COMMAND DECISIONS WARGAMES CENTER AND TACAMO PAINTBALL PRODUCTS PROUDLY PRESENT:

November 7 - 9, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUICK LINK
Game Rules
 

Fulda Gap 2008 RULES OF PLAY
 

This is the largest paintball event to be held in the Mid-Atlantic. It is a historically based scenario of the potential invasion of Western Europe by the Warsaw Pact in the mid-1980s. It will be a continuing event, with the same units every year. Mistakes made this year can be corrected in the next. Think of this as a game of paintball chess.

Due to the enormous importance of SAFETY at an event so large, ALL PLAYERS should familiarize themselves with all of the rules of play. You should also familiarize yourself with the Fulda Gap 2008 map.

When you sign your waiver, you will also be stating that you have
 READ, and UNDERSTAND these rules. Know these rules, or you will find yourself at a serious disadvantage!

One thing to remember- this is a game, and is meant to be entertaining. While the game designer has made a great effort at supporting realism, the whole event is to be taken as a game, and not a reenactment.

 *****PLEASE REMEMBER YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR READING AND FOLLOWING THE RULES BELOW- IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE*****  

In general, major Do’s & Don’ts-

 

􀂾 Don’t lose your ID Tag – make sure it is tied securely

􀂾 No alcohol or drug use at any time during the event

􀂾 No weapons, knives, wire or rope is allowed on the field, and no booby traps are allowed. No paint mines, however noise or powder mines are allowed.

􀂾 No tools to adjust markers are allowed on the field

􀂾 No firing of any kind off the field (in the parking lot, common areas or camp) or away from chronograph stations, and no shooting of wildlife or referees.

􀂾 No foul language, insulting behavior or slurs will be tolerated

􀂾 No physical contact of any kind

􀂾 No laser sites or pyrotechnics are allowed

􀂾 Use only Event Paint

􀂾 Use only cold smoke (clear with field owner and game director)

􀂾 Do not repair markers in non-goggle areas – only in Pro Shop, chronograph area, or at your campsite

􀂾 DO NOT argue with referees or judges. Their word is final. If you do argue, you will be asked to leave the game for a minimum of 30 minutes.

􀂾 Play the field as is- no modifications or vandalizing the field, props or personal equipment. Do not climb on bunkers, trees or any structure 4 feet or higher.

􀂾 No cyclume sticks allowed by players at night (only referees)

 

The Fulda Gap Field:

The Fulda Gap field consists of 70+ acres in the foothills of North Carolina. The terrain consists of everything from open fields, to ravines and creek beds. Trees are plentiful, and so is the underbrush (briars) in places. Be aware of your surroundings. Check what you are about to crawl through. With a field this large, it is very hard to keep poison ivy/oak off the field! Most of the playing areas are clear of heavy brush, but when traveling between objectives is when you might run into dense underbrush. The Fulda Gap map is available to print off of the web site. The field is extensively bounded by orange or yellow tape. Please, you’re your own safety, do not cross these boundary lines.

 

COMMAND DECISIONS BIG GAME RULES & SAFETY

(revised July 2008)

GENERAL RULES OF PLAY:

Command Decisions Wargames Center takes pride in their safety history and fair play. Many of our referees are semi-professional, and have reffed hundreds of games. Please give them the professional courtesy that they deserve by reading and understanding these rules.

CHRONOGRAPH/MARKER SPEEDS:

Daytime game speeds will be a maximum of 280 fps. Night game speeds will be maximum of 250 fps. You will be expected to chronograph, and have your ID Card punched by a ref, before the game Saturday, before the night game Saturday, and before the game Sunday.

 A majority of the refs will carry hand chronos and will be spot checking speeds throughout the event. Markers that are shooting ‘hot’ are a serious safety hazard. A paintball traveling at 300+ fps can shatter a goggle lens. ‘Hot’ firing will not be tolerated, PERIOD. This safety rule is especially important for the night game.

Once again, all markers must be chronographed at 280 FPS or below before entering the day game, 250 at night. Game Officials will be spot-checking velocities on the field. If you are found shooting over 280 FPS, you will be asked to return to the store and RE-CHRONOGRAPH your marker. If you are found shooting over 300 FPS your I.D. will be punched (for a point loss), your name logged on the ref sheet, your hopper pink ribboned, and you will have to return to the store to repair and RE-CHRONOGRAPH your marker. A second infraction will result in suspension from the field.

Goggles and BBDs-

All goggles must be ASTM approved full face and ear protection. MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES IN THE CHRONOGRAPH AREAS AND ON THE FIELD OF PLAY!!!! 90% of all paintball related injuries are eye injuries. Don’t cause or be one.

EVEN IF FOGGED OR PAINT-COVERED, DO NOT REMOVE YOUR GOGGLES FOR ANY REASON ON THE FIELD OR CHRONOGRAPH AREA. To do so will result in your removal from the game. NO EXCEPTIONS - NO REFUNDS. Retire to a dead zone or the store and clean your mask.

A BARREL BLOCKING DEVICE (B.B.D.), also called a barrel sleeve, must be installed on your marker at all times except when shooting over the chronograph or playing in the game. Plugs are not allowed.

DISCHARGING MARKERS-

Discharging of markers in the parking/store area will not be tolerated and will result in your expulsion from the field! Do not shoot at wildlife, referees, or support vehicles. There is no shooting or posting within 100 feet of a dead zone. If a ref catches you, you will be asked to wait in that dead zone for 15 minutes (which, by the way, is your enemy’s) and you will get your card punched.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO AIR/GAS-ON MARKER REPAIR ALLOWED IN ANY PUBLIC AREA WHATSOEVER. Any repairs must be done at a chrono station, vendor site, or in your campsite, with a barrel blocking device on your marker at all times.

YOU CANNOT FIRE YOUR MARKER AT ANY TIME EXCEPT AT A CHRONO STATION, OR ON THE FIELD, PERIOD. You cannot fire your marker at your campsite, in the woods next to your campsite, or in your vehicle! Doing so is not only a safety hazard, but a blatant show of disrespect for other people’s safety. If you are found firing your marker in the camping area, or anywhere but an approved area, you may be asked to leave the event. 

SPORTSMANLIKE PLAY AND REFEREES

Wiping paint, any form of cheating, or un-sportsman like conduct (OVER SHOOTING, FIGHTING, FOUL LANGUAGE, etc.) will not be tolerated. If you are found cheating you will be expelled from the game and not allowed to return. The judge’s calls on the field are final and will not be reversed. There will be referees at each base and dead zone, as well as roving refs.

We will have two types of referees for this game- the field refs, and role playing refs. There will be certain individuals who will be playing in the game that are designated as referees as well. They will have a special ID that will identify them as such.

Under no circumstances is anyone allowed to ARGUE with a referee. On the field, their calls are final, period. If you have a problem with a call, then take it to one of the game coordinators, or a head ref. There will be multiple head refs, one at each battle area. They will be assisted by numerous refs all over the field. Each unit will have a ref/refs attached to them as well.

Referees are here for your safety. If you see any ref allowing any unsafe actions, please report him/her to the game coordinators. They will have numbers on the backs of their t-shirts that will identify them individually. “Reporting” a ref for making a “bad” call, is bad sportsmanship, and will not be accepted. The game coordinator does not second guess his refs.

Do not shoot at ANY field animals, wildlife, referees, or support vehicles.

Be courteous. Avoid close (within 10 feet) shots if at all possible. Allow the player to surrender first (see Surrender/capture rules), or shoot for a low impact area, like legs or feet.

Blind shooting, shooting without visually seeing where your balls are impacting or without looking down your sights, is not allowed. Violators will be counted as eliminated.

Overshooting, which is the repeated shooting of an already eliminated player, is grounds for elimination or, if deliberate, removal from the field. Allow all suspected hit players to call themselves out. Be sure to loudly call yourself as hit (if you are) to prevent overshooting. Shooting a player with a barrel sleeve mounted on his barrel is overshooting, provided that player has his marker and sleeve clearly visible.

NO PHYSICAL CONTACT IS ALLOWED BETWEEN PLAYERS (with the exception of a barrel tag or hand shake).

There is no shooting or posting within 100 feet of a dead zone. Dead zone are there for the convenience and safety of the players and hold no strategic value. If a ref catches you within 100 feet of an enemy dead zone, you will be asked to wait in that dead zone for 30 minutes (which, by the way, is usually your enemy’s).

BASE STATION ATTACKS: Any base station may be overrun at any time. Only a satchel charge or a nerf rocket can be used to blow a clearly marked (base station) command post. Because of the fragile equipment contained inside, NO firing will be allowed out of, or into, the command shack itself. Also, when a base is overrun, no equipment or personal items may be taken from inside the command shack.

TEAM COLOR TAPE (6 inches minimum) MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR MASK- No changing of team color on either side. You cannot pick up tape off the ground or get it from any other source other than at the team's base or from the Game Controller.

Full autos, RTs and electronic guns are welcome; however there is a 15 ball per sec limit. A violation of this rule is the same as a chronograph violation. Refs will be checking with special equipment. 

HIT RULES

If you are hit by a paintball, it must break and leave a break/mark no smaller than 1 inch (quarter size) for you to be eliminated. Hits count anywhere on your body or equipment, including guns and hoppers. Any amount of paint from a paint grenade on your body or equipment counts as an elimination.

ANYONE (SNIPERS ESPECIALLY) WEARING A GHILLIE SUIT IS OUT IF HIT AT ALL, ANYWHERE. THE HIT DOES NOT HAVE TO BREAK.

If you are eliminated call "Hit, hit, hit", immediately install your B.B.D., raise your gun in the air, and return to your assigned safe zone. 

If under fire, face away from where your enemies are firing from and exit the field by the fastest, safest route. Putting both hands in the air is a good idea as well, because it leaves no doubt as to your condition. Get out of the way fast if you are in an area that is under heavy fire.

Head away from the fire! Do not talk, act as a shield, trade equipment, give equipment or ammunition to your teammates, or participate in radio chatter. If you are unsure if you have been hit, call for a paint-check if a referee is available, otherwise use the honor system. Wipe off all wet paint in the safe zone before re-entering the game. 

If hit, you must return to your assigned safe zone and have your ID card (provided at the beginning of the game) punched by the referee assigned to that zone.  At the end of the game you must have this card to claim your door prize.

During the night game, any hit or impact is considered out. It doesn’t matter if it breaks or not, you’re out. There cannot be any paint checks at night, so put your barrel blocking device in, raise your marker, and head to the dead zone.

Remember, dead men don’t tell tales (talk)! This is an honor situation. Either your honorable, or your not. Do not talk until you get to the dead zone other than to tell the person who eliminated you “good hit.”

DEAD ZONES and HITS:

There are six (6) dead re-charge zones currently on the map. The field store is not a dead zone. If you have to go to the field store for supply, you will still need to go to an appropriate dead zone to re-enter the game. There will be dead zone refs at all dead zones. They will be responsible for safety and reinsertion. You will be reinserted every ½ hour, on the hour & ½ hour. There will be dead zones in each battle area for each side (no shared dead zones).

Dead zone ambushing is not allowed. All dead zones should be well behind friendly lines anyway, however, no units can set up within a 100 foot firing range of a dead zone to shoot out reentering players. Therefore, all reinsertions should be ‘Cold’, not under fire.

When you are tagged out, call “hit, hit, hit”, put your barrel sleeve on, and proceed to the nearest dead zone. It is important you know where they are located so you can get to them quickly and get back in the game. The dead zones will have water, and some will have paint. Take this opportunity to catch your breath, drink some water, and reload. It is very important to drink plenty of water during the event to prevent dehydration. We also recommend drinking electrolyte type drinks such as PowerAde, etc when you are off the field. When you are reinserted, make your way back to your unit. They may have moved by the time you get there, so have a map handy, and know your units objectives, and battle plans.

If you leave the field for any reason, (air, paint, water), you are considered out. You must come back to a dead zone closest to your unit, and reinsert on the next reinsertion.



 BARREL TAG/SURRENDER:

These are two separate situations, and will be addressed separately. They can occur in either the day or night game, but especially the later is more likely to happen in the night game.

 Surrender:

The surrender rule is also known as the 10’ rule. If you get within 10’ of someone and they do not see you, you can call out, “Surrender or die!” At this point the other player has one of two options; they can raise their marker and surrender, or they can turn and fire on you. If they turn to fire, you had better be ready to fire yourself. This could create ‘quick draw’ situations, but calling for a surrender is considered a courtesy so as not to ‘light someone up’ when they are within 10’ to avoid a painful hit. I would recommend surrendering, but it is your choice. The person calling for the surrender has out maneuvered you, and has done the honorable thing by asking for surrender. Be equally honorable and except the option. Remember, if you call for surrender, not everyone will, so be ready!

”Barrel” Tag:

A barrel tag is when someone sneaks up on you, taps you with their hand -not barrel (this is a safety issue), and you are out. This is not an option. YOU CANNOT TURN AND FIRE, PERIOD! If barrel tagged, you must put your BBD on, raise your marker, and leave the field quietly. I stress quietly because the whole premise behind the barrel tag is, that someone has been stealthy enough to out-maneuver you without detection. That type of stealth deserves respect, and the respectful thing to do, is not give them away by yelling your out. A barrel tag, or surrender is the only time you are not required to call out in a loud voice, “HIT”. By the same token, if you ‘Barrel Tag’ someone, just touch them with your hand, and say “barrel tag”, don’t ‘JAB or HIT’ them.

Capture:

When either of the two above situations occurs to an officer who is ‘designated’ as a possible target, they are obliged to surrender and are considered captured. The capturer must get them back to a designated area to receive points. This will be covered in more detail in the game mission cards. This will include most or all officers that are Colonel or higher in rank. Officers are not subject to interrogation if captured. They are taken to the designated area until rescued, or a given amount of time expires.

PAINT CHECK:

During the day games, if you are hit and not sure if the ball broke, call for a paint check by a ref. With 300+ players on the field, there may not be a ref right next to you, so if a teammate is, ask him/her if your hit. If you are, then do the honest thing and call yourself out.

 If you hear someone on the opposing side call a paint check, DO NOT ADVANCE on them while the ref is checking them out. This constitutes a foul, and the ref will call YOU out.


NIGHT GAME: The following rules are in effect during the night game:

The night game can get very intense. Sometimes, firefights happen at very close quarters. Give your opponent the opportunity to surrender before you shoot if at all possible. I know there are many times this will not be possible or feasible, but please try to if you can.

 All markers must be chronographed at 250 fps or less. There are no paint checks at night. All hits count as an out whether the ball breaks or not. It is recommended that you carry a flashlight or glow stick with you in case of emergency, or if you get lost. This is a big playing field, and everything looks different at night!

Paint grenades are ineffective at night, so don’t waste them. There are no paint checks at night.

If you are injured in any way, call out for a medic. There will be no ‘game’ medics at Fulda Gap. All ranking officers and most refs will be carrying first aid kits.

RADIOS:

There will be tons, and tons of radios at Fulda Gap 2006. The staff will have FRS 1 through 3 channels reserved for instruction, directions, and emergency use. You can listen to these channels, even though it will serve no purpose for you to do so. DO NOT TALK ON THEM UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY. Do not jam, or otherwise tamper with these channels for any reason, or you will be expelled from the event.

 TANK AND BUNKER RULES

Bunker tag rules are in effect. If you are able to physically touch an enemy bunker during play, you must yell “bunker tag”, and all those inside are counted as hit and must go to their assigned dead zone. This is a safety measure to prevent close shots.

Bridges, foot or vehicle, can be blown with special mission cards! Blown bridges will be marked by tape and signs indicating their status. No one can cross a blown bridge by foot or vehicles. However, bridges can be repaired with additional special mission cards.

Do not take off your mask in tanks or bunkers, buildings, or towers for any reason! Ever!

Pneumatic powered “LAWS” Rockets or RPGs can eliminate tanks, helicopters, bunkers, and structures on the field and anyone adjacent (within arms reach) to them. The structure must be hit (no bounces) with a factory manufactured soft Nerf type rocket. On missions, a judge must be contacted and shown LAWS Rocket card beforehand & must be present to ascertain whether the mission was successful or not. If attack is successful, the structure must be taped off as destroyed. In non-mission play, the structure can be immediately reoccupied. LAW/RPG gunners must attend the same safety brief that the tankers do and must have their device checked by staff members. No homemade RPGs made with plastic pressure chambers are allowed.

There may be some powered tanks on the field. Do not approach or be within 10 feet of an “in play” tank or you will be counted as eliminated. A designated safety referee will accompany the tank(s). If a tank is eliminated, it will either withdraw off the playing field or stay in position depending on the game and safety situation. In either case the crew is eliminated and must proceed to a dead zone as any other player. Reactivations of eliminated tanks involve an uninterrupted 15-minute “repair” by a single tank crewmember (after returning from the dead zone). Do not climb on or enter a tank under any circumstances, even eliminated ones. Generally speaking, unless you possess anti-armor markers, your best tactic is to avoid tanks.

The use of paintball tanks, provided that they are under a strict set of guidelines, adds an enormous amount of fun and strategy to a paintball game.  Armored vehicles on a real battlefield either dominate or are metal coffins for the crew. These rules will attempt to balance safety with effective tank strategy on the field. The tank rules are discussed in detail on their own page.

A Synopsis for non-tankers- There may be some powered tanks on the field. Do not approach or be within 10 feet of an “in play” tank or you will be counted as eliminated. A designated safety referee will accompany the tank(s). If a tank is eliminated, it will either withdraw off the playing field or stay in position depending on the game and safety situation. In either case the crew is eliminated and must proceed to a dead zone as any other player. Reactivations of eliminated tanks involve an uninterrupted 15-minute “repair” by a single tank crewmember (after returning from the dead zone). Do not climb on or enter a tank under any circumstances, even eliminated ones. Generally speaking, unless you possess anti-armor markers, your best tactic is to avoid tanks.

Tankers, please review, print off, and have a copy of the Tank Utilization Rules on the field when your tank is in play. The link to which is located at the bottom of this page.

ASSIGNMENTS, MISSIONS, AND RE-ENTRY

Each side’s commander will issue mission assignments at the beginning and during each phase.  The commander, or General, can be eliminated just like any other player, and if they are out of play then the assignments and regenerations may be temporarily interrupted. Protect your Generals!

At the beginning of the game you will be assigned to a team, squad, or company, and will generally be with this same team throughout the game.  Through the General, or their designate, you will be given missions that must be completed for points.  Additionally, the General may issue "special" equipment necessary to accomplish certain missions. 

Just like in the "real" military, if you are eliminated, for any reason, you must report back to your squad leader or another officer for reassignment or re-linking with your team.  In the event you need to retire from the field (gun maintenance or rest) you still need to report to your squad leader or the General for leave, otherwise you may be considered AWOL and lose points for your team.

MISSION CARDS: These are to be filled in at the command post and given to the squad taking on the mission objectives. If a Mission Judge is present at the beginning of the mission, the card may be given to him and he will observe that the mission criteria are met, fill in the card, and then turn it in to the Game Director. There must a judge present to validate a completed mission (so make sure you get one before the end of your mission).

 DEMOLITION EXPERTS: The only role player that can take out hardened bunkers (base stations, tanks, bunkers, bridges, buildings). The Expert’s Satchel Charge (issued by Game Director), with an Explosive Card inside it, is to be placed or thrown on top of or next to the targeted structure and must be touching it to be effective. The number of Explosive Cards within the satchel determines the amount of destruction and enemy damage. Demo Expert must show his/her Expert Card to a referee and notify him of the intention before the act of demolition. The destroyed area must be taped off with Game Tape only.

 

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION-

 Finally, by the nature of this game, there will be referee supported “events”, usually dictated by the opposing generals, which will cause entire bases to be eliminated, and all players in them. These are called WMD attacks, and may come in 3 very different forms:

 Nuclear Weapons, or more appropriately Tactical Nuclear Devices, are a very powerful, but thankfully very limited, tool in the belt of the NATO and Warsaw Pact Generals. They will eliminate a 100 foot diameter area of the field for the entire event phase once initiated. If used on a base, that base will be out of play for that day or night phase (and thus, cannot be used for points). Nukes will be delivered via referee in a very loud and visually spectacular manner. That area will be considered irradiated, and any player from either side who enters that base will be counted as eliminated. The irradiated area will be marked with boundary or danger tape until “safe” to enter.

  Air strikes and mortars-  Artillery will be simulated (loudly) by refs at points determined by the generals and coordinated through the Game Coordinator using a grid system.

  • The NATO general initially has 3 (three) air strikes at his disposal. They must be called into the Tactical Operation Center/Fire Direction Center, who will coordinate a ref to conduct the strike. The air strike will take at least 15 minutes to coordinate strike.

 

  • Warsaw Pact General initially has 3 (three) mortar barrages. The mortar will take at least 10 minutes to coordinate fires.

 

  • To call for fires, the general, or his authorized designate, must radio a “Fire Mission” with his call sign and the control number on the artillery card. The general will give a grid coordinate (including a specific target or in the case of an air strike a direction/distance from a smoke grenade thrown one minute preceding the strike), target type (armor/infantry in open/structure), and location of friendly forces. If friendly forces are within 50 yards of target, the strike must be designated “Danger-Close”, otherwise mission may be scrubbed and loss of air strike/barrage will occur. TOC/FDC will repeat information and give updates to the general on time to target (TOT).

 The impact point will be where the ref feels that they are close to the grid coordinate or specific building/bunker target dictated by the FDC as called in by the general.  

  • An air strike or mortar barrage affects a 50 ft radius from the point of impact, with an effect determined by a 6-sided die roll

    • 1- miss

    • 2- hit (eliminates target for 5 minutes and all exposed players within 50 feet)

    • 3- partial hit on target (does not eliminate target, but eliminates ½ of players within 50 feet)

    • 4- Direct hit (eliminates target for 5 minutes and all players within 50 feet)

    • 5- partial hit on target (does not eliminate target, but eliminates 2 players within 50 feet if applicable)

    • 6- hit (eliminates target for 5 minutes and all exposed (not in bunker, trench, tank or foxhole) players within 50 feet)

 

  • A strike or barrage does not take out dead zones, or flag stations. It can permanently take out props and role players. Generals for either side may earn more artillery strikes by finding Artillery Cards located in props throughout the field. They must be turned into the Game Controller before they can be used.
     

Chemical Weapons- Chemical weapons, or poor man’s nuke, will be simulated by ORANGE smoke. Anyone caught in an orange smoke cloud without donning their protective equipment (a dust mask over your paintball mask) immediately will be counted as eliminated. Once the cloud has dissipated, you may take off your protective mask. Remember, smoke travels with wind direction, and it could happen that you may gas your own troops by mistake. Use these weapons under direction of your general or officers. Regular smoke will not be considered as a chemical weapon.

Tankers, please review, print off, and have a copy of the Tank Utilization Rules on the field when your tank is in play.

tank and anti-tank rules