Overview
2.1. Flag dash is a competitive foam dart game mode in which teams score points
by eliminating opposing players, reaching the flag first or running a flag past
the opposing team’s goal line.
2.2. Teams compete in 5 V 5 matches in both a Group Stage and elimination
bracket.
2.3. Fields feature an axisymmetric layout with multiple solvable routes with cover
spaced and angled to enable bounding and suppression tactics. The field
layouts are designed to minimize immediate casualties upon game start (i.e.
large central cover).
2.4. Last Updated: Mar 8, 2024

Safety/ Behavior
3.1. Safety is Paramount
3.1.1. Anyone, player, game runner, or spectator should keep an eye out for
safety hazards and report them to the staff immediately.
3.1.2. Medical staff will be on hand to address any injuries that occur during
the tournament.
3.2. Eye Protection
3.2.1. All players, referees, and spectators must have eye protection that
completely covers the eye area and is impact rated. Tournament
organizers will have limited spare eye protection available for
distribution.
3.2.2. Spectators do not need eye protection if there is a solid barrier
between them and the playing field.
3.3. Participant Behavior
3.3.1. All participants in the tournament, whether players, spectators,
coaches, or referees, should be sportsmanlike and positive towards
other tournament participants at all times.
3.3.2. Disruptive, abusive, or unsportsmanlike behavior towards other people
will not be tolerated and is grounds for removal of the participant from
the event at the Head Referee or tournament organizers discretion.
3.3.3. Our referees are community volunteers who have read through the
rules and have been deemed qualified by the event host to officiate
the tournament. Please treat them with respect, both in their position
of authority and as an individual willing to donate their time.
3.4. Spectators
3.4.1. May cheer for teams within the code of conduct and sportsmanlike
guidelines.
3.4.2. Spectators must refrain from communicating information that provides
an in game advantage to teams.

Definitions
4.1. Round
4.1.1. A round is the most basic unit of gameplay and represents a single
game played between teams. It includes the time from round start until
either a win condition is achieved or the timer runs out.
4.1.2. Rounds have a 2 minute timer
4.2. Match
4.2.1. A match is a series of two or more rounds played by the same teams.
4.2.1.1. The group stage is limited to 2 rounds regardless of team score.
4.3. Group Stage
4.3.1. The Group stage is the 1st portion of the tournament in which teams
play to determine seeding in the elimination bracket. Typically teams
will participate in 2 to 3 matches as part of this phase depending on
the number of total teams registered.
4.4. Elimination Bracket
4.4.1. The elimination bracket is the 2nd half of the tournament where teams
compete in a single elimination bracket.
4.4.2. The top 16 teams from the group stage will compete in the Elimination
bracket
4.5. The Final
4.5.1. The final is the last match of the elimination bracket between the two
top ranking teams.
4.6. Team Coaches
4.6.1. Team coaches can provide guidance from their team’s side of the field.
4.6.2. They must be one of the rostered team members. See 7.6.1.
4.7. Spectator
4.7.1. Spectators are individuals who are not on the roster of any team or
players who are not actively on the playing field.
4.8. Sudden Death
4.8.1. Is a series of 1V1 games.
4.8.1.1. Played if teams are tied after a 3rd round during the elimination bracket.
4.8.1.2. Played if the bottom scoring teams of the Group Stage are tied.
4.9. Referees
4.9.1. Referees are designated officials that watch a match closely to ensure
the rules are adhered to. 4.10. Flag
4.10.1. The flag is a piece of fabric without any pole placed in the center of the field in a clearly visible location.

Scoring
5.1. 1st to Flag
5.1.1. The first team to touch the flag scores 2 points
5.2. Player Elimination
5.2.1. Each player eliminated from the opposing team scores 1 point
5.3. Flag Dash
5.3.1. Crossing the goal line of the opposing team with the flag is worth 4 points.
5.3.1.1. Note at least one opposing player must still be active for a flag to be scored.
5.3.2. In the event that a player mistakenly crosses their teams goal line with
the flag then the opposing team will be awarded 4 points.
5.4. See sections 7.5.1.2.1 and 7.11.3 for additional details on special circumstances
5.5. Max possible points a team can score during a round is 10 points
5.5.1. 2 pts for 1st to flag + 4 pts for eliminating 4 opposing players + 4 pts
for a flag dash = 10 pts. Note that one of the opposing players must
remain alive, otherwise the round would end before the flag could be scored.
5.6. For the Group Stage portion of the tournament, the cumulative points from
every round across multiple matches is added to determine the seeding
position for the 2nd portion (elimination bracket) of the tournament. See Appendix A for examples.
5.7. For the elimination bracket, the cumulative points from the rounds in a single
match are used to determine the winner of the match. The team that wins the
match proceeds in the bracket while the losing team is eliminated from the
tournament. Points from previous matches have no effect on a team’s
advancement during the elimination bracket phase. See Appendix A for
examples.

Equipment
6.1. Safety Glasses
6.1.1. Must be impact rated eye protection
6.1.2. Players are responsible for ensuring their safety glasses cover their
eyes the entire match.
6.1.2.1. Referees will signal players who lose their safety glasses.
6.1.2.1.1. Players may not proceed playing until their safety glasses have been corrected.
6.1.2.1.2. Only the offending player must stop upon signaling.
6.1.2.2. Players who lose their safety glasses and are unable to
replace them quickly will be eliminated at the referee’s discretion.
6.2. Blasters
6.2.1. Players are not allowed to use a secondary blaster during gameplay.
6.2.2. The following types of blasters are allowed:
6.2.2.1. Manual prime spring powered
6.2.2.1.1. 250 FPS Limit
6.2.2.2. Electric Powered blasters (includes flywheels/AEBs/AEGs)
6.2.2.2.1. 200 FPS Limit
6.2.2.3. Any other blaster type is not allowed. This includes but is not limited to:
6.2.2.3.1. HPA/LPA/CO2
6.2.2.3.2. Hand pumped
6.2.2.4. Blasters may not be reloaded by loose darts during gameplay
(i.e. no dump pouches full of darts) and should therefore use
magazines, clips, hoppers, etc. Speed loaders are acceptable.
6.2.2.5. Tournament organizers reserve the right to deny the use of any blaster.
6.2.3. Each team can register up to 16 blasters. Teams distribute the
blasters amongst their team as they see fit.
6.3. Chrono Graphing Blasters
6.3.1.1. Blasters will be chronographed by tournament staff prior to the
start of the tournament, in an as configured for tournament
play state. This includes but is not limited to:
6.3.1.1.1. Fully charged batteries for electric blasters
6.3.1.1.2. Players must chronograph each blaster with every dart
type they plan to use during the tournament (i.e.
tournament staff will record which blasters are using
which dart type, players can chronograph with multiple
dart types).
6.3.1.1.2.1. For example if a player qualifies a blaster with
AF pros and bamboo darts then during the
tournament they pick up worker gen 3’s during a
dart sweep, they can not use the gen 3’s
because they didn’t qualify with gen 3’s.
6.3.1.2. Players will fire 5 correctly-read shots per blaster. If any of the
shots are more than 10 fps over the limit, or if the average of
the 5 shots is over the fps limit, the player will fire another 5
darts. If the blaster fails the second set of 5 shots, it is
disqualified.
6.3.1.2.1. After making adjustments to the blaster or changing out
dart type, Players may re-attempt to chronograph any
blaster that has been disqualified.
6.3.1.2.2. Disclaimer: Maryland weather and humidity can cause
blasters to shoot faster than what you may have
chronographed at home, be cautious of this.
6.3.1.3. Tournament staff reserve the right to check any registered
blaster at any time after initial check-in to ensure it is compliant
with the rules.
6.3.1.4. Players may not modify their blaster or switch to a different dart
type after passing the chronograph; players caught violating
these rules intentionally may be removed from the tournament
at the Head Referee’s discretion.
6.4. Ammo
6.4.1. Must be commercially-available foam dart ammo (no homemades or
modified darts with the exception of cut down full lengths)
6.4.1.1. Legal ammo includes:
6.4.1.1.1. Soft tipped half and full length darts
6.4.1.1.2. Foam balls (i.e. Rival rounds)
6.4.1.2. Examples of illegal darts include but are not limited to Mega,
Mega XL, Rockets, fvj’s, voberry’s, dragon darts, 50 cal foam
ball, etc.
6.4.2. Teams must provide their own ammo for tournament play
6.4.3. For each match, a team is allowed 600 pieces of ammo which they
may distribute amongst themselves as they see fit (i.e. 3 players start
with 120 pieces of ammo, one player starts with 140 pieces of ammo
and the remaining player only starts with 100 pieces of ammo).
Unused ammo does not carry over between matches.
6.4.3.1. Teams must have sufficient magazines and ammo to preload 600 pieces of ammo prior to the start of a match.
6.4.3.2. There is no reloading between rounds, however teams may
redistribute their ammo during the 1 minute between rounds
6.4.3.3. See section 7.7 for details on reloading during matches.
6.4.4. Throwables are not allowed
6.4.5. Official dart sweeps will be announced periodically to allow players to
replenish their dart supplies.
6.4.5.1. Players may unofficially dart sweep between matches but must not interfere with the starting of a next match.
6.4.5.2. Any person dart sweeping is entitled to keep what they sweep.
6.4.5.2.1. See section 6.2.4.1.2 for rules on qualifying blasters with ammo type.
6.5. Misc. Equipment
6.5.1. Teams are encouraged but not required to wear similar color clothing
to help identify their team (i.e. jerseys).
6.5.2. The following items are not allowed:
6.5.2.1. Radios, flashlights, lasers, pyrotechnic devices, shields, melee
weapons, or any other device deemed unsafe or unsuitable by
tournament organizers.
6.5.2.2. Metal and plastic cleats
6.5.2.2.1. Appropriate turf shoes are allowed but must be
approved by the head ref before being allowed on the
field.

Gameplay
7.1. Emergencies/Injuries
7.1.1. Any individual who uses safety rules for a gameplay advantage will be
removed from the tournament.
7.1.2. In the event of an injury or safety concern the word “HOLD” should be
yelled, at which point everyone should freeze in place and take a
knee. In addition to yelling “HOLD” the referees will do long whistle
blows, pause the timer, and activate the buzzer.
7.1.2.1. All gameplay should cease as soon as “HOLD” is yelled.
7.1.2.2. Players should verbally echo the “HOLD” announcement.
7.1.2.3. Players are not allowed to reload, consolidate darts or swap mags during a pause.
7.1.2.3.1. Players keep their current ammo for when the game resumes.
7.1.2.4. If a player is injured any rostered player on the team (including
a coach) may become an active player for the rest of the
match. If a team uses a coach as a replacement, the team may
not replace that coach for the match.
7.1.2.4.1. The replacement will only be allowed the amount of
ammo that the injured player had remaining.
7.1.2.5. Resuming of gameplay after safety event
7.1.2.5.1. In general after a safety situation, players start from the
bunker in which they were located at the time of the
pause. Replacements start in the bunker that the player
they replaced was prior to the pause. Any players that
were moving between bunkers will return to the bunker
that they last left prior to the pause being called. Exact
positioning of players will be left to the discretion of the
head referee.
7.1.2.5.2. If the flag is in possession of a player when a pause is
called, that player, or their replacement, resumes the
game with the flag. If the flag is on the ground, it will
stay there when the game play resumes
7.1.3. Intentional physical contact between players is not allowed.
7.1.3.1. Intentional physical contact can result in disqualification from
the tournament and loss of points. Penalties will be at the
discretion of the head referee.
7.2. Whistle Signals
7.2.1. A long whistle blast indicates the round is over or stopped and can be
due to:
7.2.1.1. Emergencies/ Injuries/ Safety issue
7.2.1.2. False starts
7.2.1.3. Victory condition achieved
7.2.2. A short whistle blast is a referee indicating that a player is hit. In
addition to blowing the whistle the referee will point at the eliminated
player.
7.3. Pre-Round Start
7.3.1. A referee will check that each team is ready.
7.3.2. The flag is reset to the center of the field.
7.4. Round Start
7.4.1. When teams are asked if they are ready, they will have 15 seconds to
confirm in the positive.
7.4.1.1. Teams may elect to play down a player(s) if a player is not ready within the allotted time.
7.4.1.1.1. For each player not ready in the allotted time, that
player will be eliminated for the round and a point
awarded to the opposing team.
7.4.1.1.2. If all 5 players are not ready in the allotted time then the
team forfeits the round and 10 points will be awarded to
the opposing team.
7.4.1.1.3. See section 7.7.4 for players not fully reloaded
7.4.2. The round begins on the buzzer. There is no countdown.
7.4.3. Players must begin completely behind the starting line with the muzzle
of their blaster pointed down towards the starting line. Players cannot
move until the buzzer is sounded (i.e. no moving from side to side,
etc).
7.4.3.1. Repeated infractions for players moving can result in additional penalties at the head referee’s discretion.
7.4.4. Players can not fire their blaster until they have completely entered the
playing field.
7.4.5. For false starts see section 7.10.1
7.5. Round End
7.5.1. Any of the following conditions ends the round immediately and no
further points can be scored
7.5.1.1. Elimination of a team
7.5.1.2. A flag score
7.5.1.2.1. Players may not forfeit, surrender or step out of bounds
to prevent a team from scoring a flag. They may
however try to force the other team to tag them out.
7.5.1.3. Round Over
7.5.1.3.1. 2 minute timer running out
7.5.1.4. Active players should not consider the round over until a
buzzer is sounded. Sometimes there are delays in verifying all
players have been eliminated or a player gets hit prior to
passing the goal line with the flag.
7.5.1.4.1. If a flag is scored after a team is eliminated but prior to
the buzzer sound, the flag score does not count.
7.5.1.4.2. If a dart is in the air but has not hit a player before the
buzzer sounds, that player is not considered eliminated.
7.5.2. Any player that was not eliminated during the round must report to the
referee box to indicate that they were still alive.
7.5.2.1. Players who do not report may be counted as eliminated and these eliminations can not be disputed.
7.6. Match Start/End
7.6.1. Team Coach
7.6.1.1. Teams are not required to have coaches, however, when used
team coaches must be designated before the start of a match
and be on the team’s roster.
7.6.1.2. A team coach may not change during a match but may be
changed between matches. See section 7.1.2.4 for exceptions.
7.6.1.3. Each team may designate a maximum of 1 coach from their rostered players for the upcoming match.
7.6.1.4. Coaches/players may not use voice enhancing devices such as but not limited to megaphones, radios, etc.
7.6.1.5. Coaches are limited to their team’s side of the field and may
not cross the centerline into the opposing team’s area.
7.6.1.6. Teams may only have 1 coach on the sidelines at any given time.
7.6.2. Teams designate 5 of their rostered players to compete in each match.
These can change between matches, but not between rounds in a
match. See section 7.1.2.4 for exceptions.
7.6.3. Teams will be randomly assigned a starting side at the beginning of
each match.
7.6.4. Teams will switch sides after the 1st round.
7.6.5. There is a 1 minute reset after each round
7.6.6. Tiebreakers
7.6.6.1. Tiebreakers are only performed during the elimination bracket phase. See section 10.2.2 for exceptions.
7.6.6.2. If after the 2nd round the teams are tied, a 3rd round will be
played. Teams will be randomly assigned a side to start on for
the 3rd round.
7.6.6.2.1. For reloading for round 3 See 10.4.2.
7.6.6.3. In the event that the teams are tied after a 3rd round, the
teams will move into sudden death. For sudden death:
7.6.6.3.1. It consists of 3 1v1 rounds. The winner is the best 2 out of 3.
7.6.6.3.2. Each team elects a different player to compete in each
of the 1v1 rounds and provides the order in which those
players will compete to the head referee. The order can
not be changed.
7.6.6.3.3. 1v1 rounds follow the normal rule set with the following exceptions:
7.6.6.3.3.1. Round timer is reduced to 1 minute
7.6.6.3.3.2. No points are awarded for first to flag.
7.6.6.3.3.3. Cumulative points do not apply to sudden death
(i.e. a flag dash scoring 4 points only wins that
round and doesn’t have any further impact on
the tiebreaker).
7.6.6.3.3.4. Players are only issued 15 pieces of ammo.
There is no sharing of ammo between players.
7.7. Reloading
7.7.1. There is no reloading loose darts during a round unless instructed to
by a head official.
7.7.2. Players may share ammo during game play (such as tossing a mag).
7.7.3. Dart scavenging during gameplay is not allowed. See 6.4.5.
7.7.3.1. Picking up darts outside of gameplay between matches is
allowed and can be used to replenish your dart supply before
the start of a round.
7.7.3.2. If a dart is dropped and touches the ground during gameplay it is considered dead and can not be used.
7.7.4. If a player is not fully reloaded when the 3rd round is ready to start
then they will need to play with what they already have loaded (i.e.
they will start the round with less ammo then what they could have
used).
7.8. Hits and Eliminations
7.8.1. Ammo must be propelled by a blaster, throwing ammo is strictly
prohibited.
7.8.2. Players are expected to play with integrity and self-eliminate when
they detect a hit.
7.8.3. Referee’s will also indicate when they see a player is hit by doing a
short whistle blow and pointing at the eliminated player.
7.8.3.1. Players may not argue with the referee on the field. See
Section 8 for how to dispute the call.
7.8.4. Players do not have the authority to call hits on opposing players. See
Section 8 for how to dispute a call.
7.8.5. A hit occurs when ammo directly propelled from a blaster contacts a
player, their blaster, or anything the player is wearing or carrying, This
includes the flag.
7.8.5.1. If a dart fired by a player is in the air prior to that player being
eliminated, that dart is still active and can eliminate players.
(i.e. two players can eliminate each other. Commonly called a
trade)
7.8.5.2. If a player fires their blaster after being eliminated those darts
are considered inactive and do not eliminate players.
7.8.6. Ricochets do not count as a hit.
7.8.7. Friendly fire does not count
7.8.8. Blind firing is not allowed. Players must be able to see the trajectory
their dart will travel when firing the blaster.
7.8.8.1. Repeated infractions may result in a player being pulled from
the round, resulting in an elimination point for the opposing
team
7.8.9. There is no minimum engagement distance. There is no surrendering
or mercy kills (i.e. saying bang-bang, hand tagging, etc).
7.8.10. Players who are hit are eliminated, as are players who leave bounds
or play unsafely (i.e. leaping over or significantly moving cover or
physically endangering other players).
7.8.10.1. There is no respawning.
7.8.10.2. Leaving bounds is defined as any part of a player or equipment
on their person coming in contact with the boundary line or
ground beyond the line.
7.8.10.2.1. Leaving bounds will immediately result in the elimination of the infracting player
7.8.10.2.2. Intentional self elimination via stepping out of bounds to
prevent flag scoring is prohibited. In the event that a
player runs out of bounds to prevent a flag score, the
opposing team will be awarded the points for both the
elimination and the flag score.
7.8.10.3. No jumping over cover.
7.8.10.3.1. Jumping over cover will immediately result in the elimination of the infracting player.
7.8.11. Eliminated Player Behavior
7.8.11.1. Players who are eliminated should immediately raise their hand.
7.8.11.2. Eliminated players should leave the field by exiting to the
nearest boundary line. They should stay in the out of bounds
area as they head directly to their team’s designated eliminated
player area.
7.8.11.2.1. A player leaving the field should have at least one hand in the air and move at a reasonable pace.
7.8.11.2.2. An eliminated player should make every effort to avoid inhibiting continuing gameplay.
7.8.11.2.3. Eliminated players may not communicate to their
remaining team members until they have reached their
designated eliminated player area. Once they reach
their eliminated player area they may communicate to
their teammates but are not allowed to move up and
down the field.
7.8.11.3. Eliminated players’ equipment that they are carrying dies with
them and should be carried off the field if practical; living
players may not borrow ammo, blasters, or other equipment
from eliminated players.
7.8.11.3.1. Any equipment on the ground prior to a player being
tagged should be left in place. For example if a player
drops a mag on the ground prior to being tagged that
mag is left in place and can be picked up and used.
7.8.11.3.1.1. Players may not use equipment dropped by the opposing team.
7.8.11.3.2. Players may not pick up blasters that other players have left on the ground.
7.9. Flag
7.9.1. The flag may only be moved with a player’s hand
7.9.1.1. The flag must remain in the player’s hand while they are
carrying it and can not be placed inside of gear.
7.9.2. Players who are eliminated must drop the flag immediately where they
were hit.
7.9.2.1. If a player’s momentum carries them over the goal line after
being tagged it does not count as a score and the flag should
be immediately placed in the field where they were tagged.
7.9.2.2. If necessary referees will move the flag to where the player was hit.
7.9.3. The flag may be placed on the ground at any point in the game but
cannot be thrown or kicked.
7.9.4. Players can hand off the flag to other active players.
7.9.5. Players may continue to shoot their blaster while carrying the flag.
7.10. Penalties
7.10.1. False Starts
7.10.1.1. Each team gets 1 warning per match.
7.10.1.1.1. After the warning, any player on that team who commits
a starting position infraction will be eliminated from the
round and the opposing team will receive a point for
each eliminated player.
7.10.1.1.1.1. For example, if team “A” player 1 has a false
start then team “A” receives a warning. If team
“B” then has a false start, they receive a
warning. If team “A” player 2 has a false start
after the reset then player 2 is eliminated.
7.10.1.1.1.2. If darts are fired during a false start situation
then typically those players will play the round
without replenishing those darts. The head
referee on occasion may direct otherwise.
7.10.1.1.2. Gameplay resets whenever a warning is provided but
for subsequent infractions gameplay continues and the
offender is pulled off the field as an eliminated player.
7.10.2. Movement of Cover.
7.10.2.1. Players may not move cover to obtain an in-game advantage,
any player observed moving cover intentionally will be
eliminated at the referees discretion.
7.10.2.1.1. Players observed moving cover intentionally will be eliminated at the referees discretion.
7.10.2.1.2. In instances where cover starts to fall over a player may
hold on to the cover to keep it in the correct position.
7.10.2.2. Players who run into cover resulting in damage or cause
significant movement of the cover will be eliminated at referees
discretion.
7.10.3. Miscellaneous Infractions
7.10.3.1. Other infractions whether intentional or unintentional will be left to the head referee on what the corrective action is.
7.11. Equipment Malfunctions
7.11.1. Play does not stop for any equipment malfunction (including blaster jams) unless it poses a safety risk
7.11.2. Players may attempt to fix their equipment while still on the field or choose to continue playing the round without it.
7.11.3. Equipment may be swapped out in between rounds but not during.

Disputes Raising Procedures
8.1. Disputes must be placed after the round has completed, and before the start
of the following round.
8.2. Each team is allowed 1 dispute during the Group Stage and 1 dispute during
the Elimination bracket.
8.2.1. Disputes that result in a corrective action do not count against the
team’s use of their dispute. For example, if a team disputes that an
opposing player was tagged and the dispute coordinator concurs, the
team still has their dispute to use later, however if the dispute
coordinator disagrees then that team loses their dispute and will not
be able to use the dispute process during the rest of the tournament.
This limit is intended to ensure the disputing process is undertaken in
good faith.
8.2.2. Disputes not used in the Group Stage do not roll over into the
Elimination Bracket.
8.3. Teams Can Dispute the Following:
8.3.1. whether a player was hit or not
8.3.2. when a player was hit
8.3.3. position of the flag when a player was hit
8.3.4. whether the flag was scored before the flag carrier was hit
8.3.5. whether the flag was scored before elimination of a team
8.3.6. whether a player was or had been out of bounds
8.3.7. starting position infraction
8.3.8. Other reasons may be brought up but are left to the discretion of the
dispute coordinator on whether or not to investigate.
8.4. Procedure for Raising Disputes
8.4.1. The team captain is the only person who can officially request a
dispute. Other team members need to route any disputes through
them but may be present to help explain the dispute.
8.4.2. The teams should locate the dispute coordinator and raise their
dispute within 3 minutes of the matches completion. If a team takes
too long to raise a dispute then it is at the dispute coordinator’s
discretion on whether or not to investigate.
8.4.3. For a dispute, a team will need to provide specific information on what
the infraction was, where it was committed (a field layout diagram will
be provided to aid in this), and approximately when in the match it
occurred.
8.4.4. Once the dispute coordinator has obtained all the details, they will
review the available footage and consult with the other referees.
8.4.4.1. The event organizers will have several video cameras
operating during the event to aid in the resolution of disputes.
8.4.4.2. Players are allowed to show their own footage to the dispute coordinator to aid in the decision process.
8.4.4.2.1. All video footage must be provided in a timely manner. See sections 8.4.6.1 for additional detail.
8.4.4.2.2. Only footage from referees and players may be submitted.
8.4.5. Dispute Rulings
8.4.5.1. In the event that the dispute coordinator is unable to find any
evidence related to the dispute then no corrective action is
taken and the ruling from the match stands.
8.4.5.2. In the event that the dispute coordinator finds clear evidence
related to the dispute, then they will make a ruling on what the
corrective action will be.
8.4.5.3. In the event that the dispute coordinator finds questionable
evidence related to the dispute, they may consult with the
other referees to get additional opinions before making a
ruling.
8.4.6. Once a ruling has been made, the dispute coordinator will inform the
team(s) what it is and whether there is any corrective action. No
further evidence can be submitted and the ruling can not be
overturned.
8.4.6.1. Prior to making their ruling, the dispute coordinator will give a
team one last chance to show evidence of the infraction.

Pre-tournament Information
9.1. Team Registration
9.1.1. Teams are allowed to register up to 8 members for the tournament
and need at least 5 players to enter the tournament.
9.1.1.1. Players and coaches are limited to a single team.
9.1.2. Players must be age 12 and older. Players under age 18 must have a
parent or guardian present at all times, and must play with consent of
the parent or guardian.
9.1.3. The day of the tournament teams will need to designate who their
team captain is.
9.2. Referees/Volunteers
9.2.1. Volunteer referees are welcomed, pre-registration is required for
referees by March 31st email
marylandmayhem@marylandfoamalliance.com to apply.
9.2.1.1. Referees may not be rostered on any team competing in the
tournament and should strive to officiate with the utmost
integrity.

Tournament Logistics
10.1. Field Layout & Cover
10.1.1. Possible tournament field layouts are provided in Appendix B to allow teams to practice.
10.1.2. The actual tournament field layout will not be known until the day of competition but will be closely related to one of the options provided in Appendix B.
10.1.3. Cover may be constructed from fabric, PVC, inflatables, or other similarly sturdy material.
10.1.4. Each end of the field will contain a starting area with a clearly delineated starting line.
10.1.5. The starting position may include a central grid marked by cones or
similar objects to denote a starting grid where players must start.
10.1.6. The flag is placed in the center of the field in a clearly visible location.
10.2. Group Stage, Seeding and Elimination Bracket Details
10.2.1. Group Stage
10.2.1.1. Depending on the total number of teams registered for the
tournament each team will compete in 2 to 3 matches during
the Group Stage phase.
10.2.1.2. There are no tie breakers during the Group Stage. See section
10.2.2 for exceptions.
10.2.2. Seeding
10.2.2.1. The bottom 2 scoring teams from the group stage will not proceed into the Elimination bracket.
10.2.2.1.1. In the event of tie for the bottom scoring team, the
decision of who will proceed into the elimination bracket
will be based off of match wins.
10.2.2.1.1.1. In the event of the bottom scoring teams also
tying in wins, each team will select a single
player to compete in a single 1v1 1 minute
round. this is similar to sudden death as
explained in Section 7.6.6.3.1 to 7.6.6.3.3
except there is only 1 round instead of 3.
10.2.2.2. The remaining teams will be seeded according to their scores in the group bracket.
10.2.3. Elimination Bracket
10.2.3.1. The only exception to the single elimination is for the teams
that must compete for 3rd place. (i.e. the losers to the 1st and
2nd place winners will face off to determine 3rd and 4th place).
10.3. Referees/Volunteers
10.3.1. Referees
10.3.1.1. Referees will be chosen by event organizers from a diverse pool of community-trained referees.
10.3.1.1.1. Typically at least 6 referees will be present on the field
during each round and will be spread out evenly across
the playing field.
10.3.1.1.2. See section 9.2.1 for how to volunteer as a referee.
10.3.1.2. Head Referee(s) will be assigned with the authority to resolve situations not covered by this rule set.
10.3.1.3. Training
10.3.1.3.1. A Referees primary role is to detect hit players and rule violations. See 7.10 for penalties.
10.3.1.3.2. Pre-Round/ Round Start
10.3.1.3.2.1. Back line referees ensure that teams are with in
the ammo limit defined in section 6.3.3 and all
players are completely behind the starting line
and pointing their muzzles down towards the
start line.
10.3.1.3.2.2. The head referee will start the round by asking,
“TEAM NAME, are you ready?”. Once both
teams acknowledge in the affirmative (See
section 7.4.1 for how to handle teams not ready)
they then announce “Listen for the buzzer”.
Then either the head referee or a delegate will
play the buzzer.
10.3.1.3.2.2.1. A delegate would typically be the person running the timer/scoreboard.
10.3.1.3.3. During Gameplay
10.3.1.3.3.1. Backline referee’s should watch for false starts as defined in section 7.10.1.
10.3.1.3.3.1.1. False starts include a player crossing the
starting line or not having their muzzle
pointed at the start line prior to the
buzzer sound.
10.3.1.3.3.1.2. When a false start occurs the referee
should do a long whistle blow to issue a
warning or a short whistle blow to
eliminate the offending players.
10.3.1.3.3.1.2.1. See 7.10.1 for when to eliminate
versus provide a warning.
10.3.1.3.3.2. Referees may step onto the field for the following reasons:
10.3.1.3.3.2.1. Gaining a better view of players.
10.3.1.3.3.2.2. Fixing Cover
10.3.1.3.3.2.3. Moving the flag
10.3.1.3.3.3. A referee notifies a player of their elimination by
blowing a short whistle burst and pointing at the
eliminated player.
10.3.1.3.3.3.1. A player’s name and number will also be
called out if known/visible on player’s
gear
10.3.1.3.3.4. Players may not argue a referee call during
game play. See section 8 for how disputes
should be handled.
10.3.1.3.3.5. If a player does not drop the flag where they
were hit then as necessary referees should
move the flag to where the player was hit.
10.3.1.3.3.6. Stay out of lines of fire between players.
10.3.1.3.3.7. Do not get too close to players or indicate where a player is to the opposing team.
10.3.1.3.4. End of Round
10.3.1.3.4.1. Once a Referee is confident that the round has
ended due to a team elimination or flag score
they should make a long whistle blast to indicate
to the head referee that the round is over.
10.3.1.3.5. Scorekeepers
10.3.1.3.5.1. At the head referee’s discretion, the person
running the timer/ scoreboard may be delegated
the task of starting each round provided it has a
buzzer.
10.4. 3rd Round
10.4.1. Team Side
10.4.1.1. If a 3rd round is needed a referee should flip a coin to decide
which team starts on which side of the field. Do not let the
teams call heads or tails but just assign team A to side 1 if
heads and side 2 if tails.
10.4.2. Reloading
10.4.2.1. When a 3rd round is required, teams will be given 3 minutes to reload up to 200 rounds.

Appendix A – Scoring Examples
11.1. Group Stage Phase
11.1.1. Team A scores:
11.1.1.1. 5 points (2 points in 1st round, 3 in 2nd round) in match 1, 6
points in match 2, 3 points in match 3, and 8 points in match 4.
For a total cumulative points of 22 points during Group Stage
which is used to seed team A into the single elimination
bracket.
11.2. Single-Elimination Phase
11.2.1. Round 1: Team A eliminates 4 opposing players, Team B eliminates 2
opposing players, neither team touches the flag or achieves a flag
push. Team A wins round 1.
11.2.2. Round 2: Team A eliminates 2 opposing players, Team B does not eliminate any opposing players but Team B touches the flag first and achieves a flag push. Team B wins round 2.
11.2.3. Overall Match: Team B wins the match with a cumulative score of 7pts (for eliminating 2 opposing players, being 1st to the flag, and making a flag dash) compared to the 6 pts (for eliminating 6 opposing players) Team A scored. Team B advances in the tournament and Team A is eliminated.

Appendix B – Field Layout

Flag Dash is a game mode created by the Maryland Foam Alliance with rule formatting
provided by the Game Mode Repository.
This ruleset falls under the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Others may distribute, remix, adapt, use commercially and build upon this work, provided
they give credit to the Maryland Foam Alliance and Game Mode Repository