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BattleBows words_edited.png
AGE LIMIT
12 and Older
LOCATION
Lower Meadow
PLAYER LIMIT
Max of 30 people at once playing. Up to 4 teams, team colors are green, blue, red, and yellow
SUPPLIES
Bows, Strings, Arrows, Shields (optional), Tennis balls (optional, stored in game closet in main lodge), Milk crates (optional)
NOTE
Have the group string up their own bows, destring them, and help store them away.  Always store bows unstrung.
RULES
CLOTHING AND SAFETY GEAR
  • Anyone below the age of 18 must wear Goggles and Mask - demonstrate how to properly wear gear
  • Adults must wear goggles
  • Everyone must wear close-toed shoes. No crocks.
  • ​Masks must always remain on during games
BOWS
  • Demonstrate how to string the bow. Hook one side of the string, try to match tap if able. Flip bow over and press it against the ground to bend bow, then string the other side of the string to the bow. Please be careful.
  • Carry bows by bow grip, do not carry them by the string or slung on your back like robin hood
  • Do not leave bow on the ground
  • Talk about Potential and Kinetic Energy
  • No dry firing bows
  • No drawing back bows with no arrow
  • Do not step on bows
  • If an arrow hits your bow, it is a dead arrow
ARROWS
  • You are allowed to fire arrows point blank, but they must be fired
  • Do not stab or sword fight with arrows 
  • You may only carry a maximum of 3 arrows
  • Only fire 1 arrow at a time
  • Do not step on arrows
  • Please give any broken arrows to facilitator
ELIMINATION FOR GAME
  • If you get shot with an arrow you are out
  • If you step out of boundaries or into a team’s territory you are out
  • When you are out, please stick your bow in the air and proceed outside of the arena area.
  • If you catch an arrow the person that shot it is out, and you get a teammate back in. Unless otherwise stated.
  • If an arrow hits the Fort or the ground before hitting a player, it is a dead arrow and does not get the player out.
  • If an arrow hits one player and deflects and hits a second and is not caught, both players are out. 
  • Headshots count but no head hunting. 
ARENA BOUNDARIES
  • Do not step out of the marked boundaries, that is the arena area. You are out if you do.
  • Each team has their own territory. Boundary lines are marked by dotted lines of red rope. They are the Fort corners to the outside corners.
  • When a team is fully eliminated and announced by the facilitator, the territory occupied by that team is now open to the other teams. The other teams must wait until the instructor announces that team is eliminated before it becomes free territory because one teammate may be hiding in the fort from that losing team.
  • Dead teammates may collect arrows on their side of the arena and toss them back into play. Not nicely place them behind a barrier.
  • If you can reach an arrow out of bounds without stepping into that boundary you can grab that arrow.+
FORT
  • Do not climb on fort walls, only designated platform. Do not jump off platforms.
  • At the beginning of every game all arrows are piled inside of the fort 
  • Anybody may go into the fort but do not enter another team’s territory, you are out if you do. There are designated doorways.
LEAD FACILITATOR'S WORD IS FINAL - WHAT IS CALLED IS CALLED
STARTING THE GAME

  1. Each team places their bows down on the center barriers and lines up alongside the barrier. Not in front of it.

  2. Each team will run into the fort on “Go!” to collect no more than 3 arrows per team member.

  3. Team members will then run back to their bows and begin fighting the other team(s).

GAME MODES - 
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDED ORDER OF GAME MODES​
TEAM ELIMINATION
  • 2 or 4 teams, last team standing wins
  • Each player has one life
  • You can play this multiple times instead or before other game modes. First team to get 3 points (1 point per round) wins. Then maybe end with “Gladiator”.
INFECTION
  • When a player gets shot, they join the opposing team, when one team collects all players or largest team after a designated time wins. 
  • When a player is shot, other players must wait till they cross the boundary line to be shot again. 
  • No collecting extra arrows on your way to a new team, your only allowed the arrows you have in your hand.
  • Players cannot collect out of bounds
  • If players purposely get shot or join people they like they will sit out for the rest of the game. 
PROTECT THE PRESIDENT
  • Kill the president and vice president to win.
  • Have players pick two people on their team to play “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Don’t tell them why. The winner is now the president, and loser is the vice president.
  • President has 1 life and Vice President has 2 lives. Neither can touch a bow or grab arrows to help their teammates. 
  • If the President dies the Vice President becomes the president and goes down to one life regardless of how many lives they had before.
  • President and Vice President cannot crouch behind barriers but can hide in the fort. 
  • If the President and Vice President are the last 2 people on their team, then the Vice President may use a bow. If the President is the last man standing, then he may use a bow but will loose his borders in 1 minute.
  • Everyone else is a regular soldier, they have one life.
  • If the President and Vice President both die that team loses regardless of how many troops are still alive.
GLADIATOR
  • Everyone versus everyone
  • No boundaries except the main orange square boundary
  • If an arrow is caught nothing happens
  • Facilitator may send out a hound (player that has died) with a shield. They may nicely tap 1 other player with their shield. That player is dead and both the hound and player proceed out of bounds. The Hound may be shot but can block with their shield.
  • Last person standing wins
EXTRA GAME MODES
REVOLUTION
  • Everyone lines up in two lines facing each other.
  • Each side takes turns shooting each other and take one step closer each time.
  • No head shots or groin shots
  • One shot for each person each round
  • You have one life
AVENGERS
  • Everyone versus everyone
  • If the person that killed you dies your back in (all against all)
  • When shot you run out of bounds and wait for your killer to get shot
  • When you have shot everyone, you win
DFENDERS AND INVADERS
  • One team is fully in the fort another is outside of the fort. 2 teams
  • Invaders may enter the fort through yellow doorway but can't climb platforms
  • Defenders cannot leave the fort
  • Defenders may send out one person (through the yellow doorway) with no bow to retrieve arrows
  • Arrows are split evenly
  • Last team standing wins
BOUNTY
  • Collect tennis balls and defend them till you run out of time
  • Divide into 2 teams (Usually red vs green) and have each team hide half the tennis balls in blue and yellow zones and the fort
  • Each team must start the game normally, but nobody may begin searching for tennis balls until everyone has returned to the barrier after collecting arrows.
  • Teams must always be carrying their bows and can only collect 1 tennis ball at a time
  • Tennis balls may not be thrown or rolled
  • Tennis balls must be dropped off inside a milk crate that sits in front of the large center barrier in their territories and defended until the end of the timer.
  • Each player has one life
  • Facilitator decides on time limit
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