Japanese law in the 1970s permitted only military personnel to own guns, leading to the development of gas and air powered handguns that looked and felt like real guns but shot 6mm plastic balls. They soon became more an object of recreation than anything else, and the sport spread to China, the UK and eventually the U.S. and many other countries.

The Protective Gear

With the right protective gear, you are able to protect yourself from any plastic bb's that might come your way. The gear does not have to be worn if you are shooting at a target, but during game play at a course, or whenever you are shooting at people or being shot at, you are going to want to ensure that you are fully protected.

• Eye and Face Protection – A lot of times using a full-face mask is the best. This protects every inch of your face, as well as your eyes.
• Gloves – Using gloves protects your hands during game play, this can be a good thing to also have on if it is cold and allows you to shoot with more accuracy.
• Hat – Wearing a hat is good to protect your head. A hard or thick one is best to block the blow of the bb’s.
• Boots – Boots provide protection for your feet. They are able to block out the plastic bb's while also giving you something stable and comfortable to wear while on the field.
• Knee and Elbow Pads – These protect the vital areas and help you if you want to crawl on the ground during a game.
• Thick Clothing – This protects you from any blows that you might feel during game play. Plastic bb's hit hard and can go right through thin clothing so being padded is a great choice.

Basic Safety Rules

Adhere to these important safety rules to ensure that you are playing safely whether you are target shooting or playing out on the field. Following these instructions allows you to have fun and not be harmed or seriously harm someone else.

• Do not point the gun at anything that you are not intending to shoot.
• Always treat the gun as if it were loaded, even if it is not. Treat it with care.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. You do not want to accidentally shoot anything or anyone that is not intended.
• Be sure of the target that you have and know what is behind them. This is to ensure that you do not accidentally miss the target and hit something or someone else.

Once you have purchased your guns through a wholesale airsoft guns company, you are set to go. Just make sure that you keep the protective gear on at all times while playing the game with friends. This is a big thing since you do not want any serious injuries to arise during game play.

Sources:

http://www.airsoftsafetyfoundation.org/

Research

Researching is the major key of creating an Airsoft team. You as the captain of the team must learn the formations correctly to infiltrate the opposing team’s grounds or hide outs. Hand gestures such as go, stop, covering fire, enemy near, and other tactical gestures should also be learned. Military tactics are also helpful when researching for an Airsoft team. Things such as flanking or coming up behind the enemy can be beneficial when planning an attack.

Create

Creating the team is also a very important key, because without them the team doesn’t exist. Choosing members to play on your team can become difficult. It’s not always smart to have all of your friends on a team especially if they have no prior knowledge of Airsoft rules or guns. When considering who to have on your team, make a list of all of the positions starting with the top – the captain, and leading to the bottom rank – private. Also, consider creating a patch for the team members that will be visible on their Airsoft clothing. Code names are also a great addition to the team as Eagle Eye could be your team’s sniper and Snake your sneaker.

Educate

Educating your team on the rules and regulations of how to play a proper game of Airsoft is vital to your team’s success. Even though you have researched all of the knowledge it takes to win, your team needs to be educated in the knowledge you have. You can create a manual for your team members with your team symbol on the cover and they can have a personal copy to look through on lazy days at home.

Practice

As the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” It’s impossible to achieve perfection, however, it’s not impossible to become very close to it. Practicing with your team on a regular scheduled basis will create room for improvement and also knowledge of how the team will function when the real battle begins.

Enroll

Once you have your team, named it, practiced, and educated them on the behavior and rules of the game, it’s time to enroll. Enrolling your team in a local tournament might not be the best idea if they’ve never participated in an event against another team. Finding local teams that they can practice against in mini-tournaments is ideal before enrolling them in the major Airsoft tournaments. Even though it’s great to win, win or lose the main mission of playing is to have some safe and entertaining fun.

Even though the guns used are not real firearms there is still room for injury if not used correctly. Having common courtesy on the playing field can be the difference between having several players eager to play and be shot versus having several players quit the game or stop playing altogether.

Common courtesy tips may include:

Fair Play – Following the rules is one of the best ways to show your honor and courtesy in an Airsoft Game. This shows other players that you are willing to abide by the rules to minimize the amount of danger offered on the playing field.

Parlay – This term is used when a person becomes too close to their target and the target is fearful of endangerment. It is normally said by the target to prevent the aggressor from firing at close range. Paying close attention to what is called out or said by teammates and members of the opposing team will help avoid any confusion when focusing on a target.

Avoid Headshots – Most team regulations will have something about headshots, when to take them and when to avoid them. It’s ideal to avoid the headshots even though being a sniper is a large appeal to the game, some headshots could cause trauma, loss of sight, and even permanent damage to the ear canal if the BB lodges itself in the right area.

Shoot Center of Mass and Below – Some teams require you to call out when you hit or miss, and even though this may give away your position in the field, it’s for the safety of the team. When shooting it is common courtesy to shoot below or at center mass. This does not include shoulders, arms, neck, or head.

Know When to Switch – Knowing when to switch from a fully automatic to semi automatic is very important. If you are within close range of another individual it is best to switch your weapon to semi-automatic so to limit the amount of rounds this person will endure.

All of these rules should be followed without any issues. It is common courtesy to show respect to other team mates and those on the opposing team while playing. Keep in mind that while playing in the Airsoft field that everyone is there for fun and entertainment.