Team Composition and Substitutions:

• Each team is limited to 3 players per match.

• Substitutions are permitted before or after each match but are not allowed during the match or between rounds.

• Injury Substitutions: If a player is injured during a match, a substitution is allowed. The injured player cannot return for subsequent matches in the same event.

• Ringer Substitutions: A ringer (a non-team member or a member of a different team) may be substituted for the event. The ringer can only play for one team during the event.

Match Structure:

• A match consists of either 3 or 4 rounds, depending on the event’s format and time constraints.

• Championship matches are played over 5 rounds.

• A coin toss before each match determines which team chooses the side of the map for the first round.

• Each round has a maximum duration of 3 minutes.

Match Outcomes:

• 3-Round Matches: The first team to win 2 rounds wins the match. If a team wins the first two rounds, the third round is not played.

• 4-Round Matches: The first team to win 3 rounds wins the match. If the teams are tied after four rounds, the total points determine the winner. If a team wins the first three rounds, the fourth round is not played.

Scoring:

• Each round offers a maximum of 100 points, with a potential bonus of 15 points, making the maximum score per round 115 points.

  • 25 points for the first flag possession.

  • 50 points for hanging the flag, which also ends the round.

  • 5 points per player eliminated, up to a maximum of 25 points.

  • 15 bonus points are awarded if the flag is hung while at least one opposing player remains uneliminated.

Time Management:

• Teams receive a ready warning from the referee, who provides both verbal and visual confirmation.

• Rounds start with a horn or whistle blow from the referee, without a countdown.

• The round ends after 3 minutes with a horn or whistle, and points are then calculated.

Flag Rules:

• First Possession: Securing the flag first earns 25 points.

• Flag Visibility: The flag must be visible to referees at all times and cannot be concealed.

• Flag Handling: The flag can be dropped or passed to teammates but cannot be thrown.

• Flag Hang: Hanging the flag on the opposing team’s spawn point earns 50 points and ends the round.

• Flag Drop Penalty: If the flag bearer is hit, the flag must be dropped within 5 feet of the hit location. Failure to do so results in a 25-point penalty.

Starting Breakout:

• Teams start from a designated wall/bunker at their spawn point.

• Each spawn point is 8 feet wide, and players must have one foot touching the wall/bunker within this area before the round starts.

• All guns must remain in contact with the spawn wall/bunker until the round begins.

• A false start (early breakout) results in a 50-point penalty.

Weapon Regulations:

• All guns must be semi-automatic, with one shot per trigger pull.

• Trigger guards are mandatory, and double/extended triggers are prohibited.

• Magazine Limits:

  • Rifles: Mid caps only, maximum 200 rounds per magazine.

  • Pistols: Extended magazines and M4 mag adapters are allowed, with a maximum of 200 rounds.

  • Shotguns: Shell-fed or AR mag, with a maximum of 200 rounds.

• There is no limit on the total number of magazines or shells.

• Weapons with stocks must be shouldered when firing.

• FPS/Joules Limit: 360 fps using 0.25g BBs or 1.13 Joules. Field policies may adjust these limits.

• Chrono Checks: Players may be spot-checked after each set. Exceeding FPS/Joules limits results in removal from the event, and the team plays short for the remainder.

Engagement Rules:

• No minimum engagement distance.

• Surrender rules and “bang-bang” kills are not recognized.

• Knife kills are valid.

Referee Authority:

• Referees manage the start and end of games and have the final say on all decisions and disputes.

• They are responsible for calling hits and removing players from the game.

Hit Rules:

• Any BB contact with a player’s body or gear counts as a hit.

• Simultaneous hits result in both players being out.

• Dry fires and ricochets do not count as hits.

Fouls and Penalties:

• Fouls: Not calling a hit, whether intentional or accidental.

  • 1st Offense: Team loses the round and all points for that round.

  • 2nd Offense: Team loses the round and all points; the offending player is removed for the rest of the match, and the team plays short.

  • 3rd Offense: Team loses the round and all points; the offending player is removed for the rest of the event, and the team plays short.

  • 4th Offense: Team loses the match and is eliminated from the tournament.

• False Starts: 50-point penalty.

• Late Flag Drop: 25-point penalty.

• Chrono Violation: Player removed from the event, and the team plays short.

Tournament Format:

• Official tournaments use a double-elimination format. A team must lose twice to be eliminated.

• Championship matches are best of 5 rounds.

• Non-tournament events may use single elimination or round-robin formats.