turns are blind, the traction is soft, and momentum is greater due to your declining angle.  Give the guys coming up the hill every latitude possible.