General Rules for Airsoft Games in Estonia
1. Night Games
- Flashlights are permitted and often even recommended.
- A red light is mandatory to mark yourself when you are HIT in the dark.
- The use of night vision devices as well as thermal cameras is allowed.
- Tracer BBs must be used, and a tracer unit is mandatory.
1. Prohibited Activities
- Physical contact with an opponent.
- Touching or taking another player’s equipment or weapon.
- Intentionally firing at close range without necessity.
- Arguing about a hit during the game (do this after the game).
1. Respawn and Medic System
Common variants:
- Medic: A teammate can heal you within a specified time limit.
- Teammate assistance: Some scenarios allow another player (not only a medic) to help you.
- Respawn point: You re-enter the game from a designated location.
- Mobile or temporary respawn: In some cases, the respawn point can be temporary or carried with the team.
- Life limit: For example, 1–3 lives for the entire game, or a time-based system (e.g. a 15-minute timeout where all players must exit the field).
- A “dead” player must not provide information to living players.
1. Role-Based Restrictions Are Common
- Rifleman – standard player.
- Medic – can revive teammates.
- Support / LMG – higher firepower, limited mobility.
- Sniper / DMR – higher FPS, longer MED, slower pace of play.
1. Safety Rules (Most Important)
- Protective goggles must be worn at all times in the game area (including during breaks).
- Weapons may only be fired within the game area and only in the direction of a target. In addition, events may have designated areas defined by the organizers where weapons may be tested or checked (e.g. firing or weapon check points).
- In the safe zone: unload the weapon, remove the magazine, and if possible use a trigger guard or barrel cover.
- Blind firing (shooting around a corner without looking) is prohibited.
1. Fire Modes and Engagement Distances in Tactical Games
- Indoors: Only semi-automatic fire is permitted.
- Exceptions are allowed only by prior agreement (e.g. private games).
- Outdoors: Semi-automatic or controlled automatic fire is allowed according to the game rules.
- Minimum Engagement Distance (MED)
- Pistols / SMGs: 1.2–1.6 J — may be used without a minimum engagement distance.
- Semi-automatic snipers (single-shot only): 1.7–2.5 J — backup weapon required, minimum engagement distance 20 m.
- Machine guns (LMG): 1.7–2.5 J — backup weapon required, minimum engagement distance 20 m.
- Bolt-action snipers: up to 4 J — minimum engagement distance 30 m, close-quarters weapon (pistol) required.
- 💥 Grenades
- Flash (sound/light-effect) grenades are allowed.
- Smoke grenades are allowed.
- Grenade launchers are permitted in accordance with fire safety regulations.
- Hit rules:
- In open areas, a grenade has a 2.5 m blast radius — all players within this radius are considered eliminated.
- When a grenade detonates inside a building, all players in the same room are considered eliminated.
- 🔪 Melee & Close-Contact Rules
- A rubber knife, touching an opponent’s body with a rubber knife, or a clear imitation from a distance of 30–50 cm counts as a hit and the player is eliminated.
- “Bang!” / “Surrender!” rule: If the opponent is too close, use the “Bang!” / “Surrender!” rule.
- As this can cause misunderstandings or disputes, the situation must always be resolved calmly, relying on the referee’s decision if necessary.
- In most cases, both players proceed to the respawn point.
- Head and Face Shots
- Head and face shots are allowed only if explicitly permitted by the game rules.
- They are strongly discouraged — if it is possible to shoot the body, do so, and do not intentionally aim at the face.
1. Hits and Fair Play
Every BB hit counts, including hits to weapons or equipment (unless stated otherwise).
When hit:
- Clearly shout “HIT!”
- Raise your hand and take out your orange vest, put it on so that you are clearly visible from a distance and from all directions (360°).
- Leave the game according to the rules (respawn / medic / out).
- Ricochet hits (bounces) usually do not count unless specifically stated otherwise.
- Honesty is a core value of airsoft — cheating ruins the game for everyone.
- Airsoft distinguishes between technical and non-technical hits:
- A technical hit is a valid hit that the player clearly perceives. In this case, the hit must be honestly called and the game rules must be followed.
- A non-technical hit occurs when a BB hits the player, but the player cannot objectively perceive or feel it. A good example is being hit while running in a backpack or other thick gear where the impact is neither felt nor heard — in such cases, the hit is not considered valid and this is not cheating.
2. Disputes
- If a dispute arises during an airsoft game, remain calm, step out of the game area, and do not interfere with other players who are not involved and have no knowledge of the situation.
- If necessary, ask for the player’s name and contact the organizer, rely on the rules, and allow the game leader or referee to make the final decision.
- If at least three reports are received about the same player not calling hits, the referee will intervene.
- First, the referee will inform the player of the situation and monitor their behavior.
- If a rule violation is confirmed, the player will be removed from the game immediately.
- For a first offense, a warning is issued; for repeated offenses, a ban (LOCK) is imposed and the player will no longer be allowed to participate in future games.
3. Tactical Behavior
- Move as a team; use cover and communication.
- Avoid shouting and giving unnecessary information to the opponent.
- Use hand signals and radio communication (if allowed).
- The goal is not “frags”, but mission completion.