V9: Acceptable Contact

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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Acceptable / Unacceptable Contact

Amtgard combat is medium-contact activity. Medium contact means that players will often make physical contact with each other using approved equipment but certain forms contact are prohibited. Due to the nature of live combat, some amount of incidental contact should be expected, however repeated or egregious offenses can result in suspension for unsafe play.

Regardless of how it happens, if unacceptable contact is made you should avoid deriving a gamplay advantage from it. If an affected player is staggered and needs a moment to recover, stop fighting them. If necessary, rewind the interaction to the point of unacceptable contact and resume gameplay if/when they are able.

Acceptable Contact

1. Weapon into Valid Hit Location: Weapons may be used to strike valid Hit Locations using their Strike-Legal portions.

2. Weapon/Shield into Weapon: Weapons and Shields may be used to block, deflect, or pin an opponent’s weapon.

3. Weapon/Shield into Shield: Weapons and Shields may be used to deflect, turn, or manipulate an opponent's Shield so long as it does not force the opponent to lose their balance or fall over.

4. Body into Weapon: Players may block, deflect, or swipe an opponent’s weapons with their body or limbs so long as the weapon is not trapped or grabbed. Interacting with a Strike-Legal surface this way results in a valid hit to the location used for contact.

5. Body/Shield obstructing Body: Players may use their Body or Shields to passively obstruct an opponent’s body, whether it be their physical movement or an attempt to reach something with their limbs. ‘Passively’ means placing yourself between the opponent and their destination.

Unacceptable Contact

1. Weapon into Head/Neck: Weapons cannot be used to strike the head or neck.

2. Non-Strike Legal Contact: Weapons cannot be used to strike with portions that are not Strike-Legal.

3. Body into Body: Players cannot use their Body to directly impact another player’s Body. This includes: tripping, tackling, grappling, shoving, etc.

4. Shield into Body: Players cannot use their Shield to intentionally manipulate another player’s Body. This includes shield checking, shoving, etc.

5. Body into Shield: Players cannot use their Body to intentionally manipulate another player’s Shield. This includes: shield kicking, grabbing, shoving, etc.

6. Garb into Anything: Players cannot use their garb to intentionally block, deflect, or restrict other players or their equipment.

7. Forcing Instability: Players cannot intentionally use their body or equipment in any way that would force a static opponent to lose their balance or fall over. (Examples include: checking, shield bashing, hard strikes from excessively large/heavy weapons, reckless collisions, strong strikes to the back of the knees, etc.)

8. Punch Attacks: The experience of being punched is at odds with the safe, inclusive, fantasy sword-play atmosphere that our game wishes to evoke. This type of assault is very present in our modern world and therefore it has a greater potential to create an uncomfortable and/or stressful environment for certain participants, especially those who are victims of abuse. For this reason, players may not deliver strikes in a manner that mimics actual punching or otherwise evokes a perception of being punched, regardless of whether the equipment being used is safe or not. Ambiguous situations should be assessed on a case-by-case basis by Rules Authorities with players' emotional wellbeing as the primary focus.