Post by The Cell on Feb 14, 2009 12:53:12 GMT -5
Bat'leth Competition Basic Rules
Protective Garments
Required
For legal reasons, all players are required to wear:
Athletic cup
Face Shield
Mouthpiece
Protective headgear
Strongly Recommended
For reasons of safety, equipment above and beyond that which is legally required is strongly recommended. Such equipment includes but is not limited to:
Ankle guards
Shin guards
Kneepads
Padded gloves
Wrist guards
Elbow pads
Chest plate
Back/spine padding
Neck padding
Prohibited
For reasons of safety the following gear or accessories are not allowed:
Exposed metal plating
Spikes
Coat tails
Capes
Scarves
Neckties
Players using said equipment would be asked to remove the piece and surrender it into the custody of the officials before entering the game.
Offensive/Defensive Equipment
Construction and Classification of Offensive Equipment
In general all types of melee weapons are allowed, but in the interests of safety and ease of monitoring there are some restrictions:
Weapons used in the course of the game must be composed of Latex or Wood.
The lethal surfaces (i.e. edges, points, and striking surfaces) of weapons must be clearly marked with colored tape (6a) to denote that it is an offensive item.
No weapons shall be less than 9 inches (~23 centimeters) in overall length.
No weapon shall exceed and overall length of 10 feet (~3 meters).
o Pikes and similar spears may exceed this maximum length at the discretion of event coordinators.
Weapons shall not have any of the following:
o Joints or hinges
o Highly flexible, rope-like or chain sections
o Mechanical components (e.g. spring-loaded blades, rotating gears, etc.)
Ranged weapons and the throwing of melee weapons are prohibited.
Weapons with dual melee and ranged function are approved for melee use only. Unequipped, trap-type weapons are prohibited.
Blunt instruments rules.
Offensive equipment may take many different forms within the aforementioned guidelines. For the purposes of record keeping, equipment is categorized on the basis of the primary components it is made up. The various components are described in the Offensive Equipment Components section. The categories are as follows: [still working on the wording]
Axe
o Examples: hatchets, battle-axes, halberds
o Primary components:
Lethal: Axe head
Non-lethal: Haft or hilt (longer than X inches) (Note: I want to say X is 9 whenever you have a “haft or hilt” situation)
o Supplementary components:
Lethal: Additional Axe head, Blade, Blunt head, Spearhead, Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard
Bladed
o Examples: daggers, knives, machetes, swords
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blade
Non-lethal: Hilt
o Supplementary components:
Lethal: Additional Blade, Blunt head (pommel only), Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard, Hilt (note: by this I mean something like a ricasso)
Blunt
o Examples: clubs, hammers, maces, staves
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blunt head
Non-lethal: Haft or Hilt (longer than X inches)
o Supplemental components:
Lethal: Spike (see components section for details)
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard
o Special rules regarding staves go here
Exotic
o Examples: claws, Klingon bat'leth,
o Exotic weapons are a special class of weapon that encompasses any weapon that does not conform to any other category for one of several reasons:
The weapon has multiple (should we give a specific number?) different primary lethal components
The weapon uses a glove as its primary non-lethal component
The weapon contains a component that does not conform to the described operational definitions of weapon components, but otherwise conforms to regulations
The weapon has no historical precedent such as those designed by the player, or those based upon works of fiction.
Pole Arm
o Examples: glaives, spears, naginata
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blade or Spearhead
Non-Lethal: Haft
o Supplemental components:
Lethal: (should I add a axe head?), Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard, Hilt (example: the original scythes have two handles extending from the haft so the user can get more torque)
Any other obvious groups I missed
For a complete list of allowed and prohibited weaponry and their classification please refer to the detailed rules section. Any weaponry not listed therein, such as more obscure fantasy weapons, may be allowed at the discretion of event coordinators and therefore may vary from one tournament to another.
Offensive Equipment Components
The categories of weapons are (note: these are operational definitions, not historical)
Non-lethal Components
Flair- brightly colored sash, tassel, tuft of hair, or flag
o Shall not exceed X inches in any dimension (Note: I want to go with under 6 inches so that it can’t theoretically be used as a whip…)
o Shall not be of the same color as the markings on the lethal surface of the weapon.
o May be added to a weapon of any category as a supplementary component only
o Must not be used as a handle for the weapon (Note: probably would constitute a violation because the weapon becomes classed as a chain weapon the moment you swing it)
Glove- a grip or article of clothing for use with a single hand or arm to which other components may connect. (Note: the handle of a katar is considered a glove component )
o When connected to a lethal component, this component cannot function as a defensive item.
o When not connected to a lethal component, this component may be treated as a shield if marked as a defensive item (Note: this allows the use of gauntlets and bracers)
o Spikes may not be added directly to this component
Guard- protective extension from a weapon (Note: applies to crossguards, tsubas, bucket hilts and those bars at the base of some spears/lances that keep the head from penetrating too deep to be retrieved easily)
o May be added to a weapon of any category as a supplementary component
o Any guard that extends over the entire hand or part of the arm of the player must be marked as defensive item (note: the best example is for a bucket hilt… or the gauntlet covering of a pata)
Haft- pole or shaft to which other components may connect
o Must be between Y and 10 feet in length
o In the case of staves, this component may be treated as a lethal component. See the blunt components rules for further details.
Hilt- handle or grip for one or two hands to which other components may connect
o Must be between 2 and Y inches in length (note: Y here is the same as the minimum for haft. The longest hilt I have on any of the swords I own is 12 inches so that’s my recommendation.)
If circular or curved (i.e. a ring, hook or gun grip) it must be between the aforementioned lengths in diameter or longest dimension (note: this allows for brass knuckle shaped hilts found in trench knives. Or should I change it so those are treated as a glove component?)
Lethal components
Axe head- chopping or slashing lethal extension of varied shape and size
o Required dimensions go here (Note: we haven’t made a decision on this, but I think the edge of the axe should determine the minimum dimension instead of surface area… my suggestion is 3 or 4 inches)
o (Note: Axe heads should be treated as single headed only and double-headed axes should be treated as having two axe heads for the purposes of regulation)
Blade- slashing or thrusting lethal extension of varied shape and size
o May be of any shape provided that the component is a minimum of 7 inches (~17.75 centimeters) in its longest dimension.
o If the blade has a lethal tip meant for thrusting only, the lethal surface shall be marked in the same manner as a spearhead component.
o The wielder may grasp the length of this component in order to perform half-sword techniques (see detailed rules section)
Blunt head- crushing or smashing lethal extension of varied shape and size
o Required dimensions go here (Note: we haven’t made a decision on this, but I’m thinking spherical [minimum diameter X, but can be globular or egg shaped], cylindrical [min. diameter X, min. height X], Cubical [min. length width and height X, but can be rectangular prism] where X would be something like 3 or 4 inches.)
o Lethal surfaces are marked with two stripes to denote that it is an offensive item, but that the wielder may grasp it.
When adding spike components to the lethal surface, this component should no longer be marked as a lethal surface
o In the case of staves a haft component is treated as a blunt lethal component and is to be marked with multiple, horizontal stripes along the entire surface of the haft. (Note: we haven’t come to a conclusion about staves yet, but this is my suggestion if we allow them)
Spearhead- thrusting lethal extension
o Must be between X and Y inches in length (Note: the way I imagine it this is basically one of a few shapes: cone, pyramid [3 or 4 sided], leaf-shaped, flat triangular, and forked [2 or 3 pronged]. The X value should be greater than the X value for spikes, and the Y value could fall somewhere in all cases, though, I think it should be treated as piercing only because otherwise it is a blade.)
o If less than Q inches (Note: X-Q=Y) and used as the sole lethal component, it must be accompanied by a haft component (Note: I may not need this rule because I wrote it to keep the 9” minimum length for weapons… therefore it might be self-explanatory)
o To denote the lethal surface of this component the tip and X inches (Note: X being the same as the minimum length for the component) of the components remaining length
Spike- lethal extension used for added efficacy
o May be added to any weapon as a supplemental component
If added to the lethal surface of a blunt head it becomes the primary lethal component and the blunt head should not be marked as an offensive item
o When added to a on a non-lethal component or blunt head, it must be in the shape of a cone or pyramid of diameter or base X and height Y (Note: I like 2inches for both diameter and height) and have its entire exposed surface marked as an offensive item.
o When added to any other lethal component it may take the form of a triangle of X width and height Y, or a hook of width X and overall length Y (Note: X and Y would be the same as when it is a cone or pyramid). In either case it must be the same thickness as the parent component’s lethal surface, and it may be edged or piercing as per its intended function.
o Any surface with this component may not be grasped by the wielder
Anything I missed
Shields
Shields are a special class of equipment, and as such are not divided into component parts. In general a shield may take any form, but in the interests of safety and ease of monitoring there are some restrictions.
Shields must either be composed of latex†, or wood.
o In the interests of safety, players may only use wooden shields provided that it is padded on all sides using open celled foam or similar materials.
The surface of the shield must be marked in colored tape‡ (6b) to denote that it is a defensive item.
Shields cannot function as both an offensive and defensive item.
o A shield may be used offensively but any such strike will not result in a killing or disabling blow.
o Exceptions exist for defensive equipment with historical precedent. Such items are classed as Exotic weapons.
Weapon attachments to a standard shield are prohibited.
Unequipped, barricade-type shields are prohibited.
For a complete list of allowed and prohibited shields please refer to the detailed rules section. Any shield not listed therein may be allowed at the discretion of event coordinators and therefore may vary from one tournament to another.
Unarmed Combat
A player is allowed to use their bare hands to participate in combat, however any attack made on an opponent will not count as a killing or disabling blow. Unarmed attacks may be used to disarm opponents, take opponents to the ground, and to throw an opponent off guard
Should a player cause serious injury to their opponent through the use of any hand-to-hand combat techniques, that player will be removed from the game immediately. Further punishment may be administered depending on the nature of the victim’s injuries.
In the interests of safety, certain unarmed maneuvers are prohibited. In general restricted techniques include but are not limited to the following categories: Arm, leg and head holds/locks, throws, kicks to the head and neck, and punches to the head and neck.
An experienced wrestler is encouraged to be familiar with the detailed rules for unarmed combat and speak to the marshals before the game begins for better guidelines. For a more complete list of restricted unarmed combat techniques please refer to the detailed rules section.
Competition Format
Rounds
"Rounds" are 6vs.6 melee battles.
Rounds end when:
o All the players on one of the two teams have been killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from play.
o At the end of five minutes regardless of whether or not all the members of one team have been killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from play.
At the end of a round all equipment captured from opponents, scavenged from the field by players or left behind on the field must be returned to the team that brought the item to the field at the start of the round.
Matches
“Matches” consist of a series of rounds.
Warnings or game removal penalties the players have accrued carry over from one match to the next
The first team to reach or surpass 18 points, provided that they have at least three more points than the opposing team, wins the match.
Games
“Games” consist of up to three matches.
The first team to win two of those matches is the victor.
Post-round deliberation
At the close of a round all three officials will meet to discuss all removals or to add penalties that were observed but not punished during the round. The officials are not obligated to change their in-game rulings, but are given the opportunity to do so at that time.
Players who found their removal or death questionable may bring their doubts to the attention of the officials immediately before this deliberation begins. After deliberation begins players may not interact with the marshals.
For the possible changes to removal rulings after deliberation please see the infractions section.
Following the deliberation the senior marshal will announce any changes to rulings that were decided during the deliberation. All decisions become final at that time, and the score for the round is posted.
Scoring
A team is awarded one point for every opposing team player that was killed or treated as dead.
A team receives no points for players on the opposing team that surrender or missing at the start of the round as a result of injury.
At the close of each round, the total points accumulated by each team are added to the points accumulated in previous rounds of the match.
When one team has at least 18 points and a 3 point advantage over the opposing team they are declared the winner of that match.
Combat Rules and Terminology
Killed/Death
A player is killed when they receive a single blow to the head, neck or torso, or from two separate blows to an arm or leg. A player will be ruled dead after the second blow to any limb regardless of which limb the first blow was received. Death will only result from a successful hit with a clearly marked offensive item.
Upon a player’s death they are to drop all held weapons and shields, place their hands on top of their head and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play. Failure to do so will result in the presiding officials pausing the game to remove the deceased player from the field. Players that receive a killing blow are to follow the above-stated procedure even if a marshal gives no signal, failure to do so may result in penalties applicable in the following round of combat.
Disabled
A player is ruled disabled when they have received a single blow to the arm or leg.
When the arm is struck the player must drop any weapon or shield held in that hand and may not use the affected arm to make any offensive or defensive actions, but otherwise retains use of their arm.
When the leg is struck the player may remain standing stationary or pivot on the affected leg, but must limp when moving across the field.
A player using their disabled limb in a manner described above will be given a single warning. If another such violation occurs the player will be given a single round removal.
Surrenders
A player may choose to surrender during a round of combat. When a player surrenders they are to hold their weapon and shield (if applicable) above their heads and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play as though dead. Failure to do so will mean that the player is still a valid opponent, and they can be attacked accordingly. Players who surrender are not treated as dead for the purposes of scoring at the end of the round.
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players, the missing players are counted as players who have surrendered. The number of players missing is deducted from the team’s allotted surrenders for the match until such time as a team no longer has remaining surrenders. Surrenders are not used in the following situations:
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players as a result of a game removal the missing player is treated as dead and no surrenders are used.
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players as a result of an injury the missing player is not counted as dead and no surrenders are used.
Teams are allowed only three surrenders per match. If more than three players surrender over the course of a match those additional surrendered players are treated as dead for the purposes of scoring.
Officials
Marshals
There are to be at least two marshals presiding over a game at any time, and they perform the function of referees for the game. Marshals are to wear the same padding and protective clothing as the players except for a mouthpiece.
A marshal has the following responsibilities:
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a single whistle blast whenever they observe a killing blow. Following the whistle signal the marshal will hold up a flag denoting the color of the team and call out the player number of the recipient of the blow. The player must then follow the procedures for killed players.
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a series of short whistle blasts when a disabling blow is observed. Following the whistle signal the marshal will hold up a flag denoting the color of the team and call out the player number of the recipient of the blow and what limb on which the blow was received. The player must then follow the procedures for disabled players.
o It is not the marshals’ responsibility to deem a player killed after multiple disabling blows. That duty falls to the scorekeeper.
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a single long whistle blast followed by holding up the flag representing the team color and calling the number of the player if they see an infraction committed. The marshal will then call out the punishment.
o Punishments for infractions are listed in the “penalties” section.
o It is not the marshals’ responsibility to prescribe warnings or game removal for a player in violation of the rules for disabled players. That duty falls to the scorekeeper.
To perform weapon and shield checks at the start of every game to ensure that no player is bringing a potentially lethal weapon or a weapon prone to malfunction onto the field.
To stop the game if there is a serious injury on the field of play.
o In the event of an injury the round timer will be paused, the injured player removed from the arena and, should it be necessary, a removal issued for the player who caused the injury.
o Afterwards, the round will be resumed and the injured player will be treated as dead for the purposes of scoring that round. Any subsequent round the team plays with fewer than six players as a result of an injury will not have their missing member counted as a dead and will not need to use their remaining surrenders to do so.
The marshals have the final say, however if one of the marshals finds the other’s call to be questionable, they shall converse with one another and the scorekeeper at the post-round deliberation to reverse a prior ruling or increase the severity of the prescribed penalty .
Scorekeeper
There must be at least one score keeper presiding over the game at any time. The scorekeeper is located at a judging table to one side of the arena and as such is not required to wear any protective padding.
The scorekeeper has the following responsibilities:
To watch the game and keep track on paper the players that receive a disabling blow.
To blow a single whistle blast, signaling a death, and hold up a flag denoting the color of the team, and call out the player number of a player that receives his second disabling blow.
To watch players, that received a single disabling blow, to ensure that they are acting according to the rule for disabled limbs.
o Should a player be caught in violation of those rules the scorekeeper will call out, and document, a warning to that player by team color and number.
o If a second violation occurs the scorekeeper is to call for a single round removal of the player in the same manner as a marshal would.
To keep count of the number of warnings issued to each player over the course of the game.
o Should a player receive three warnings over the course of a game the scorekeeper is to issue a game removal to that player by team color and number.
To start the timer at the beginning of each round and to pause the timer whenever the marshals call for a pause in the game. When the time limit for the round expires it is the duty of the scorekeeper to signal the end of the game with a single long whistle blast or buzzer.
To take a “body count” at the end of each round and assign points to each team for killed and removed players.
To take part in the post-round deliberations and keep track of changes to rulings on deaths and removals, and adjust the score for the round accordingly.
To announce to the players and spectators the score for the round, the status of removed players, and the total score for the match at the close of the post-round deliberation.
Penalties
Warning
A warning is assigned for minor to moderate infractions, and in some cases may be added after official deliberation on serious infractions. Warnings may accumulate over the course of a game. Should a player accumulate three such warnings in a single game, the player will be removed from play for the remainder of the game. The treatment of such a situation is covered in the “Removal (game)” section.
Removal (single round)
A single round removal is assigned for the second moderate infraction in a single round. Single round removal is the immediate penalty for all serious infractions. In the event of a single round removal a player is to drop all held weapons and shields, place their hands on top of their head, and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play. Removed players are treated as dead for the purposes of scoring.
Removal (game)
A game removal is assigned after a player has accumulated three warnings over the course of the game or may be the end result of a serious infraction. A game removal counts as a death for the player’s team the round the player is removed from the game. Any subsequent round the team plays with fewer than six players as a result of a game removal will count as a death even if the team has surrenders remaining.
Infractions
Serious infractions
A serious infraction is punishable by an immediate single round removal with no warning issued. Following the close of the round the officials will meet to deliberate the proper punishment to be issued. Following the deliberation, the single round removal may:
Be repealed, and the score for the round adjusted accordingly, if the officials decide they were mistaken in the original ruling
Stand if the player was in violation of the rule unintentionally
Stand and an additional warning issued if the player was in violation intentionally, but no harm was done
Promoted to a game removal if another player was injured or physically endangered as a result of the violation.
For a complete list of serious infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Moderate infractions
A moderate infraction is punishable by a warning, but if the player commits a second moderate infraction in the same round the player is issued a single round removal. Following the deliberation, the single round removal may:
Be repealed, and the score for the round adjusted accordingly, if the officials decide they were mistaken in the original ruling
Stand if the player was clearly in violation of the rule intentionally or unintentionally.
For a complete list of moderate infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Minor infractions
A player committing a minor infraction is given a warning. A player that continues to be in violation of a minor infraction after being issued a warning may be issued a second warning for prolonged violation. (19)
For a complete list of Minor infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Non-play infractions
(1)Players commit harmless infractions when they wear prohibited equipment or bring a prohibited offensive/defensive item to the pre-game check. Violations of this type are not punished, but players will be asked to relinquish the items into the custody of the presiding officials.
(2) May change depending on liability insurance once the sport actually gets started professionally.
(3) Anything else anyone would like to add?
(4) We need to add anything obviously dangerous.
(5a) Latex is just my preference. The actual material and construction of equipment is still being hotly debated.
(5b) Again, Latex is my preference and wood.
(6a) Colored tape would be Neon Green, pink or yellow for weapons
(6b) Colored tape would be Neon Green, pink or yellow for shields, but must be different from weapons. These colors should be standardized by the time we start actually playing this game.
(7) We never had a full discussion about exceptions to the maximum length rule.
(8) The structural limitations on blunt weapons aren’t fully decided
(9) Special rules for blunt weapons haven’t been decided yet. This section may replaced by or be added to note #8
(10) The lower limit will have to be set by the smallest pole arm on the list already made.
(11) Should the pata be considered the exception? The gauntlet section is clearly protective but it isn’t a killing surface, and therefore must be treated as a shield. There’s also the lantern shield, which was specifically designed for attack and defense. Both are historically accurate so we shouldn’t simply discard them.
(12) This section needs to change, and therefore requires more discussion. I’m still working on the detailed list of prohibited techniques, but I’m having a lot of trouble with it.
(13) 5 minutes is still up to discussion.
(14) 18 matches is the current accepted value although a higher number of kills (and therefore increase the number of rounds) may be deemed necessary if rounds are found to be too short in actual game play. It could also be at the discretion of the event coordinators.
(15) This information may not need to be repeated at this point.
(16) The disabled rules may be changed or eliminated altogether…
(17) In the future, this would greatly benefit from a video review like in American football.
(18) This is only a tentative name. Also depending on the results of the disabled rule discussion may have a drastic change in responsibility.
(19) This is a new rule I made to try and further discourage abuse of minor infractions.
--------------------
Here are some small notes
1. Latex vs foam, still not deliberated.(go foam!)
2.the unarmed fighting section should include a rule that involves no unarmed strikes against a player's person
3.I think games vs matches should be discussed:
if you win the so many rounds (at least 3) (18pts with a 3pt lead) you win the match then you have to win more than one match to win the game.just seems really long.
so all matches (assuming it's a landslide but each round takes the full 5 minutes) are going to be at least 15minutes in length, probably longer.
I personally think the "games" aspect should be removed and only used in a "play-off" situation.
4. if we are wearing helmets with face guards, why do we need mouthguards
5.I think the scorekeeper should be considered a marshal and each marshal has a different position (much like linesman in hockey) and the "scorekeeper" position could be at a table on the "center-line" with a scorecard but he can also call everything else a "roaming marshal" could so you could have the "table or seat" marshal and 2 roaming marshals.
Qapla' batlh je,
the mgmt.
Protective Garments
Required
For legal reasons, all players are required to wear:
Athletic cup
Face Shield
Mouthpiece
Protective headgear
Strongly Recommended
For reasons of safety, equipment above and beyond that which is legally required is strongly recommended. Such equipment includes but is not limited to:
Ankle guards
Shin guards
Kneepads
Padded gloves
Wrist guards
Elbow pads
Chest plate
Back/spine padding
Neck padding
Prohibited
For reasons of safety the following gear or accessories are not allowed:
Exposed metal plating
Spikes
Coat tails
Capes
Scarves
Neckties
Players using said equipment would be asked to remove the piece and surrender it into the custody of the officials before entering the game.
Offensive/Defensive Equipment
Construction and Classification of Offensive Equipment
In general all types of melee weapons are allowed, but in the interests of safety and ease of monitoring there are some restrictions:
Weapons used in the course of the game must be composed of Latex or Wood.
The lethal surfaces (i.e. edges, points, and striking surfaces) of weapons must be clearly marked with colored tape (6a) to denote that it is an offensive item.
No weapons shall be less than 9 inches (~23 centimeters) in overall length.
No weapon shall exceed and overall length of 10 feet (~3 meters).
o Pikes and similar spears may exceed this maximum length at the discretion of event coordinators.
Weapons shall not have any of the following:
o Joints or hinges
o Highly flexible, rope-like or chain sections
o Mechanical components (e.g. spring-loaded blades, rotating gears, etc.)
Ranged weapons and the throwing of melee weapons are prohibited.
Weapons with dual melee and ranged function are approved for melee use only. Unequipped, trap-type weapons are prohibited.
Blunt instruments rules.
Offensive equipment may take many different forms within the aforementioned guidelines. For the purposes of record keeping, equipment is categorized on the basis of the primary components it is made up. The various components are described in the Offensive Equipment Components section. The categories are as follows: [still working on the wording]
Axe
o Examples: hatchets, battle-axes, halberds
o Primary components:
Lethal: Axe head
Non-lethal: Haft or hilt (longer than X inches) (Note: I want to say X is 9 whenever you have a “haft or hilt” situation)
o Supplementary components:
Lethal: Additional Axe head, Blade, Blunt head, Spearhead, Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard
Bladed
o Examples: daggers, knives, machetes, swords
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blade
Non-lethal: Hilt
o Supplementary components:
Lethal: Additional Blade, Blunt head (pommel only), Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard, Hilt (note: by this I mean something like a ricasso)
Blunt
o Examples: clubs, hammers, maces, staves
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blunt head
Non-lethal: Haft or Hilt (longer than X inches)
o Supplemental components:
Lethal: Spike (see components section for details)
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard
o Special rules regarding staves go here
Exotic
o Examples: claws, Klingon bat'leth,
o Exotic weapons are a special class of weapon that encompasses any weapon that does not conform to any other category for one of several reasons:
The weapon has multiple (should we give a specific number?) different primary lethal components
The weapon uses a glove as its primary non-lethal component
The weapon contains a component that does not conform to the described operational definitions of weapon components, but otherwise conforms to regulations
The weapon has no historical precedent such as those designed by the player, or those based upon works of fiction.
Pole Arm
o Examples: glaives, spears, naginata
o Primary components:
Lethal: Blade or Spearhead
Non-Lethal: Haft
o Supplemental components:
Lethal: (should I add a axe head?), Spike
Non-lethal: Flair, Guard, Hilt (example: the original scythes have two handles extending from the haft so the user can get more torque)
Any other obvious groups I missed
For a complete list of allowed and prohibited weaponry and their classification please refer to the detailed rules section. Any weaponry not listed therein, such as more obscure fantasy weapons, may be allowed at the discretion of event coordinators and therefore may vary from one tournament to another.
Offensive Equipment Components
The categories of weapons are (note: these are operational definitions, not historical)
Non-lethal Components
Flair- brightly colored sash, tassel, tuft of hair, or flag
o Shall not exceed X inches in any dimension (Note: I want to go with under 6 inches so that it can’t theoretically be used as a whip…)
o Shall not be of the same color as the markings on the lethal surface of the weapon.
o May be added to a weapon of any category as a supplementary component only
o Must not be used as a handle for the weapon (Note: probably would constitute a violation because the weapon becomes classed as a chain weapon the moment you swing it)
Glove- a grip or article of clothing for use with a single hand or arm to which other components may connect. (Note: the handle of a katar is considered a glove component )
o When connected to a lethal component, this component cannot function as a defensive item.
o When not connected to a lethal component, this component may be treated as a shield if marked as a defensive item (Note: this allows the use of gauntlets and bracers)
o Spikes may not be added directly to this component
Guard- protective extension from a weapon (Note: applies to crossguards, tsubas, bucket hilts and those bars at the base of some spears/lances that keep the head from penetrating too deep to be retrieved easily)
o May be added to a weapon of any category as a supplementary component
o Any guard that extends over the entire hand or part of the arm of the player must be marked as defensive item (note: the best example is for a bucket hilt… or the gauntlet covering of a pata)
Haft- pole or shaft to which other components may connect
o Must be between Y and 10 feet in length
o In the case of staves, this component may be treated as a lethal component. See the blunt components rules for further details.
Hilt- handle or grip for one or two hands to which other components may connect
o Must be between 2 and Y inches in length (note: Y here is the same as the minimum for haft. The longest hilt I have on any of the swords I own is 12 inches so that’s my recommendation.)
If circular or curved (i.e. a ring, hook or gun grip) it must be between the aforementioned lengths in diameter or longest dimension (note: this allows for brass knuckle shaped hilts found in trench knives. Or should I change it so those are treated as a glove component?)
Lethal components
Axe head- chopping or slashing lethal extension of varied shape and size
o Required dimensions go here (Note: we haven’t made a decision on this, but I think the edge of the axe should determine the minimum dimension instead of surface area… my suggestion is 3 or 4 inches)
o (Note: Axe heads should be treated as single headed only and double-headed axes should be treated as having two axe heads for the purposes of regulation)
Blade- slashing or thrusting lethal extension of varied shape and size
o May be of any shape provided that the component is a minimum of 7 inches (~17.75 centimeters) in its longest dimension.
o If the blade has a lethal tip meant for thrusting only, the lethal surface shall be marked in the same manner as a spearhead component.
o The wielder may grasp the length of this component in order to perform half-sword techniques (see detailed rules section)
Blunt head- crushing or smashing lethal extension of varied shape and size
o Required dimensions go here (Note: we haven’t made a decision on this, but I’m thinking spherical [minimum diameter X, but can be globular or egg shaped], cylindrical [min. diameter X, min. height X], Cubical [min. length width and height X, but can be rectangular prism] where X would be something like 3 or 4 inches.)
o Lethal surfaces are marked with two stripes to denote that it is an offensive item, but that the wielder may grasp it.
When adding spike components to the lethal surface, this component should no longer be marked as a lethal surface
o In the case of staves a haft component is treated as a blunt lethal component and is to be marked with multiple, horizontal stripes along the entire surface of the haft. (Note: we haven’t come to a conclusion about staves yet, but this is my suggestion if we allow them)
Spearhead- thrusting lethal extension
o Must be between X and Y inches in length (Note: the way I imagine it this is basically one of a few shapes: cone, pyramid [3 or 4 sided], leaf-shaped, flat triangular, and forked [2 or 3 pronged]. The X value should be greater than the X value for spikes, and the Y value could fall somewhere in all cases, though, I think it should be treated as piercing only because otherwise it is a blade.)
o If less than Q inches (Note: X-Q=Y) and used as the sole lethal component, it must be accompanied by a haft component (Note: I may not need this rule because I wrote it to keep the 9” minimum length for weapons… therefore it might be self-explanatory)
o To denote the lethal surface of this component the tip and X inches (Note: X being the same as the minimum length for the component) of the components remaining length
Spike- lethal extension used for added efficacy
o May be added to any weapon as a supplemental component
If added to the lethal surface of a blunt head it becomes the primary lethal component and the blunt head should not be marked as an offensive item
o When added to a on a non-lethal component or blunt head, it must be in the shape of a cone or pyramid of diameter or base X and height Y (Note: I like 2inches for both diameter and height) and have its entire exposed surface marked as an offensive item.
o When added to any other lethal component it may take the form of a triangle of X width and height Y, or a hook of width X and overall length Y (Note: X and Y would be the same as when it is a cone or pyramid). In either case it must be the same thickness as the parent component’s lethal surface, and it may be edged or piercing as per its intended function.
o Any surface with this component may not be grasped by the wielder
Anything I missed
Shields
Shields are a special class of equipment, and as such are not divided into component parts. In general a shield may take any form, but in the interests of safety and ease of monitoring there are some restrictions.
Shields must either be composed of latex†, or wood.
o In the interests of safety, players may only use wooden shields provided that it is padded on all sides using open celled foam or similar materials.
The surface of the shield must be marked in colored tape‡ (6b) to denote that it is a defensive item.
Shields cannot function as both an offensive and defensive item.
o A shield may be used offensively but any such strike will not result in a killing or disabling blow.
o Exceptions exist for defensive equipment with historical precedent. Such items are classed as Exotic weapons.
Weapon attachments to a standard shield are prohibited.
Unequipped, barricade-type shields are prohibited.
For a complete list of allowed and prohibited shields please refer to the detailed rules section. Any shield not listed therein may be allowed at the discretion of event coordinators and therefore may vary from one tournament to another.
Unarmed Combat
A player is allowed to use their bare hands to participate in combat, however any attack made on an opponent will not count as a killing or disabling blow. Unarmed attacks may be used to disarm opponents, take opponents to the ground, and to throw an opponent off guard
Should a player cause serious injury to their opponent through the use of any hand-to-hand combat techniques, that player will be removed from the game immediately. Further punishment may be administered depending on the nature of the victim’s injuries.
In the interests of safety, certain unarmed maneuvers are prohibited. In general restricted techniques include but are not limited to the following categories: Arm, leg and head holds/locks, throws, kicks to the head and neck, and punches to the head and neck.
An experienced wrestler is encouraged to be familiar with the detailed rules for unarmed combat and speak to the marshals before the game begins for better guidelines. For a more complete list of restricted unarmed combat techniques please refer to the detailed rules section.
Competition Format
Rounds
"Rounds" are 6vs.6 melee battles.
Rounds end when:
o All the players on one of the two teams have been killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from play.
o At the end of five minutes regardless of whether or not all the members of one team have been killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from play.
At the end of a round all equipment captured from opponents, scavenged from the field by players or left behind on the field must be returned to the team that brought the item to the field at the start of the round.
Matches
“Matches” consist of a series of rounds.
Warnings or game removal penalties the players have accrued carry over from one match to the next
The first team to reach or surpass 18 points, provided that they have at least three more points than the opposing team, wins the match.
Games
“Games” consist of up to three matches.
The first team to win two of those matches is the victor.
Post-round deliberation
At the close of a round all three officials will meet to discuss all removals or to add penalties that were observed but not punished during the round. The officials are not obligated to change their in-game rulings, but are given the opportunity to do so at that time.
Players who found their removal or death questionable may bring their doubts to the attention of the officials immediately before this deliberation begins. After deliberation begins players may not interact with the marshals.
For the possible changes to removal rulings after deliberation please see the infractions section.
Following the deliberation the senior marshal will announce any changes to rulings that were decided during the deliberation. All decisions become final at that time, and the score for the round is posted.
Scoring
A team is awarded one point for every opposing team player that was killed or treated as dead.
A team receives no points for players on the opposing team that surrender or missing at the start of the round as a result of injury.
At the close of each round, the total points accumulated by each team are added to the points accumulated in previous rounds of the match.
When one team has at least 18 points and a 3 point advantage over the opposing team they are declared the winner of that match.
Combat Rules and Terminology
Killed/Death
A player is killed when they receive a single blow to the head, neck or torso, or from two separate blows to an arm or leg. A player will be ruled dead after the second blow to any limb regardless of which limb the first blow was received. Death will only result from a successful hit with a clearly marked offensive item.
Upon a player’s death they are to drop all held weapons and shields, place their hands on top of their head and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play. Failure to do so will result in the presiding officials pausing the game to remove the deceased player from the field. Players that receive a killing blow are to follow the above-stated procedure even if a marshal gives no signal, failure to do so may result in penalties applicable in the following round of combat.
Disabled
A player is ruled disabled when they have received a single blow to the arm or leg.
When the arm is struck the player must drop any weapon or shield held in that hand and may not use the affected arm to make any offensive or defensive actions, but otherwise retains use of their arm.
When the leg is struck the player may remain standing stationary or pivot on the affected leg, but must limp when moving across the field.
A player using their disabled limb in a manner described above will be given a single warning. If another such violation occurs the player will be given a single round removal.
Surrenders
A player may choose to surrender during a round of combat. When a player surrenders they are to hold their weapon and shield (if applicable) above their heads and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play as though dead. Failure to do so will mean that the player is still a valid opponent, and they can be attacked accordingly. Players who surrender are not treated as dead for the purposes of scoring at the end of the round.
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players, the missing players are counted as players who have surrendered. The number of players missing is deducted from the team’s allotted surrenders for the match until such time as a team no longer has remaining surrenders. Surrenders are not used in the following situations:
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players as a result of a game removal the missing player is treated as dead and no surrenders are used.
When a team begins a round with fewer than six players as a result of an injury the missing player is not counted as dead and no surrenders are used.
Teams are allowed only three surrenders per match. If more than three players surrender over the course of a match those additional surrendered players are treated as dead for the purposes of scoring.
Officials
Marshals
There are to be at least two marshals presiding over a game at any time, and they perform the function of referees for the game. Marshals are to wear the same padding and protective clothing as the players except for a mouthpiece.
A marshal has the following responsibilities:
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a single whistle blast whenever they observe a killing blow. Following the whistle signal the marshal will hold up a flag denoting the color of the team and call out the player number of the recipient of the blow. The player must then follow the procedures for killed players.
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a series of short whistle blasts when a disabling blow is observed. Following the whistle signal the marshal will hold up a flag denoting the color of the team and call out the player number of the recipient of the blow and what limb on which the blow was received. The player must then follow the procedures for disabled players.
o It is not the marshals’ responsibility to deem a player killed after multiple disabling blows. That duty falls to the scorekeeper.
To watch the game from either side of the arena and blow a single long whistle blast followed by holding up the flag representing the team color and calling the number of the player if they see an infraction committed. The marshal will then call out the punishment.
o Punishments for infractions are listed in the “penalties” section.
o It is not the marshals’ responsibility to prescribe warnings or game removal for a player in violation of the rules for disabled players. That duty falls to the scorekeeper.
To perform weapon and shield checks at the start of every game to ensure that no player is bringing a potentially lethal weapon or a weapon prone to malfunction onto the field.
To stop the game if there is a serious injury on the field of play.
o In the event of an injury the round timer will be paused, the injured player removed from the arena and, should it be necessary, a removal issued for the player who caused the injury.
o Afterwards, the round will be resumed and the injured player will be treated as dead for the purposes of scoring that round. Any subsequent round the team plays with fewer than six players as a result of an injury will not have their missing member counted as a dead and will not need to use their remaining surrenders to do so.
The marshals have the final say, however if one of the marshals finds the other’s call to be questionable, they shall converse with one another and the scorekeeper at the post-round deliberation to reverse a prior ruling or increase the severity of the prescribed penalty .
Scorekeeper
There must be at least one score keeper presiding over the game at any time. The scorekeeper is located at a judging table to one side of the arena and as such is not required to wear any protective padding.
The scorekeeper has the following responsibilities:
To watch the game and keep track on paper the players that receive a disabling blow.
To blow a single whistle blast, signaling a death, and hold up a flag denoting the color of the team, and call out the player number of a player that receives his second disabling blow.
To watch players, that received a single disabling blow, to ensure that they are acting according to the rule for disabled limbs.
o Should a player be caught in violation of those rules the scorekeeper will call out, and document, a warning to that player by team color and number.
o If a second violation occurs the scorekeeper is to call for a single round removal of the player in the same manner as a marshal would.
To keep count of the number of warnings issued to each player over the course of the game.
o Should a player receive three warnings over the course of a game the scorekeeper is to issue a game removal to that player by team color and number.
To start the timer at the beginning of each round and to pause the timer whenever the marshals call for a pause in the game. When the time limit for the round expires it is the duty of the scorekeeper to signal the end of the game with a single long whistle blast or buzzer.
To take a “body count” at the end of each round and assign points to each team for killed and removed players.
To take part in the post-round deliberations and keep track of changes to rulings on deaths and removals, and adjust the score for the round accordingly.
To announce to the players and spectators the score for the round, the status of removed players, and the total score for the match at the close of the post-round deliberation.
Penalties
Warning
A warning is assigned for minor to moderate infractions, and in some cases may be added after official deliberation on serious infractions. Warnings may accumulate over the course of a game. Should a player accumulate three such warnings in a single game, the player will be removed from play for the remainder of the game. The treatment of such a situation is covered in the “Removal (game)” section.
Removal (single round)
A single round removal is assigned for the second moderate infraction in a single round. Single round removal is the immediate penalty for all serious infractions. In the event of a single round removal a player is to drop all held weapons and shields, place their hands on top of their head, and quickly and safely move off to the side of the field of play. Removed players are treated as dead for the purposes of scoring.
Removal (game)
A game removal is assigned after a player has accumulated three warnings over the course of the game or may be the end result of a serious infraction. A game removal counts as a death for the player’s team the round the player is removed from the game. Any subsequent round the team plays with fewer than six players as a result of a game removal will count as a death even if the team has surrenders remaining.
Infractions
Serious infractions
A serious infraction is punishable by an immediate single round removal with no warning issued. Following the close of the round the officials will meet to deliberate the proper punishment to be issued. Following the deliberation, the single round removal may:
Be repealed, and the score for the round adjusted accordingly, if the officials decide they were mistaken in the original ruling
Stand if the player was in violation of the rule unintentionally
Stand and an additional warning issued if the player was in violation intentionally, but no harm was done
Promoted to a game removal if another player was injured or physically endangered as a result of the violation.
For a complete list of serious infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Moderate infractions
A moderate infraction is punishable by a warning, but if the player commits a second moderate infraction in the same round the player is issued a single round removal. Following the deliberation, the single round removal may:
Be repealed, and the score for the round adjusted accordingly, if the officials decide they were mistaken in the original ruling
Stand if the player was clearly in violation of the rule intentionally or unintentionally.
For a complete list of moderate infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Minor infractions
A player committing a minor infraction is given a warning. A player that continues to be in violation of a minor infraction after being issued a warning may be issued a second warning for prolonged violation. (19)
For a complete list of Minor infractions please refer to the detailed rules section.
Non-play infractions
(1)Players commit harmless infractions when they wear prohibited equipment or bring a prohibited offensive/defensive item to the pre-game check. Violations of this type are not punished, but players will be asked to relinquish the items into the custody of the presiding officials.
(2) May change depending on liability insurance once the sport actually gets started professionally.
(3) Anything else anyone would like to add?
(4) We need to add anything obviously dangerous.
(5a) Latex is just my preference. The actual material and construction of equipment is still being hotly debated.
(5b) Again, Latex is my preference and wood.
(6a) Colored tape would be Neon Green, pink or yellow for weapons
(6b) Colored tape would be Neon Green, pink or yellow for shields, but must be different from weapons. These colors should be standardized by the time we start actually playing this game.
(7) We never had a full discussion about exceptions to the maximum length rule.
(8) The structural limitations on blunt weapons aren’t fully decided
(9) Special rules for blunt weapons haven’t been decided yet. This section may replaced by or be added to note #8
(10) The lower limit will have to be set by the smallest pole arm on the list already made.
(11) Should the pata be considered the exception? The gauntlet section is clearly protective but it isn’t a killing surface, and therefore must be treated as a shield. There’s also the lantern shield, which was specifically designed for attack and defense. Both are historically accurate so we shouldn’t simply discard them.
(12) This section needs to change, and therefore requires more discussion. I’m still working on the detailed list of prohibited techniques, but I’m having a lot of trouble with it.
(13) 5 minutes is still up to discussion.
(14) 18 matches is the current accepted value although a higher number of kills (and therefore increase the number of rounds) may be deemed necessary if rounds are found to be too short in actual game play. It could also be at the discretion of the event coordinators.
(15) This information may not need to be repeated at this point.
(16) The disabled rules may be changed or eliminated altogether…
(17) In the future, this would greatly benefit from a video review like in American football.
(18) This is only a tentative name. Also depending on the results of the disabled rule discussion may have a drastic change in responsibility.
(19) This is a new rule I made to try and further discourage abuse of minor infractions.
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Here are some small notes
1. Latex vs foam, still not deliberated.(go foam!)
2.the unarmed fighting section should include a rule that involves no unarmed strikes against a player's person
3.I think games vs matches should be discussed:
if you win the so many rounds (at least 3) (18pts with a 3pt lead) you win the match then you have to win more than one match to win the game.just seems really long.
so all matches (assuming it's a landslide but each round takes the full 5 minutes) are going to be at least 15minutes in length, probably longer.
I personally think the "games" aspect should be removed and only used in a "play-off" situation.
4. if we are wearing helmets with face guards, why do we need mouthguards
5.I think the scorekeeper should be considered a marshal and each marshal has a different position (much like linesman in hockey) and the "scorekeeper" position could be at a table on the "center-line" with a scorecard but he can also call everything else a "roaming marshal" could so you could have the "table or seat" marshal and 2 roaming marshals.
Qapla' batlh je,
the mgmt.