Please note that anyone who fails to comply with the safety rules may be asked to leave the event and/or banned from attending future festivals. Signing the consent form to attend Mayfest implies that you have read, fully understood and agreed to abide by the guidelines put out on safety.
General Guidelines
No Body contact: Live role play is a non-contact hobby, in so much as the only physical combat that occurs is with the use of LRP safe weapons. You may not wrestle, grapple, shoulder barge, kick, punch, slap or manhandle in the course of combat or play. Any instances of such behavior will result in you being removed from play and further action may be taken.
Weapons Checking
All weapons used in Mayfest (that includes novelty weapons) must be checked at the beginning of each event. There are weapons checkers situated at the GOD tent and before you may use a weapon in game it must be checked and marked safe to use. If any weapon in play is found without a tag it will be confiscated. Any weapons that do not pass safety checks may be locked away in a vehicle in the car park or will be kept in GOD until the end of the event whereupon they may be collected by their owner.
Pulling Blows
When using a weapon in combat you should never hit someone hard enough to cause an injury. The aim is to hit them hard enough that they can count the strike, anything harder than that (a blow that would cause someone to bruise or unbalance with the force) is not permitted. To create a balance between a realistic looking shot and a safe one, the player is required to pull back the blow as it makes impact. There are training sessions run for new players so if you are in any doubt, attending and getting some practice in before battle is a must.
Melee Weapons
Thrusting
Inside a safe melee weapon there will be a section close to the end that has cloth protecting the tip from tearing through the foam on accidental impact. While this feature (and others) affords you some leeway whilst fighting, it does not protect the weapon from tearing on forced impact with the tip. Thrusting causes all of the impact of a blow to be placed in one small area (rather than spreading it out) and is more likely to bruise the other player. It could also cause more serious injury if the fiber glass core tears through the foam and latex. We do not wish to take this risk, even if the weapons manufacturer states that it is a thrusting weapon, this action has been banned from Mayfest and you will be asked to leave if you do so.
Head Shots
Head shots do not count in the Mayfest combat system and are not allowed under the safety rules either. The head and neck are some of the most vulnerable areas of the body, it's dangerous so don't do it! 'Nuff said?
Pommel Rapping
While it looks cool in films to see someone punch their opponent with the pommel of their sword or knock them out with well timed pommel to the back of the head, LRP weapons are not designed to be used in this way. A pommel is padded, but it is also glued on the end of a fibre glass rod and may come loose. If the weapon is 'balanced' then whatever material was used to make it so (often something weighty like metal and in some cases car body filler) is usually spread out between the pommel and hilt so it would further increase the risk of injury. Do not use the pommel end of any melee weapon for anything other than holding.
Non Melee Weapons
If you have these weapons with you when in melee combat then make sure they are safely secured where they will not harm others. Bows, crossbows and rifles, for example, should be worn on the back as vertically as possible and pistols should firmly be secured in a belt or holster.
Ranged Weapons
Thrown Weapons
All thrown weapons must be of a suitable size to not cause permanent injury should they miss their intended target and strike someone in the face/eyes. In order to do this, it is required that any edge should be larger than an eye socket (larger again if possible). Also, thrown weapons should not have a solid core, unlike other LRP weapons.
Projectile weapons (bows/crossbows/etc)
All bows used at Mayfest have a maximum draw limit of 30lbs. This will be checked at the GOD tent during weapons checking at the beginning of the event, as using a higher poundage bow in Live role play is dangerous and against Mayfest safety rules.
Arrows
Arrows like any other weapon should be checked in at the beginning of the event for safety checking. If they do not pass, they do not fly and are treated as any other unsafe weapon. Once fired an arrow or bolt should not be used again without being checked to ensure that no stones, gravel, twigs, etc. are caught up on the head, that all flights are still safely on and that the shaft is still safe.
Bows and Arrows in general
These may not be used in the rain as the chances of an 'uncontrolled ricochet' are overly increased. No firing after dark as it is hard to see what is behind and around the target and it is also hard for others to take into account what you are doing.
The above rules were written for us by Paul Drew and tidied up by
Louise
Safety Call - Man Down!
There are many system related calls at Mayfest, but if you remember none other, remember 'MAN DOWN!' This call can be made by anyone who feels that someone has either 1.) been injured and has fallen to the floor during battle or is 2.) likely to be injured because they are already on the ground in the path of combat. If you hear the call, then you must stop wherever you are on the battlefield to give the first aiders access to assess the situation. When it has been resolved a Ref will call 'Time in' and the battle will resume. Please, do not be afraid to call man down if you feel it is necessary, we would rather play be stopped and it be a false alarm than not stopped and someone be hurt.