FIGHTING RULES

Other scoring actions

• • Direct hits from a ball projectile or from the tip of a pointed projectile.

  • Approaching within striking distance of a non-contact archer (the non-contact archer automatically dies)

Active vs passive equipent

Here, unarmored means unarmored!

• Weapons must be held in your hand to be considered "active"

• Shields must be held in your hand or strapped to your forearm to be considered "active"

• Passively suspended equipment is considered "passive" (e.g. belt knife, scabbard, slung shield)

• Scoring actions "pass through" passive equipment

Other allowed (non-scoring) actions

• Non-percussive shield contact/pressing to the body

• Controlled grappling to disarm

• In certain games, gladiator nets may be thrown to encumber an opponent.

Quality strike criteria

• Stabs must travel at least 12” (~30 cm). A light kiss at full extension is not a quality stab.

• Hewing cuts must accelerate through at least 60° of arc and land with good edge alignment.

• Slicing cuts must travel at least half the edge length, with pressure.

• Strikes which do not meet these criteria are not scoring actions and do not kill your opponent.
  
  

NOTE: Strikes using the underside of a billhook/guisarme must be released immediately. No pulling or holding body parts.

Strike Intensity

• Intensity (power) and quality are not the same thing. We are using bladed weapons, not clubs.

• Strike intensity is calibrated for controlled quality contact with light gear. 

• Reenactment fighters can expect a level of intensity similar to the upper limits of Western style.

Questionable quality

In reenactment, the mentality is often "steel kills" or "accept all hits regardless of quality". Please do not bring that mentality to War Games. Instead, we ask you to follow these guidelines:

Strikes without quality

• If you are certain that you received a non-quality strike, ignore it and continue fighting.

• To avoid misunderstandings, it's helpful to call out what happened... e.g. "flat!".

• If further discussion is needed, take it off the field or wait until the fight is over.

Questionable contact

After feeling a hit, if you are unsure whether it killed you or not, you should die. This is to avoid causing interference.

Etiquette

Combatants are encouraged to self-call in the opponent’s favor when appropriate. For example, if you strike with your flat and your opponent quits, you may call them back into play. If you are called back in this manner but you disagree, you may remain dead.

General Projectile Safety

• It is critical that all projectiles are inspected prior to each use

• No projectile should hit harder than a lively rubber spear. Calibrate your intensity.

• All damaged projectiles must be removed from play.

Archery Safety

• Rubber blunted arrows (e.g. bunny busters) fly faster and hit harder than boffer arrows. Reduce your draw length as needed. 

• Arrows hit harder at closer ranges, such as when a fighter hunts an archer. Control your draw power at all times!

• Never fence with arrows

• Unsafe shooting will result in immediate ban from shooting

Archery Roles

1) Non-Contact Archer

• A HEMA mask is required. Additional protection is encouraged but not required.

• Non-contact status is indicated by a yellow ring of tape around the mask.

• Non-contact archers are not legal melee targets. However, they are legal projectile targets.

• Non-contact archers are immediately considered dead if an enemy fighter is within striking distance and threatens the archer with their weapon. Fighters are not allowed to strike but they are allowed to carefully touch for kill confirmation.

2) Full-Contact Archer

• Full sparring kit is required. The draw hand glove is optional.

• Full-contact archers do not have a yellow ring of tape around the mask.

• Sturdy bows may be used to parry.

• Full-contact archers fight and die in the same manner as full-contact fighters, except:

  • The draw hand is not a legal target for striking weapons. Glove or no glove, we do not want to strike at the bowstring or the arrows. Everyone must be careful to keep the draw hand out of harm's way.

  • The draw hand becomes a legal target when drawing a sidearm to fight with (e.g. sword). The hand must be appropriately gloved.

• Full-contact archers must be willing to assume the risk of injury to the ungloved draw hand and/or damage to bow and arrows

If you are struck by a valid scoring action, you are dead! 

You are also considered dead if you:

• surrender

• step out of bounds

• fall  to three (3) points of contact while fighting

• are disqualified by foul
  
  

Remember: fighters are encouraged to self-call in the opponent’s favor when appropriate. For example, if you strike with your flat and your opponent quits, you may call them back into play. If you are called back in this manner but you disagree, you may remain dead.

Doubles and afterblows

Same-tempo afterblows are considered a "double kill". If two attacks are in motion at the same time, and they both result in a scoring action, it doesn’t matter who gets hit first. Both fighters are dead.

Next-tempo afterblows are "late hits" and do not count as kills. Once you are struck with a scoring action, you may finish any actions already in motion, but you may not initiate any new offensive actions. As much as we appreciate the realism factor, next-tempo afterblows are a headache to self-judge accurately in team fighting. Please avoid.

Rules for the dead

Protect yourself at all times.

When you are killed:

• • Acknowledge the hit and signal that you are dead

  • During a team fight, die in place. Take a knee or lay down. If you die at the foot of a fight, that's OK. Navigating around dead bodies is part of the game.

  • Non-contact archers without full sparring gear should not die in place. Instead, clearly signal that you are dead and exit the field of play as soon as possible.

  • If you need to move while dead, always retreat away from the action to avoid causing interference. Dead should never advance into the fight.

  • You must signal that you are dead. The accepted signals for the dead are:

    1. raise your hand

    2. touch your weapon to your head

    3. flip your shield inside out

  • It is also helpful to signal verbally

Calling Fouls

• An official may call a foul against any player comitting an action deemed illegal by the rules or by official judgment.

• Fighters may decline fouls called against their opponent.
  E.g. If a fighter receives an illegal strike but is unharmed, they may decline the foul.

• Officials have the final say on fouls/penalties

• Fouls are categorized in three (3) levels of severity:

  • Yellow Card: Minor Foul - Warning

  • Red Card:  Moderate Foul or Repeat Minor Foul - Penalty

  • Black Card: Severe Foul - Exclusion

Examples of Illegal Actions

• Strikes to illegal targets

• Striking or grappling with excessive force

• Takedowns

• Interference

• Hook attacks (flexible billhook strike is OK)

• Using any sort of weapon or gladiator net to pull body parts or protective gear

• Failing to immediately release hooked body parts 

• Staying in a tug-of-war with axes (momentary grapple/strip is OK)

• Striking at arrows or quivers containing arrows. (blocking flying arrows is OK)

• Disregard for your own safety, such as:

  • Presenting the back of your head or spine

  • Non-contact archers: standing too close to the melee

  • Full-contact archers: presenting your unprotected draw hand

Safety Culture 

• The “stop” command is reserved for emergencies. Anyone may call a safety stop.

• Our policy on injury is “your weapon, your fault." If you are involved with an injury, assist the injured fighter as needed until the situation is under control

• Injuries are evaluated by the officials to ensure all appropriate measures are taken

• All fighters are responsible for reporting dangerous fighting or conditions

Official Actions

• Blowing the whistle signals the start or end of play

• Tapping a combatant with the baton signals the combatant is dead

• Placing the baton between combatants indicates separation is required

• Fouls are signaled by use of color-coded cards

• Minor issues may result in verbal warning
  
  

Official Staff

• The goal of the official staff is to ensure a rewarding and safe experience in the true spirit of War Games.

• A rotation of support volunteers will be determined during the event.

• Officials on live fields of play must wear a HEMA mask with back of head protection.

Referee Leadership Team

• Kyle - Magister Munerum (Event Director)

• John - Summa Rudis (Training Officer I)

• Andy - Secunda Rudis (Training Officer II)

• Yury - Quaestor (Registrar) 

• Rudiarii (Referees) Volunteer game officials carry a yellow baton, card wallet, and whistle.