Airsoft can be a very fun game, bonding both friends and unknown strangers. Normally, there need to be rules and regulations to keep the game fun, safe, and fair. How long does an airsoft game last, on average?
On average, airsoft games last around 15–30 minutes in professional or commercial venues. Since you can stack these up in the day, you can play as long or little as you want. But, if you play at home, you can also choose when and how long you want to play.
Read on to learn more about the common rules of airsoft and how to maintain both fun and safety in any game you play.
Interested in how much one game of airsoft will cost you? I have a detailed article on it.
General Rules and Time Requirements
There need to be rules to keep the game going yet keep people safe. The following explains some of the rules:
- Wear a mask. It’s important to always wear your mask/helmet when on the battlefield to protect your face.
- Time requirements. Keeping games to a maximum of 15–30 minutes is important, and many people also find it useful to have specified break periods for all players in between games. These don’t have to take long, as just a few minutes is enough to let everyone rest and get airsoft materials back in order.
- Call out shots. This is one of the most important rules. It helps maintain both fairness and a timed play of the game. When you shoot someone or get shot, you should call out the shot and allow whoever got hit to leave the game.
- Let others know about your hit/body movements. When you’re hit/out of the game, you must loudly announce that you are. Most arenas often make it a rule to announce you’re out and hold up your hands to signal the opposing team to stop shooting you.
- Avoid using excessive lasers or grenades. While it may sound odd, there are special lasers you can attach to your gun and grenades that shoot projectiles or make sounds. In most areas, these aren’t allowed. As for lasers, they’re sometimes permitted to help players aim. However, some rules don’t allow you to point them above people’s necks, such as to protect players’ eyesight.
In addition, grenades are normally fully not permitted in arenas. While this normally applies to most grenades, the rules are particularly for grenades that make loud, excessive noise.
How To Enjoy Airsoft Home Games
When you play home games, you should try to also keep the games fair and safe. However, you do have the freedom to create your own rules. Let’s now talk about how to maintain a safe environment when playing airsoft games at home.
Avoid Playing Airsoft Too Long
As for time, most people still recommend following league protocol, keeping your games to a maximum of 15–30 minutes each. This doesn’t mean you have to stop there, but keeping your games shorter allows more people to play longer and makes it easier to track gameplay.
Maintain a Safe and Fun Environment
It’s important to have fun while playing, but it’s equally important to stay safe as well. Home games can often be the most fun, but they can also be the most dangerous if you aren’t following any protocol.
One way to keep the game safe is to create a general set of rules everyone knows.
These rules can pertain to how many shots count as a kill, how long a game lasts, or what someone should do when hit. In the end, rules are vital to keeping the game safe, and they can even make gameplay more fun.
Rules can also make home games feel like league/arena games, allowing you to be competitive with your friends while making the game fair for everyone.
Tips on Playing Airsoft Safely
Before you start airsoft for the first time, it can be pretty stressful.
You often don’t know what to expect, and your nerves can get the best of you. Below are common tips of things to use/include in your home/arena gameplay to make games more fun, fair, and safe for your first time:
- Have everyone wear reflective tape. This allows players to be easily seen, especially in darker settings. Another idea similar to this is to have people wear a faint light/glow stick, still allowing them to be seen easily.
- Stay hydrated, especially when playing in dry/hot conditions. We can often lose track of how much water we drink, especially if we have so much fun playing airsoft matches. This can sneak up on you and cause exhaustion, dehydration, or even heat stroke if it gets bad enough.
- Wear enough protection. This includes wearing thick clothing, hand/knee pads, and a facemask while in play. Not only do these protect you from getting hurt while in play, but they can also prevent injuries from stray projectiles even when you’re not in play.
Common Worries Among Airsoft Newbies
Let’s now shift to talking about some common concerns that new players have and some responses to those.
They’re Worried About Being the “New Guy”
Most people are often concerned about being the “new guy” in their first matches of airsoft. This means they’re nervous that other players won’t like them or help them with their first-time questions.
As for this common concern, most forums are full of happy, experienced players ready to welcome new people to the game.
They’re Afraid of Getting Hurt
Another common concern people have is that they’ll get hurt. This is pretty easy to understand, as no one likes to get hurt. If you play in a commercial arena, this shouldn’t be a concern. As for home games, the best way to prevent people from getting injured is by implementing rules.
Most forums also recommend following the rules and creating them in your games to prevent injuries.
They Worry They Can’t Cope With the Game Duration
New players could also get worried about the time in play, as 15–30 minutes can seem like a long time, but most hardened players speak of it feeling short when they actually play. In addition to this, many arenas will let you leave or take breaks, or in the worst-case scenario, you could get shot and take a break on your own.
Conclusion
In the end, most airsoft games, including home and commercial games, tend to last 15–30 minutes on average. Most forums recommend sticking to this in your home games, as it keeps gameplay both fun and easy to track.
There are a few other things that you should keep in mind during your games to keep them fun, safe, and fair. Some of these things include staying hydrated, wearing protection, and following the rules.
