Good Sportsmanship

There are many different rules that are in place to keep the sport of airsoft safe for all those who participate. There are just as many non-required policies that should to be followed to make sure the game is fair and fun for everyone. These are my personal opinions and though you are not required to follow them, I sure don't want to play with you and I doubt very many others do as well.

Calling Hits - But James, isn't it a rule to call your hits? Yes it is, but if you are going to be a good sportsman you are going to call ALL your hits and maybe even some of your teammates when they didn't notice they got hit. Or that one where you weren't sure whether it got you or not but it was pretty likely from where the enemy is so you gave them the benefit of the doubt. A good sportsman actually believes that there are others out there on the field who have the ability to shoot them and they expect to get out in the games they play. There's a lot to be said about this and many have.

Congratulating Opponents - Recognizing others achievements is a natural part of any sport. I believe that if you can genuinely congratulate someone else they are now your opponent and not your enemy. It is easy to be friends with opponents after a game, but not if they are still your enemy.

Dead Men Tell No Tales - When you're out of play you are out of play. This means that you should do nothing that supports your team or disadvantages another. If you aren't sure whether it would be appropriate to congratulate your opponent at this time because they just silently surrendered you from 5 feet away, save it for later. Perhaps all that is needed is a thumbs up and quietly wait for them to finish what they are doing and then walk away. Truly if they are able to pull off something that amazing they deserve for you not to spoil it by yelling, "I'm out from this guy who is sneaking up behind our base." Now when you do return to either the base camp that is out of play or a respawn point it is time for you to decide on what you should or should not share. If the game type has left you so you are completely out of play and aren't heading back into the game you can share all you want since it shouldn't have any affect on the current or future games. Which simply means if it does then you shouldn't share it. If you are going back into the game small details may be appropriate like telling who got you out, but perhaps specifics such as where and who else was in the area. If you are reentering the field of play consider yourself a brand new player who has no idea what has taken place until he is able to meet up with someone else on the field who has been alive to know what is going on. If you truly want to attempt this then when you do enter the field, if you have the option to, don't go back to where you died. Go somewhere else so that you have just as much of an advantage as any other player on the field. This is a tough one to do, but I can assure you that it is greatly satisfying.

Dead Men II - As a "dead man" on the field you have not now been transformed into the most amazing and invincible scout the world has ever seen. It is not your function as a specter from beyond to point out enemy positions or tell all who you pass what is happening on the field before them. Simply you are to move to whatever designate area you are supposed to go. Don't deviate so that your course passes an opponent's bunker to get a quick head count or move in sync with your team mate who is using your body as a meat shield. Get out of play as quickly as you can with interfering as little as possible. "What if we have medic's in the game." Then follow whatever rules have been given. Play the role of an injured person. Have fun doing so. Yell out medic to your hearts content or not if it would be unwise for a medic to come at that point. Just don't become the enhanced vision of your team. Saying things like, "the guys who shot me are at my 3 o'clock and don't send a medic right now because one of them is in the bush to my left" is very unsportsmanlike.

Additional items to be discussed at a later time: swearing at others, giving kind reminders about the rules, reviewing the rule set, coming prepared for events, lying, welcoming others to the sport, desecrating the dead, taking care of equipment, and in general those who they they are above the rules.

James, all good points. The one on hits is why I regularly tell people before a game to feel free to call hits on me. I know I can get caught up in things and not feel anything.
About desecrating dead people though, can I?, just once?

Very good post James; and reidc, you continue to crack me up!

extremely good post, everyone should follow these rules.

How do you treat the minimum distance rules? Do you treat it as "I can get this close" or "I shouldn't get that close." If your shooting is poor enough that you can't hit someone from that range then getting closer isn't going to help. If you've played airsoft for any amount of time you know that people can get injured at any distance. Yet, that chance increases the closer you get and the greater the fps. By pushing the limits of how close you can be to another player you are increasing their pain and possible permanent damage.

This same reasoning is why any hit is a kill. Whether it is your chest, head, or pinky. Getting hit takes you out of the game. The bb hitting even the cuff of your jacket represents that another player has fairly removed you from play. Not some fictional role playing scenario where, "if this were real life I wouldn't be dead." So even if you don't cause your opponent pain you can still be assured that they are out.

Please remember that the next time you start getting even a little closer to your opponent. Choose option B that takes you on a different route that keeps you at a safe distance the whole time. If the course you are selecting requires that you get a hit within the first five steps of your charge then don't take it. If I know my course will take me too close then I start with my pistol so I don't have to worry about switching half way through.