V9: Safety

This page is part of the Official Amtgard V9 Alpha-Playtest Rulebook.

• The Amtwiki is the official home and primary source for Amtgard V9 Rules as of February 25, 2023.
• These rules are currently in Open Alpha Playtest. See the Playtest Disclaimer for more details.
• To learn more about Amtgard V9 Development, please visit Amtgard.com.
• To view the current Amtgard V8 ruleset, please see the Amtgard V8 Rulebook.

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Safety

The most important rule when participating in Amtgard combat is to understand the priority of Safety. Safety considerations must supersede all other concerns in order to provide an environment that our players feel comfortable participating in week after week. For most people it is extremely difficult to relax and enjoy an activity while being legitimately concerned about your own safety or well-being.

That said, while these rules seek to mitigate potential hazards and unsafe behavior, each participant is ultimately responsible for ensuring their own personal safety while attending Amtgard functions.

Safety First
Any action or equipment that could be described as dangerous, reckless, or unsafe to such a degree that it could risk lasting harm to anyone at an Amtgard function is expressly prohibited - regardless of its inclusion, or absence from, these Rules of Play.

Safety Authorities

Safety enforcement and oversight is a shared responsibility of all Rules Authorities.

Halting Gameplay

A 'Hold' is called.

Gameplay will sometimes need to be halted to address a safety issue or some other out-of-game concern, such as a child running onto the battlefield. The following calls can be made to halt gameplay completely or in a localized area. These calls should be reserved for Reeves when possible but any player may use them if they feel it is necessary to ensure the immediate safety of themselves and/or others.

1. "HOLD!" (Full Halt Of Gameplay): If it is necessary to stop play for the entire field, you should loudly announce "HOLD!". During a Hold, all players must immediately halt all gameplay, cease moving, and kneel if possible until the Hold has been resolved and a Reeve restarts the game.
2. "SAFETY!" (Localized Stop): If an incident occurs and you need to direct combat away from an area without stopping the game entirely, remove yourself from play and loudly announce "SAFETY!" to get the attention of nearby players and direct combat away from the situation. You may need to repeat this several times if gameplay continues to flow around you. Nearby players should either shift combat away from the Safety area or remove themselves from gameplay altogether to provide assistance until the situation is resolved or they are relieved by a Reeve.

Specific Safety Issues

The following is a list of specific safety issues that players can expect to encounter from time to time.

1. Unsafe Equipment or User: If you believe a piece of equipment on the field is unsafe or being used in an unsafe manner, address it politely with the user as soon as possible or notify a Reeve.
   • Some examples include: Unreasonably painful strikes; Excessively forceful two-handed attacks (executioner chops and baseball swings); Reckless flailing; Aimlessly firing projectiles into a crowd; Oversized or unreasonably heavy weapons, etc.
2. Rising Tempers:If you are concerned about the rising temper of another player, notify a Reeve as soon as possible. If you yourself become upset or angry, go take a break and come back when you’re able to continue for a cool head.
3. Safety-Related Movement or Speech: Some game effects may prevent a player from moving or speaking in game. These effects can never prevent a player from moving or speaking when it is necessary to ensure the safety of themselves or other players. If you choose to ignore effects this way, it should always be done in good faith and you should never capitalize on a gameplay advantage that might become available as a direct result of doing so.
4. Injury (Self): If you become injured during combat, immediately inform any player engaged with you and remove yourself from the battlefield if possible. If you need assistance in removing yourself, ask a nearby player or Reeve for help.
5. Injury (Other):If a player becomes injured in your immediate vicinity but actively shows signs that they only need a moment to recover, move yourself a short distance away and continue playing. If a player becomes injured and is unresponsive or needs assistance on the spot, use the ‘Safety’ or ‘Hold’ calls as appropriate to safeguard the area and get them help.

Developer Note: If there’s ever a doubt about whether or not to stop gameplay to tend to an injured player, choose to stop the gameplay. We would rather see a thousand 'Holds' for minor bumps and scratches if it means we don't miss a serious injury when it happens.

Sport Safety Equipment

Amtgard does not require safety equipment to be worn in order to participate, however doing so is an ideal way to further reduce the risk of injury that should be expected from any contact-sport experience, especially if you know you are predisposed to injury or want to play harder than normal.

Here are a few suggestions that may improve your Amtgard experience:

1. Sport Safety Goggles / Lacrosse Eye Cages: Protects your eyes and face from stray projectiles and strikes.
2. Impact Resistant Gloves: Protects your hands and fingers, especially while holding a weapon and using it to block. With a little bit of effort, these can also be converted into Gauntlets to offer in game armor bonuses.
3. Knee Pads: Protects your knees from rough terrain when you need to drop to the ground. Enables greater mobility in the kneeling position.
4. Terrain-Appropriate Footwear: Wearing cleats, gym shoes, or snow boots as appropriate can help you maintain proper footing and reduce trips, slips, and falls as you work to reposition and outmaneuver your foes.
5. Weather Appropriate Attire: Heat stroke, dehydration, frostbite, and hypothermia are all very real possibilities when participating in outdoor activities. Take precautions and adjust your attire accordingly.