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Safety in Paintball is perhaps the most important thing. More important than yes, even FUN. Since the field is an Outlaw field, there are no insurance plans, no owner to sue, nothing in the way of legal recourse to pursue if someone should be injured. To play at the Ward means you agree to play, and to play safely. You agree to be there entirely on your own. No one is responsible for your actions except yourself. Thus playing Safely is the Most important thing.
The first rule of Safety is of course, Goggles must be worn at all times when on the field if a game is underway. The defined goggle-on area includes the near roadway which is the near tape line of the main field. If there is any doubt about whether the game is still on, it is vital to keep your goggles on, especially on the actual field. The reason for this strict rule is that whereas you and others may know that the game is over, there may be a player bunkered down in a bush who doesn't know the game is off. The near road is the near tape line and as such is well within range of shots coming form the interior, so when standing around after being eliminated, do not for a moment think this is a safe zone.
During a game, the only safe area is in the staging area (as long as everyone is parked sensibly far from the field.)
Since there are no referees, it's vital that players pay attention to who they're shooting and what their condition is. Occasionally we have civilians wander into the Ward, their presence brings an IMMEDIATE halt to any game in progress. But if you notice a player without his/her goggles on, DO NOT SHOOT. Be sure to yell at them to put on their goggles!
The Second rule of Safety has to do with the guns. We chrono the guns to below 300 fps, (A strictly indoor game may be chronoed to 250fps) This means that 3 shots must be shot over the chrono. If 2 of the 3 are over 300 fps, turn the gun down. If 1 is over, and it seems a fluke, then it's okay to play. The difference in range and accuracy between 290 and 300 are negligible, but the difference in pain between a hit from a gun shooting 290 and one shooting 320 is considerable. Goggles are rated to take hits up to 300 fps, not more.
A rule we have been a little lax on in the past, but that we're trying to make normal, is the Barrel Plug rule. Whenever not on the field itself, it's mandatory to put a barrel plug in your gun. Most guns have safeties or ways to make the gun safe, we ask that players use them all rather than risk accidental firing in the staging area.
Some ways to safety your gun
Turning off the powerfeed on powerfed guns. This inhibits the feeding of paint into the breech. The breech should be cleared, however, to be truly safe.
With blowback guns, you can usually disarm the gun by uncocking it. The easy way to do this is to place your finger in the way of the cocking bolt, pull the trigger and catch the bolt so it doesn't hit the valve and recock.
Placing a stick squeegee down the barrel will certainly work in most guns, but it's not foolproof with larger bore barrels (like the Armsons) so do not rely on this cool looking method.
Better to remove the barrel of your gun if you dopn't have a way to safety it.
Even if you are an experienced and safe player, accidents can happen. Remember you are setting an example for the younger and less experienced players. They don't know the level of concentration and effort you are putting into being safe, and may misconstrue your nonchalant attitude for meaning they should be less than utterly safety conscious.
Safety is a habit that must be instilled into all players.
Shooting in the Staging Area is limited to on the sidelines. We prefer that you do not shoot around the vehicles. If you shoot by the edges of the wooded areas only, and not over people or the areas people walk, there will be less chance of any accident, or of noobies thinking it's ok to just shoot anywhere in the staging area.
The Third rule of Safety has to do with Playing Ball.
Whereas there is no surrender rule per se, we like to have a friendly game, so if you have a chance to make a player surrender, please do so rather than shoot them at very close ranges. Obviously if the player is facing you and is gun ready, you probably should shoot them. If they are not, demand that they surrender, but be ready to shoot them if they do not surrender immediately.
We try and not light people up. One hit is all it takes to eliminate a player. If their hand goes up, do not continue shooting. Whereas there will be paint already in the air sometimes, it's not necessary to continue shooting if the player is out of the game.
Both the wooded Main field and the Morgue are groomed, but they are still relatively raw. On the main field there are areas where you must be careful. Likewise indoors, there are areas to also be careful. These areas are marked on the maps, but some may not be. Be careful. There has never been a serious injury at the Ward that I've heard of except a hurt knee cap (a chap fell on a rock,) and a twisted ankle. When running in the woods, you HAVE to be wary of the underbrush.
Be a Good Sport. Do not shoot anyone un-safely, like in the head at close ranges. If you come around a corner in the Morgue, and you run into someone, you may shoot one ball, but try to control your need to shoot 5! Don't lose your cool just cuz you were shot by a lucky ball. If you feel someone is hit and isn't calling themselves out, you must ask them to check themselves. If they play on, and you doubt them, stop the play for a moment and go speak to them. Many times a ball will bounce or entirely miss a player, but to the shooter's eyes it looks like a perfect hit. Sometimes it's something the shot player can't see, or didn't feel, like some head shots feel like real but are bounces, so a player might do a quick check but not show any paint. Or a hopper sometimes is hit and you never even feel the impact, or in the back pack. The point is make it friendly, nothing is stopping you from calling a time out and going to check on the other player. Likewise if you're unsure of a hit, you can ask the other player to come check you. The only thing is make verbal contact with the player before hand, and keep your hand in the air while doing the check so that no other player shoots you. If you do this, you should return to the last position you were in, and if there are other players around are certainly not entirely bound to stay put themselves!
It's only a game so be cool.
Field Rules are that we pack out our trash. Years ago when we first came to the Ward, the players who had been coming there would rarely pack out their trash. As a result the staging area was a mess. The local authorities and the maintenance department were not overly thrilled by this behavior. The cops do patrol through there, and they mostly are looking for people who would use the Ward as a place to dump trash. By packing out our trash (paintboxes, plastic bags, drink containers, papertowels, etc) we have been able to keep the area relatively clean and can look the cops, parks people, and the maintenance dept. in the eye, and they usually are cool about us playing ball.
Also since we have no legal right to play ball there, there's no one to blame for injuries or accidents but our own selves. If you come to play at the Ward, you come with the understanding that no one is responsible for you, but yourself. No-one is legally responsible for your being there, so keep this in mind. As such you can see the importance of playing safely and honorably. Take to heart that bad sports and assholes are usually chastised, ostracized, and not asked back. We ask that every one who comes be safe friendly and respectful of others. And happily that's the kind of player who shows up.
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