Blaster Tag is an integrity-based sport in which players fire foam projectiles trying to hit other players to score points and work toward in-game objectives. Players typically launch rubber-tipped foam darts using blasters, ranging from off-the-shelf toys to specialized 3-D prints with high-speed motors and flywheels. Players are required to wear eye protection and all blasters and darts are checked for safety before they are used in a game. Game rules will state the fps cap: how fast the darts may exit the blaster in feet-per-second, which determines how hard they hit.
When hit by a dart, players are expected to self-identify as tagged, though moderators or referees are present to confirm tags and maintain safety and fairness. Depending on the game mode, tagged players leave the field with their hand or blaster in the air and go to their spawn point or a designated elimination box. In some games, they may respawn after a short time, or they may be eliminated for the duration of that round. Other games allow active players to revive those who have been tagged.
When the round is complete, or after several rounds, all players are expected to help with dart sweep, collecting the fired darts to clean the field and prepare for the next game. Fields may consist of an open area, a park-like setting with trees or other existing features, or incorporate “cover” like pvc flats, inflatable obstacles or pop-up tents that create places for players to hide. These cover combinations make for dynamic and engaging game play.
Competitive Blaster Tag tournaments feature teams of up to 8 players with 3 or 5 players taking the field during each round of a match. Points are scored according to the game mode. Popular game modes for tournaments include King of the Hill, Hotpot, and Flag Dash, the mode played during the Blaster Tag Invitational on ESPN the Ocho. Tournament teams practice together including call-outs for team strategies, and names for different areas of the field or different pieces of cover. Many tournaments allow a coach on the sidelines facilitating callouts and other communication. Sometimes, eliminated players may also assist with coaching or callouts.
More casual Blaster Tag games and clubs feature spontaneously gathered teams grouping players who’ve come for the day or the weekend, across ability and experience levels, using their own or borrowed equipment. Blaster Tag clubs invite a wide age-range of players and are gender-inclusive. One specialized Blaster Tag game mode is Humans versus Zombies or HvZ, often played on college campuses, in which some players without blasters attempt to make tags using only their hands. Players tagged in this fashion also become “zombies” and attempt to tag out all the remaining humans.
Blaster tag clubs and games, including competitive tournaments, take place across the country and in several other countries around the world. Chances are, there’s a game near you!