Machete Paintball

Da Rules

last updated Saturday, 19 September 09

Before each new player goes on the field they will have the rules recited to them, en masse, at the beginning of the day and throughout the day as people arrive. Those who have heard the rules before I ask for your attention and patience when I go over them, for the sake of those who have not heard it before. Skills test of making the marker ready to fire and making the marker safe will be done for every player after the rules below are read.

- Obey the Refs, their word on the field is supreme.
- Masks are not to be taken off during a game for any reason. If the mask leaves your face during game play do not attempt to look for it. Cover your eyes, turn away from the action, and repeatedly shout "Ref!" for the Ref who will assist you.
- If you weren't on the field at the beginning of a game, stay out until the next game.
- Boundaries are orange ribbons; orange pallet at the crosspaths is safe & the ref station (field map below).
- Games begin with 1 whistle blast, end with 2 whistle blasts. 5 blasts mean hold for an emergency; stop all action and make safe your marker.
- 10 minute games, Darth Vader, and Popcorn (see Game Variations) are always in effect unless otherwise stated before the beginning of the game.
- When you think you tagged another player you may point at the other player and shout "Paintcheck (area of body or marker)!" on them. The Ref will then run to the player upon whom the paintcheck was called and deem whether or not they are still in the game. Game play continues as normal until the person is judged to be out. Use sparingly. If you want to call a paintcheck on yourself, shout "Ref!" and the ref will come to you.
- Do not shoot at another player within 10', instead safety kill them. To do so, be in a postion where you can easily shoot the other player (i.e. no barriers in the way) within 10', point the marker at the target, and shout "Safety kill!". The phrase "Safety kill!" acts as if a paintball was shot from your marker, reguardless if you ran out of air or paintballs or your marker jammed. If the person being safety killed has contention with the kill (i.e. does not believe it 10' or less, the safety killer's barrel was not pointed at the victim) they should immediately shout "Ref!" to call the Ref to the spot for the ref to give a judgement. Both players are out of play & remain until judgement is given. If both players shout "Safety kill!" at the same time both players are dead. If a player shoots another within 10' the shooter is dead and the other continues in the game. "Surrender!" is a viable question, though can be ignored.
- You are out when a paintball breaks on your body or an extension of your body. Your marker or a barrier you are carrying at the time is an extension of your body. If a ball does not break you may continue play. If you call yourself out, discovering later the ball did not break, you are still out.
- When you are tagged, safety killed, or otherwise eliminated shout "Out!" or "Hit!" (don't be shy!) and hold your barrel condom in your hand in plain view. Then de-cock your marker, put your barrel condom on your marker, point your marker to the sky, and walk to the designated safe area, usually the orange pallet at the crosspaths. Remember, no barrel condom on *and* no marker pointed up means you are still a target, and you *will* be shot some more. Also, since markers can be shot at a high rate of fire expect to be hit several times considering distance, being able to be heard over the shooter's marker, and your relative position to the stream of paintballs to cover. Duck & cover, then say "Hit!" and show your barrel condom. When tagged with the flag, hang the flag in an obvious place as close to the location eliminated as possible.
- Ref obviously laying a hand on a player makes the player neutral and protects from all aggressive action towards the player.
- Dead men don't talk. Talking with others on the field when you are out is distracting to the players still in the game.
- All markers will be chronographed to 280fps or less. Speed will be determined by the average of three shots.
- Rules on grenades and mines: quarter size splatter counts.
- If your mask starts to fog, start running. The more air circulating through the mask the less it will fog. Once it fogs completely it is difficult to unfog.
- Thou shalt not kill; let the woodland creatures be!
- Be honest! The Ref can't see everything and it makes the game much more fun to not rely on the Ref. Wiping is an unforgivable sin, period.
- Common sense, use it at all times! No physical contact. Don't look down the barrel at any time when cocked, ie to see if it's loaded. Don't leave your marker in the sun (CO2 expands when heated). If your mask is cracked don't use it. Fire only paintballs out of the marker. Fill loader to at most 1" from top (allows paintballs to drop into the marker effectively). Do not use balls which have touched the ground. The dirt and moisture wreak havoc on the internals of the marker. Leave keys, wallets, cell phones, and other valuables off your person before playing.

* First time violators will sit out one game to cool off. Subsequent violations will be dealt with accordingly by the Ref. *

Extrapolated from Paintball Times, Durty Dan, and tons of personal experience. =)

Typical Game Layout

- Walk to the field
- Choose teams, choose game
- Teams walk to their respective start positions
- Masks on, markers armed
- Whistle blown once: game starts!
- Whistle blown twice: game ends
- Markers made safe (clear the chamber, de-cock your marker, barrel condom on, marker always pointed to the sky or ground), walk to the safe area
- Masks may be taken off between games to air out

Field Layout (Rough)

Travis Hopkins came up with the name Machete Paintball due to our brush clearing excursions on the field. =) Here's a crude LOGO bitmap of the clearcut paths on the field. Entrance is near the compass rose, brush is in green, current paths outlined in white, and yes it is to scale.

There is actually no more turret, it fell over at the end of 2007. But there is now a path going below the lower path parallel to the creek.

Game variations

- Black Knight - a la Monty Python's "Holy Grail", or Army Dodge. Once you are hit in a body part, other than the head or the torso which eliminates you, you cannot use that body part. Division between arm & torso is determined by the seam on a regular t-shirt, groin & leg by line from hip to crotch. Game ends with last person/team standing.
- Bunny Hunt - One person (bunny) with a shield vs. everyone else (the hunters) with only 20 rounds each. When hunters run out of rounds they are out of the game.
- Capture The Flag - One flag is placed halfway between teams. Game ends when the flag is carried back to one's own base.
Variant: Each base has a flag which the other team tries to steal. Game ends when one team brings the other team's flag back to their base.
- Civil War - Paintballs must be loose or in a plastic bag, not in tubes or any bulk loading system, and loaded in to the markers by hand one at a time. Another paintball cannot be loaded until the one in the marker has been shot.
- Darth Vader - Blocking shots with the palm of the hand does not count as being eliminated. This rule is constantly in effect unless otherwise stated.
- Downed Pilot - A plane was shot down in enemy territory. Luckily, the pilot, armed only with a pistol, survived and there are no enemies in the immediate area, giving time to hide. After two minutes the enemy enters the vicinity and looks for the pilot. Another two minutes pass and the pilot's buddies follow the distress signal and arrive to safely escort the pilot off the field, or be horribly ambushed by the enemy. Game ends when the pilot is eliminated or safe.
Variant: Black Box. The plane's flight recorder must be retrieved by either side. Game ends when the Black Box exits the field via the enemy or ally entrance.
- El Presidente - One or two snipers along a predetermined parade route to the White House try to pick off the unarmed President surrounded by his Secret Service. Game ends when the President or sniper(s) are eliminated.
- Free-For-All - Every person for themselves after a 20 second head start to run and hide.
- Firing Squad - Just what it sounds like, one shot from each in the line or shoot 'til the victim drops. Used to satiate masochistic tendencies, a punishment, and pot shots on me in this style is the traditional kickoff for the day.
- Gettysburg - see Civil War
- Hunters - Play starts with more prey than hunters. When a prey is killed by a hunter, the prey becomes a hunter. When a prey kills a hunter, the hunter is eliminated. Play ends when there are no more hunters or prey.
- Headhunter - Everyone for themselves. When you make a kill, you receive the armband of the person you killed, and only the armband of the person you kill, not any of the armbands the person has collected so far. Winner will be determined by the person who has collected the most armbands.
- Medic - One person on the team is the Medic. They do not have a marker and have a white flag tied on their non-team colour arm. When people are elimated they do not walk off the field, they stand with their hands above their head. Medics then go to downed team members and touch them to resurrect them. Play ends with the last team standing.
- Night Paintball - Glowsticks on masks. 'Nuff said.
- Popcorn- If a time limit to the round is announced before the round is started then when time limit expires the game will continue if there is at least one shot every 5 seconds (like knowing when popcorn is done popping).
- Prison Break - Twice as many prisoners as guards, each prisoner has a pod of ammo, but the prisoners only have one marker per five or so prisoners.
- Regeneration - When elimated you see the Ref who will tally the times of each person out. Winner is the one who has the most eliminations minus times eliminated within 10 minutes.
- Tag Team - Two on two, but each team has reserve players. When both players on a single side are eliminated, they are replaced by two of the reserve players on the same side. Game ends when one entire team is eliminated.
- Terminator - One person has two markers and a sytrofoam cup taped to the center of their chest. Only a hit to the styrofoam cup causing a hole will eliminate the Terminator. Game play ends with the elimination of the Terminator or everyone else. A field favourite!
- Zombie - Only a head shot eliminates players.

Games may be combined. Example: Zombie Hunter - Hunters killed by zombies become zombies. Zombies are only killed by head shots.

Darth Vader and Popcorn is always in effect, time limit for any game is at most 10 minutes, no fire is friendly fire.

Compiled from Durty Dan, even more game ideas here, my imagination, and About.com.

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