what is airsoft? (wikepedia.org)

Airsoft is a modern combat sport or recreational hobby in which participants eliminate opponents by hitting each other with spherical non-metallic rounds fired from a compressed-air gun (or airsoft gun) powered by gas, manual spring-load, or electrically powered gearbox.

Airsoft participants organize meetings at dedicated airsoft battlefields often adapted to provide walls, bunkers, trenches, buildings, towers, and other similar man-made field enhancements to offer realism analogous to real war environments.

Airsoft games vary greatly in style and composition depending on location, budget, and quantity of participants but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, or historical reenactments.

Combat situations on the battlefield often involve the use of common military tactics to achieve the objectives set in each game. Participants typically use varying types of non-lethal weaponry designed as replicas of real firearms, tactical gear, and accessories used by modern military and police organizations.



Methods of play

Skirmish

"Skirmishing" is the most common type of play, with most airsoft matches falling into this category. Players may wear a full battle dress uniform (BDU), some type of scaled down BDU, or ordinary street clothes. Player's guns' velocities can range between 200 ft/s (for low-end/beginner guns) to 600 ft/s. In the UK the muzzle velocity (in FPS or feet per second) is limited to 328 with a +/- 10% tolerance. These battles typically take place in abandoned buildings, in a wooded area, or on a farm. However due to its international popularity, airsoft can be played on almost any type of terraain.

Capture The Flag

Also known as "Capture The Intelligence" this game mode involves taking some piece of equipment such as a briefcase or even just a flag. This game type can either be played as single flag or multi flag. In capture the flag with multiple flags, usually there is a base. Inside the base you could contain just a simple guard, or something like ammo behind a sheltered building. You ususally put the flag at the base. Make sure to make it as hard as possible to get to and from the flag. In single flag, place the flag in the middle of the playing field. Build a small campout to make sure that you still have shelter, then your team and the enemy team fight for the single flag. To win capture the flag you have to take either your enemies flag or the neutral flag and take it back to your base.

MilSim

An airsoft/MILSIM player operating in a sniper role and wearing a ghillie suit as camouflage.

"MilSim", short for Military Simulation, generally combines airsoft play with some military live-action role-playing elements. This type of play may be considered "hard core" by many players because of the above normal involvement required. Several goals or missions may be assigned to each team, along with a basic load-out (i.e., supply) of ammunition, rations, explosives, and radios.

A key element in MilSim games is the use of low-capacity magazines,[citation needed] replicating the actual magazine capactity of the 'real-steel' firearm the airsoft gun is replicating. Examples of which are the 30 round STANAG magazines of the M4, M16, Type 89, SCAR-L etc. As well as similar capacities for other common replicas.

The teams will remain in the field for the duration of play, only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies or other special circumstances. Military simulation games often last several days. For example, the large Berget annual event in Sweden lasts for six days with no breaks. In large scale MilSim operations, players often use vehicles such as painted vans and trucks. In some cases, such as Operation Irene (an annual MilSim held in the midwest U.S.), real APCs and tanks are used. Such large scale events can take place in MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) facilities.

Airsoft games are not limited to MilSim or CQB, however. There are many alternate game scenarios.
Airsoft players at a World War II re-enactment. The player is holding a SIG 552 rifle.
Private vehicles representing an armoured personnel carrier.

Honor system

Airsoft play employs an honor system whereby the players rely on each others' honesty to admit to being hit, because unlike paintballs, airsoft bbs do not leave visible marks on clothing.

The effect of a marking bb on the honor system is an addition to the game but does not remove "honor" from the game as it still remains with the player to choose whether or not to call his or her hits. Instead, it simply allows for verification when the need arises. For instance, depending on the muzzle velocity of the gun and distance from the shooter, the targeted player may not feel the impact.

Players are discouraged from calling out hits on an opponent - instead players are expected to signal a marshal to judge how effectively they have hit their opponent. Simulated 'knife kills' can, at the venue's discretion, be recognized when a player touches or taps an unaware opponent. This prevents the player being forced to shoot him or her at point-blank range. Similarly, a 'courtesy kill' occurs when a player refrains from shooting an opponent at close range while enforcing that opponent's surrender. Players are usually prohibited from firing blindly when not able to see their target, especially around corners. Players are expected to avoid the shooting of an opponent who has already admitted to being hit. Harsh language and forceful physical contact between players is strongly discouraged and even penalized. Players are expected to resolve disputes politely and with proper decorum.

All airsoft players are expected to acknowledge being hit, even if they are in doubt, by shouting "I'm hit" loudly, and raising their hand or gun high and/or displaying a 'hit indicator' while walking back to the safe zone. Paintball style "speedball" games may include the aforementioned hit markers. A hit indicator can be either a bright-colored cloth during daytime or a blinker or mini-flashlight when in dim light or darkness.