age limit

[john]

i'd like to hear peoples thoughts on an age limit.

[MeticulousAssasin]

This is a terrible idea. I don't care if you're 120, if you can still play, go for it! Now if this also considers too young of an age, I think one should be at least 10 to play.

[Kilo11]

Could you be more specific? Age limit for what? Type of gun? Mil-sim events? Events in general? Age limit when you can legally drink alcohol?

[Odin37]

10 years old.... for age of drinking alch lol. I think 15+ for milsim, unless person has shown in forums/prior events maturity than maybe like 13. Events in general 13, guns over 400 fps 18, just some thoughts.

[hkrazy]

After the munchkin invasion at the last open, it made me really appreciate the higher age limits at other events. It was a hell of a good time, but those kids... They were invincible! Also, I would like to note that a friend of mine gave one of them a good hosing and made the kid cry. I also put about 8 rounds into a kid and his father and was promptly *****ed out for overshooting. The age limit should be at least 14.

[Odin37]

After the munchkin invasion at the last open, it made me really appreciate the higher age limits at other events. It was a hell of a good time, but those kids... They were invincible! Also, I would like to note that a friend of mine gave one of them a good hosing and made the kid cry. I also put about 8 rounds into a kid and his father and was promptly *****ed out for overshooting. The age limit should be at least 14.

Just curious, was this on the speedball course during the bridge game? If so I was right there when that happened.

Edit: also back on topic, as I said before if the person is like 12/13 and have showed not to be immature exc then I think it should be allowed. My friends brother started playing when he was 12 I think and he was always cool about it, think hes 13 now and I brought him to an open play, besides his small stature you probably wouldn't know he was only 13, sometimes I forget my self

[omenone]

I have to say, since we are on the subject, I don't think there is a too old. In fact being close to 40 and knowing guys that play that are older than me, if you feel comfortable on the field than do it. I don't care if your 90.

On the too young side I struggle with it.

My oldest boy spent 2 years trying to join our team and he is 17 now. Much of that time was spent proving he was mature enough for us to bend our 18+ rule for being on the team. He did it, has done very well and our team is proud to have him as a member.

At the same time my oldest daughter is 11. Has her own hunting license, has her own 20ga shotgun, real. She goes to the shooting range for target and clay shooting. She goes hunting with me and others, understands what a firing line is and safe fire zones. The reality is I trust her with real guns more than I trust some of the people I see playing airsoft with their toys. She begs me to go every time we head to an open game. I still tell her she is not old enough to play airsoft yet even though I know she would be good at it and I wouldn't have to worry about her.

I also understand the desire and need to keep the sport going by bringing in “new blood”. Lets face it the best way for that to happen is to get them started young. So I don't think having young players is a bad thing.

I do agree how ever that for some things (like at an OP for instance) an age limit is a good idea. Rules (FPS, additional safety gear) restrictions are not a bad idea either.

For most events I think 16 should be the young age limit. If you are mature enough to get yourself there (I.e. be driving), have all your event paperwork taken care of, even have a part time job to help pay for you hobby. You deserve to be there.

For open plays I think 12-13 would be just fine IF there is a parent actually participating in the game with their kid and they seem to have an understanding of proper safety rules and airsoft etiquette.

What bugs me is the growing trend I have been noticing at open plays and events. Parents bringing there kids to the event and tailgating in the parking lot or even playing but not bothering to find out anything about the sport before showing up with their kids to play.

I don't want piss in anyone breakfast but I saw that at the last two open plays I attended. The first one I swear it seemed like the dads just picked up some wallmart specials and came out to play. Half of them were warring minimal safety gear at best and the kids were not large enough to be a “safe target”. Many people complained about not wanting to shoot the 10 year old in the face by accident at that game.

I saw some of the same kids at the next game I went too and had I been an organizer at that game I would have kicked them out. The were playing without regard for safety, blind firing, full auto10 ft, not calling hits even when 4-5 people opened up on them, minimal safety gear at best. While these kids were Fing pissing people off in the field their parents were tailgating and playing bumper cars with their SUV's in the parking lot. One of them even banged up a building at battlefront with he ½ ton pick up.

This kind of disregard for other people not only makes the kids and parents look bad but could loose us a place to play quick.

I don't care if some guy says he was in Iraq and its ok that his12 year old plays in a football jersey, shorts and safety glasses. No its not ok. If that kid had lost an eye that would have spelled the end on airsoft at that field.

We are all lucky the guys at battlefront like airsofters cuz if you had hit my building it would have been more than just “your paying for that.”

This is the kind of BS that is buggin me not necessarily the age limit but the ability to show you can respect the game and your surroundings in first place.

[Odin37]

This is the kind of BS that is buggin me not necessarily the age limit but the ability to show you can respect the game and your surroundings in first place.

exactly, I agree with that. I had no idea what was going on at the last open play since I wasn't there. I don't know the details of what was going on in the parking lot, but it sounds like the parents are being just as bad as the kids, if the incident with the building was an accident that is one thing, but if its parents "goofing off" then that is just 100% not acceptable. I'm 19 and if I saw I would be going "Wow that is just plain stupid".

[omenone]

exactly, I agree with that. I had no idea what was going on at the last open play since I wasn't there. I don't know the details of what was going on in the parking lot, but it sounds like the parents are being just as bad as the kids, if the incident with the building was an accident that is one thing, but if its parents "goofing off" then that is just 100% not acceptable. I'm 18 and if I saw I would be going "Wow that is just plain stupid".

I'm sure it was an accident but the whole reason why she moved her truck was so she could park by her friend. Bumper cars, musical parking spaces, whatever you want to call it. Here she was in this full size dulley F250 with kids running around that were not even bigger than her tires and she wasn't paying any attention to where the *** end of her truck was. Baamm!! right into the building. :eek: Crushed a bunch of the siding and darn lucky someone wasn't standing there.

I drive a conversion van and I know the importance of paying attention when your backing up. Epically when the parking spot is too small for your car.

Either way I shot at her kid (or a kid she was with) over by the radar tower and put 5-6 BB's in the side of his head each time and he never called it. he just flinched, ducked down behind a log and began to blind fire.

He was part of the same group of three that our squad opened up in in the one tower with the tarp on it and they never called it. We had 4 guys open up on the tower catching them all by surprise and only one of them called it. Then when we were like "F it" lets just go safety kill them they opened up on us at 10 ft one of them was blind fireing. They were so bad with it that at the end of that game the entire opposing side was unloading on the tower and they still wouldn't call out.

I've played that field enough times to know if your opened up on while in that tower from all sides your gonna get hit by a BB. And that wasn't all from those kids either.

[Odin37]

Yea, if they come back they need to be walked through some of the rules, such as cheating will result in being removed from the field (if more than one person see's them not calling hits call them out on it) and absolutely NO blind firing or again you will be removed from the field, or at least for the rest of that game.

edit: also that is kind of rediculous about hitting the building, at an event like that you should be paying attention, I didn't know if maybe it was like she was just backing up and bumped into it cause she thought she had a little more room. No excuse for that.

[partlow11]

Let me start off by saying that I have been at the past two open plays with my 10 year old son. We were both in ACUs. We were not apart of the group who just showed up nor did we have an audience in the parking lot.

In my experience, it depends on the person/child and if younger, the parent. I have seen many 9 thru 17 year olds playing unsafe and without a regard for anything around them. No safety equipment, no maturity, no tactics what so ever. Without any supervision, they run off to the local park in some type of a ghillie suit and almost get arrested.

I’ve had 14 and 17 year olds want to come to the open plays with us, but the answer was a simple no as they don’t have the maturity or care for playing by rules. I have spent the time to train my son as I play. We have went over basic tactics and more importantly, rules and safety. Our rifles are not WalMart types and WE decided to purchase them with a lot in mind, accuracy, weight, price, etc.

But then again I have seen adults at the open plays not calling shots, blind firing and shooting at point blank range without any regard for safety. In short everything that the children do. Is the problem an age limit?

In short, yes there needs to be strict age limits. I would honestly put a limit of 16, but with exceptions as in my case. The exceptions would include safety gear, full face with neck protection, UNIFORMS, show the ability to take a shot, and lastly show some type of ability to perform the tactics. And the parent or guardian needs to be an active participant in the event.

Lastly, if any of the problems stated above were because of my son, please let me know so I can correct.

[Pappy]

Of course we come across some 10 yr olds that are more mature than 16 yr olds. But that is the exception, not the rule. Age is just a guideline, not the be all - end all. I have no problem with an organizer making exceptions as long as it's based on maturity and not "It's my best friends little brother."

Maybe if we all take complaints of safety and ethics to the organizers during a break in action they can take note of it and deal with it how they see fit regarding warnings and disqualification. There's no such thing as "snitching" when it comes to safety.

partlow11, I was impressed with your son (TunnelRat). He was well mannered, attentive and has more patience than I. I couldn't believe how he stayed still in that pipe for the whole game where we defended the satellite dish.

[john]

let me say that partlow and his son are a shining example of how airsoft can be safe for a father son outing. He and his son are a credit to the sport.

partlow was also the only one with the manners to ask permission and then adhere to the guidlines.

flawless.

as long as rta is around you'll have a spot to play with your son partlow.

the guidlines i gave him were
face and neck protection
full seal goggles
stay in field with your son the entire game.
if either one is hit just follow along with your dead rag out until the other is hit

i think these are good guidlines anytime dealing with someone who is under the age limit. But what should the age limit be?

as partlow said his son is 10 and he did fine.. but he also had his father in field with him. i think he had a good time too.

[partlow11]

John,

Thanks for the kind words.

With that said I believe that the age limit should be 16, with no supervision. We spent the month prior to the first event going over safety and tactics. At some point you have to draw a line and I believe 16 is that line as they should be responsible enough to drive and understand the consequences of their actions.

Here's my solution. As far the Airsoft Ohio Patch states the "foundation" should be Leadership, Safety and Knowledge. That foundation should not be limited to one person, one team. As a community, we need to extend that foundation to everyone. Read the forums, it's filled with kids and even adults who lack the foundation to become good players.

Run a safety course one hour prior to the event. Cover all of the topics which people are always complaining about. Truthfully, I think EVERYONE should go thru the course as there are Adults lacking the foundation and even sportsmanship.

As far as a no exceptions age limit, 10. My son proves what can be accomplished with the right foundation. The right safety gear and guidlines.
16 with no adult supervision. And lastly everyone goes thru the safety course or no play.

Playing should be Privilege which has to be earned.



let me say that partlow and his son are a shining example of how airsoft can be safe for a father son outing. He and his son are a credit to the sport.

partlow was also the only one with the manners to ask permission and then adhere to the guidlines.

flawless.

as long as rta is around you'll have a spot to play with your son partlow.

the guidlines i gave him were
face and neck protection
full seal goggles
stay in field with your son the entire game.
if either one is hit just follow along with your dead rag out until the other is hit

i think these are good guidlines anytime dealing with someone who is under the age limit. But what should the age limit be?

as partlow said his son is 10 and he did fine.. but he also had his father in field with him. i think he had a good time too.

[john]

i think you should be able to start a poll here so someone start one.

[Tonzoffun72]

Well I say if they have the money to play let them. only if they have the right gear to play. so I dont care if there 8 as lonley if they are accompained by an adult. (and not on my team) hehe.