Chapters:

I. Player Safety Rules
II. Player Game Play Rules
III. Penalty System
IV. Referee Guidelines
V. Tournament Guidelines

Tournament particpants or spectators may not commit any illicit actions as proscribed by the local, state, or federal laws governing the host facility. Failure to abide by these provisions shall be cause for immediate ejection from the event without a refund or refusal for admittance to the tournament with forfeiture of registrations and deposits. In addition it may result in being barred from entry to the facility as well as from future tournament play and the contacting of local law enforcement officials.

I. Safety Rules

The objectives of the following rules are to provide a safe game play environment for all participants. These rules may be "trumped" or "added to" based on each individual arena's safe game play requirements. For instance, if house rules insists on no kneeling what-so-ever, their safety rule would trump the rule outlined in this document.

Likewise, if a safety rule from this document is omitted in the house rules, this document's safety rules take presidence and shall be refereed.

This is on a per-rule basis.

A. Running (*)
1.A player may not run, skip, gallop, or move horizontally in a manner that at least one foot is not on the ground at all times.

B. Jumping(*)
1. A player is allowed to jump vertically, but not horizontally.
2. A player must land within two feet of where they started the jump (very short, controllable hops are legal).

These specific rules are to illegalize such maneuvers as leaps and long-jumps.

C. Kneeling / Laying Down /Crawling(*)

1. A player may touch at most one knee only to the ground.
2. No part of a player's abdomen, torso, buttocks, or head may intentionally touch the ground.
3. A player may not crawl on the ground using their arms, hands, elbows, or equipment for support.
4. A player may use thier arms, hands, or elbows to stabilize or balance themselves, even if this means touching the ground, so long as the action is not deliberatly used for movement.
5. No part of a player's pack or phaser may touch the ground.
6. If a player is standing up as a result of being knocked over or falling over due to thier own fault or other's, the player attempting to stand up must regain a legal stance before engaging any targets.

D. Leaning(*/*)

1. (*) A player may not hold a lean that goes beyond parallel to the ground.
2. (*) A player may lean over a wall, but both feet must be on the ground
3. (**) If a player is standing on a floor or ramp higher than the ground floor, when leaning over a wall, the player's shoulder may not cross beyond the width of the wall.

E. Blind Shooting (*)

1. A player may not reach around or over an obstacle with their phaser unless the player can see the entirety of the phaser at all times.

F. Physical Contact (*/*)

1. (**) A player may not touch an opponent or teammate or another player's equipment intentionally.
a. (*)A player may quickly touch or tap a teammate as to indicate their presence near them as a safety procedure (I.E. to make a teammate aware of another teammate's presence to avoid a possible collision). The tap or touch must last less than one second, may not be repeated successively, and may not be in such a manner that would be either physically/sexually unwelcome or could be interpreted as covering or blocking incoming shots or sensors.
b. A player may not physically touch an opponent or teammate intentionally unless said opponent or teammate is about fall over or accidentally collide with another player or you. You may place a hand out to catch someone or to prevent them from knocking you over if they are backing up and do not see you. This must be a very light pressure and only enough to stop their movement from injuring any players involved. Please note that calling out your location to prevent certain collisions can also help prevent them and allow you to forgo the need to touch other players. 2. A player may make unintentional physical contact with another player without penalty as long as neither party was maneuvering or behaving in a dangerous or uncontrollable way when the physical contact was made. If a player makes unintentional contact and was behaving in a dangerous or uncontrollable manner, the player will be penalized for Unintentional Contact and Dangerous Play AS WELL AS other penalties if applicable.
a. If unintentional physical contact is made at at point of an engagement/dogfight, Arm's Length rules are to be enforced for the remainder of the engagement.

G. Dangerous Play(**)

1. A player may not posture themselves in such a manner that can be interpreted by a reasonable person as uncontrolled and/or dangerous to themselves or others.
2. A player may not posture themselves in such a manner that can be interpreted by a reasonable person as overly aggressive or physically threatening.

H. Neutral Players (*)

1. A player is considered Neutral when they are in active dialog with a referee or if a referee is physically contacting them or actively shielding them.
2. Neutral players may not have more than one hand on their phaser unless instructed otherwise. Neutral players my dodge shots, but may not retaliate.
3. Neutral players cannot be purposefully shot at or engaged by other players. (penalize per infraction)
4. If possible, a visual cue carried by the referee should be used to indicate a player is neutral (strobe light, flashlight, putting a hand on the player's shoulder blob, ect.). A referee should announce "Neutral Player Here" or some other audio cue if movement of the neutral player is required (such as in the case of pack exchanges). The referee should attempt to shield the player from undirected shots at the player while in dialog or while moving.
5. Neutral players with referees are automatically awarded "Pass" rules.

I. General Equipment Rules(*/*/*)

1.(***) Equipment must be used within the intent of the manufacturer and may not be modified or adjusted.
2. (***) Packs may not be reset or reprogrammed or physically adjusted by any player actively in a match.
3.(**) All pack adjustments must be supervised to ensure correct.
4.(***) Packs must be handled with care and respect, they may not be abused.
5.(**) Players may not wear any clothing that may have direct influence on the game.
a.(*) Small amounts of light reflective clothing (such as found on many running shoes) will be legal, within reason, but MAY NOT be used as an advantage in-game.
b.(**) Brimmed hats may not be worn.
c. Standard Kneepads, ankle braces, knee braces, wrist braces, or elbow braces may be worn.
d.(**) Armpads (non-medical) may not be worn. 6.(**) Players may not use any sort of electronic or mechanical devices other than the equipment given without approval of the arena's staff and captains.
a. Exceptions will be made for required medical or rehabilitative devices (monitors, hearing aids, insulin pumps, ect...).
b. A digital wrist watch may be worn.
i. Digital wrist watches with infrared functionality will not be allowed in any match.
ii. Digital wrist watches may use alarm/timer functionality. c. Cellular telephones may be carried during the match in a pocket, but may never be removed from the player's pocket during a match.
7. Players must use the pack that was assigned to them. If a player discovers that they are using the wrong pack, they must report to the Armory Referee and change the pack immediately. If a player is caught deliberately using the wrong pack the player will be penalized and sent to the Armory Referee for a pack change.

J. Faulty Equipment Rules(*)

1. For all games played, as many back-up packs as possible should be entered into the game computer.
2. Players experiencing technical difficulties involving their own pack must locate a referee and request a pack change.
3. The player does not have to demonstrate a problem to the referee with their pack for the first pack that they exchange, but must do so for subsequent pack changes. The player will not be considered Neutral until the problem is successfully demonstrated.
4. A new pack will be awarded after the first if the player can demonstrate a problem that would severely effect game play (Examples: dead packs, packs making random noises, obvious firmware/polling glitches, inoperable or broken triggers, skipping shots, no laser, unable to hit obvious targets, no LCD display, incorrect pack color, ). A new pack will not be awarded for problems that do not severely effect game play (Examples: Spongy triggers, no sounds, no vibration, dim -but functional- screen, ect...). The player may hand all or part of their pack over to the Armory Referee to show them the problem, but the armory referee is not allowed to tag any targets. A player may not remove their pack until they are in active dialog with an Armory Referee.
5. When exchanging packs, the player or Armory Referee must place the faulty equipment carefully on the floor in the vesting room, out of the way of floor traffic. The referee will randomly assign or hand the player a new pack. Once the player is strapped in, the referee will allow the player to enter the arena when the immediate area is clear of opposing players, or after loudly announcing a player is entering the arena in the event of opposing players controlling the area near the arena entry point.

K. Unsportsmanlike Conduct(*/*/*)

1. The following rules apply from the moment a player arrives at the facility to the moment the player leaves the facility.
a.(*) A player may not use explicatives in a manner that would be considered by a reasonable person to be loud.
b.(**) A player may not use a personal insult against any player.
c.(***) A player may not threaten any person with violence or inflict harm on any person.
d.(***) A player must at all times be respectful to the general public, arena employees, arena management, media agencies, and local companies and facilities. 2. The following rules apply during a match only.
a.(***) Any behavior that could reasonably be interpreted as directly threatening, exceptionally offensive, excessively lewd, or an attempt to undermine Safety or Legal Play Rules.
b.(***) Failing to comply with a referee's instructions.
c.(**) Arguing with a referee about any call that is made.

L. Illegal Substances (***)

1. Participants may not be under the influence of legal medications which could pose a hazard to themselves or others (IE: Medications activly causing hallucinations, dizziness, extreme drowsiness, ect.)
2. Participants may not be under the influence of or possess any illegal substances on the premises of the host facility.
3. Unless the host site owner/operator announce that it is authorized, participants may not be under the influence of or possess alcohol on the premises of the host facility.

M. Playing On (***)

1. When a player is eliminated from a match and their display read "Game Over", they must report to the Armory Referee as quickly as possible.
2. Eliminated players are not allowed to speak, other than to tell players that they are "Eliminated".
3. If an eliminated player is discovered playing the game as if they were not eliminated, the will be removed from the game.

II. Game Play Rules

These rules are intended to define proper, clean game play and illegalizes certain stances, holds, and postures that may give some players an unfair advantage in common situations. The below rules will always trump house rules unless a safety reason is given (For instance: A house may not allow players to engage each other closer than 5 feet, which would negate the need for Arm's Length).

A. Sensor Covering(*)

1. A player may not contact any sensor blob with part of their body or equipment.
a. hair long enough to contact a sensor blob but be worn under a non-brimmed hat, tied up, tucked in, or otherwise be made so that it cannot influence the tagging of a sensor.
2. No player may knowingly block shots intended for another player or a GEM.
a. An active player may not intentionally use a nearby player (within approximately 10 feet, referee's digression) as a barrier to avoid getting hit.
b. Freight-training - or grouping several players in a condensed line and moving against the other team such that only the forward player will receive most of the incoming shots - is illegal.

B. Phaser Tilt(*)

1. Regardless if the phaser is being pointed up, down, or held forward, the phaser will have a total of 180 degrees of freedom to tilt. This means that when the phaser is held normally, aiming forward (at a 12-o'clock position), the phaser can be tilted either clockwise or counter-clockwise until it is parallel to the ground (9-o'clock or 3-o'clock positions).
a. No matter what hold is used, a player may never intentionally hold the phaser such that it is "upside down" (between 3, 6, and 9 o-clock).

Competing rules are 270 degrees (Blazer Style) and 90 degrees (Maxx Style)

C. Gun Jamming(*)

1. When shooting at an opposing player, the attacking player's phaser blob must be visible to the opposing player that they are shooting at.
2. A player may not place their phaser blob against any part of the arena while shooting at an opponent.

D. Tracking(*)
1. A player may not intentionally move part of their body or phaser in front of a sensor blob that an opponent is targeting continuously.

E. Constant Motion(*)
1. When a player moves their arms upward such that a player's elbow is at shoulder-height (upper arms are perpendicular to their body), the player must move both arms in fast-paced, continuous motion until both elbows are below shoulder-height.
a. Short pauses in the constant motion, lasting up to one-half of one second, will be tolerated as long as the pauses are not successive.
2. Constant Motion rules do not apply when firing over a wall when the wall's height is higher than the height of a player's head (this is inclusive of low walls when the player is crouching, so long as the wall is higher than the crouching player's head).
a. If changing position to engage a target that is not over the wall, constant motion or lowing the phaser to a normal legal position must occur before engaging the new target.

F. "Arm's Length" Rule(*)

1. A player may engage another player as closely as possible with respect to distance so long as:
a. Neither player makes intentional physical contact with each other.
b. Neither player is making frequent unintentional contact with each other.
c. Neither player is moving in an uncontrolled manner.2. A player may call "Arm's Length" at any time during any engagement to establish a series a rules that will be used for the remainder of the current engagement. These rules are:
a. Neither player will be allowed to approach within 2 feet of each other with respect to each player's torso. Any unintentional movement into that diameter must be immediately countered by both players. Any player intentionally moving within the 2-foot diameter will be penalized.
b. If already within 2 feet of each other when "Arm's Length" is called, each player will be required to immediately step back one foot or more from one another.
c. If a player is against a wall or a barrier, the other player will be required to move back 2 feet or more.
d. The 2-foot rule will be respected as long as each player is knowingly within the same general area of the other player.3. Prior to the start of the game, while in the vesting room, a team captain may inform the other team and all referees that the entire team wants to observe "Arm's Length" rules for the duration of the entire game. If this is done, "Arm's Length" rules must be respected for all players continuously during the match.

G. "Pass" Rule(*)

1. Active players (players who are displaying lights or are able to fire) may completely block corridors/hallways or move in accordance with another players such that they hinder the progression of another player.
2. Active players (players who are displaying lights or are able to fire) have the right-of-way over inactive players (players who are not able to fire due to deactivation or are flashing from sustaining a hit).
3. Inactive players may not block movement of active or inactive players in hallways/corridors or move in accordance with active players to hinder the progression of another player. Inactive players must give 50% of a hallway or corridor to any active or inactive player moving through.
4. An inactive or active player wishing to move to the other side of an active player who is blocking must say "Pass" or "Pass Please" in order to move to the other side of the blocking player.
a. The "Pass" command must be stated loudly and clearly, and directed at a single player.
b. The player receiving the "Pass" command must give the ordering player 50% of the available hallway or corridor area in a reasonable amount of time, or cease their movements that are intended to hinder a directional movement if in an open area.
c. The ordering player must move to the other side of the player that the Pass command was issued at. The ordering player may not stop in between this movement.
d. The ordering player may not immediately issue the pass command on the same player that they just commanded.5. The "Pass" command can not be used to move into closed areas that only one player can posses (such as corners, sniper boxes, caves, ect). There has to be, at minimum, four feet of space to move into. If a closed area is possessed by an inactive player, the inactive player is not required to relinquish possession of area to an active player.
6. A player that has received a "Pass" command from a player may not issue a "Pass" command to the player that issued them the first "Pass" command until the player that issued the first "Pass" command has:
a. Completed their pass.
b. Has stopped moving longitudinally or laterally.
c. Has established themselves in a blocking position.
7. Arm's Length rules (if having been called) will be neglected in the case of a narrow hallway or corridor pass. They will be enforced for open-arena passes.

III. Penalty System

A. Penalty System Overview
1. The penalty system is designed to support three levels of infractions:
a. Minor Infractions (*) for potentially dangerous, slightly reckless, and slightly unfair play.
b. Major Infractions (**) for dangerous, reckless, and completely unfair play.
c. Ejection-Level Infractions (***) for behavior that is obviously dangerous, aggressive, and completely unsportsmanlike.
B. The infractions have been noted above using *'s to indicate infraction level. There is much debate.
B. Minor Infractions (*)
1. Phaser System: Electroblaster (double damage) - Single Hit
2. Card System: Card is pulled, if unable to present card, player is eliminated from the match(not an ejection-level infraction). Subtract the point equivalent of 5 player hits (basic points in your favor, do not use point-swing)
3. Clipboard System: Subtract the point equivalent of 2 player hits (basic points in your favor, do not use point-swing)

C. Major Infractions (**)
1. Phaser System: Electroblaster (double damage) - Triple Hit
2. Card System: Card is pulled AND player is eliminated from the match (not an ejection-level infraction). Subtract the point equivalent of 5 player hits (basic points in your favor, do not use point-swing).
3. Clipboard System: Subtract the point equivalent of 6 player hits (basic points in your favor, do not use point-swing)
D. Ejection-Level Infractions(***)
1. All Systems: Player is removed from the game. Player's score removed from Team's Score at end game.

E. Captain Meetings
1. A Captain's Meeting will take place if:
a. A player is eliminated by penalties in a game
b. A player is identified as a chronic abuser of a particular rule or rules over the course of several games
c. If an Ejection Level infraction is ever called on a player
d. If a captain raises a dispute over the Referee's understanding or handling of the rules
e. If game play was interrupted due to injury or disruption and there is not enough time to play a rematch.
f. If an obvious game-changing scoring glitch is discovered in a particular match.
2. The captain's meeting will involve the captains of all teams, all referees, and arena management staff if applicable.

3. If the person(s) in question are the currently acting captain of a team, then a different team representative will be sent to the meeting, if applicable.

4. Prior to the meeting the captain or representative of the offending player(s) will discuss the issue with the offending player(s) to understand their points of view.

5. At a meeting involving rule violations, the violation must be discussed, and the following items must be voted on:

a. Was the infraction or infractions severe enough that it significantly altered the game? If so, should the winning team and losing team be redeclared?
b. Are the infraction or infractions correctable (a misunderstanding of the rules) or not?
c. Should the player be permitted to participate in the remainder of the tournament?

6. In the case of a voting tie the vote of Arena Management will decide the outcome.
a. If Arena Management is unavailable, the vote of the offending team's captain or representative will be void.
7. Because of the potential for schedule impacts, this meeting must occur as quickly as possible.

IV. Referee Guidelines

A. Referee Selection

1. Referees for each tournament will be trustworthy, respected individuals as decided by Arena Management, Tournament directors, and Team Captains. Generally each team should elect 2 players with a solid understanding of the rules to serve as referees.

2. The Choice of Referees will be discussed prior to the start of a Tournament at the Capitan's meeting or Rules review. If a Referee is considered unacceptable by certain captains, management, or tournament directors the issue should be brought up at this time.

3. It is the Referee's Responsibility to understand the rules and to execute them to the best of their ability.

B. Pre-Game
1. Check with the main counter or listen for announcements to discover if you will be a refaree for each match. Confirm with the counter what Packs will be used to refaree with, and which packs will be used for back-up.

2. Generally each game will require 4 referees. 1 of the 4, the Armory Referee, does not require refaree training and will not be calling penalties outside of those involving equipment changes (they may observe the game and confirm Game play Referee calls if possible)

3. A refaree will assign packs to players based on the print-out or chart generated for each match. Announce each player name and pack number and watch to make sure that each player is picking up the correct pack (to prevent pack grabbing).

C. Referee Positioning

1. Before entering the arena, coordinate with other game play referees to determine what region of the Arena you will be refereeing. Try to form a coverage strategy that will efficiently cover large amounts of the arena with little or no overlap into other referee's territory.

2. Armory Referees should find a location nearest the entry point into the arena. If more than one entry point arem available, take the most visible, yet out-of-the-way position available in between them.

3. Referees can be used as a barrier although they may not be touched. However, the referee must continually attempt to stay out of the way of active players.

D. Game play Referee Specific Rules

1. During the game it is preferred if the referees remain stationary and standing flat against a wall so that their presence will effect the game as little as possible. If a safe, stable position with a large view of the field can be found on top of a barrier, this is preferred to locations on the ground. If the refaree needs to move from position to position, move along walls, as non-invasivly as possible (A refaree should never walk down the middle of a hall for instance).

2. Referees will be equipped with packs set to "Invulnerable" for the duration of the game and a penalizing power that will remove a certain number of points from any player's score when tagged. Under no circumstance should a refaree fire their phaser unless they are certain that a player has committed an illegal play.

3. When a referee observes a penalty, the referee should immediately take not of the player(s) involved. Then loudly announce "PENALTY!". After announcing a penalty, if the offense is a non-ejection-level offense, tag the player or players that committed the penalty. After tagging the player(s), the referee must inform the players (if possible) what it was that they did to cause a penalty to be used against them.

4. If a penalty shot was delivered to a player that was not the intended target, ask the player for their player name and/or pack number and make a note of it.

5. Players are not allowed to directly argue or interact with a referee during the game unless instructed otherwise. Players my not directly petition a referee (command a referee to watch or penalize a particular player for instance) or attempt to distract a referee. A player is allowed to tell another player that what they are doing is illegal. Generally speaking, Game play Referees talk to players but not vice-versa (Armory Referees may be conversed with at any time, but they may only be spoken to about pack issues). Arguing/Petitioning/Distracting will be considered Unsportsmanlike Conduct and penalized.

6. Belligerent or aggressive players who have become physically violent towards another person should be ejected from game play immediately. Game play or Armory Referees should not put themselves into a position where they may become injured by the aggravated player(s). If the player refuses to cooperate with any Referee, quickly contact Arena Management and convey as much information as possible to them.

7. If a player or players become severely injured or incapacitated, loudly announce that a player has become injured and that the match will be stopped. As quickly as possible tend to the wounded player, inform arena management, and stop the match. The match will be replayed if possible, or decided by Captains meeting (By use of the incomplete match's scorecards). Feigning a serious injury will be considered Unsportsmanlike Conduct and will award the match to the opposing team.

E. Armory Referee Specific Rules

1. The Armory Referee will be responsible for guiding players through the pack changing process efficiently.

For reference the player rules are these:
(from above)

J. Faulty Equipment Rules(*)

1. For all games played, as many back-up packs as possible should be entered into the game computer.
2. Players experiencing technical difficulties involving their own pack must locate a referee and request a pack change.
3. The player does not have to demonstrate a problem to the referee with their pack for the first pack that they exchange, but must do so for subsequent pack changes. The player will not be considered Neutral until the problem is successfully demonstrated.
4. A new pack will be awarded after the first if the player can demonstrate a problem that would severely effect game play (Examples: dead packs, packs making random noises, obvious firmware/polling glitches, inoperable or broken triggers, skipping shots, no laser, unable to hit obvious targets, no LCD display, incorrect pack color, ). A new pack will not be awarded for problems that do not severely effect game play (Examples: Spongy triggers, no sounds, no vibration, dim -but functional- screen, ect...). The player may hand all or part of their pack over to the Armory Referee to show them the problem, but the armory referee is not allowed to tag any targets. A player may not remove their pack until they are in active dialog with an Armory Referee.
5. When exchanging packs, the player or Armory Referee must place the faulty equipment carefully on the floor in the vesting room, out of the way of floor traffic. The referee will randomly assign or hand the player a new pack. Once the player is strapped in, the referee will allow the player to enter the arena when the immediate area is clear of opposing players, or after loudly announcing a player is entering the arena in the event of opposing players controlling the area near the arena entry point.
2. In addition to the above rules, the Armory Referee will always carry a notepad and pen and ask the player for thier player name and pack number (if possible) as well as take note what pack number the player has been reassigned to for statistical reference after the game.

3. It is important that the Armory Referee know what back-up packs numbers are resisted to what color, as all of the back-up packs will not display any lights during normal game play. It is advisable that the racks be labeled or marked.

4. During an Elimination format, a player my only change a pack if they have a demonstrable pack issue that would severely effect game play (Examples: dead packs, packs making random noises, obvious firmware/polling glitches, inoperable or broken triggers, skipping shots, no laser, unable to hit obvious targets, no LCD display, incorrect pack color). In addition, the player must first prove to the Armory Referee that they possess at least 50% of the initial lives and energy from the start of the match. The Armory Referee should have this value memorized and written down for quick reference.
a. IE: in a "4 life, 10 energy" elimination match, the player would have to have at least 2 lives and 5 energy when they begin dialog with the Armory Referee.
b. If a player is under the Life/Energy value they may elect to continue playing until eliminated or to volunteer to eliminate themselves from the match.
i. A player may elect to continue to play then return for voluntary elimination.
ii. Voluntary elimination is only available for players with demonstrable severe pack problems and who's live and energy are less than the 50% value.
ii. If the pack issue involves the player having mass sensor failure, invalidly invulnerability awards, or other technicical glitches that would give the player an overwhelming advantage, AND the player is under the Life Energy value, the player will be eliminated.

F. Post Game/Penalty Adjustment

1. When the match is over, announce that the game has come to an end and make sure that all players have left the arena. Remind players to place their packs back onto the correct rack position, then check to make sure that the packs have been replaced in the proper order.

2. If any penalties were falsely awarded, inform all persons responsible for score keeping and statistics immediately following the game.

3. If any pack changes were made, inform all persons responsible for score keeping and statistics immediately following the game.

4. At this point players may be angry with a referee over penalties that were or were not called. Referees are instructed to have those players consult with their team captain. If the team captain decides that the issue is of some concern, a captain's meeting can be called to determine if a penalty was called incorrectly or if a referee's behavior was improper. Score adjustments and Referee re-training may take place depending on the decisions of the captains.