Hit Zones

• If you get hit in one arm, put the arm behind your back. 
• If you get hit in both arms, you’re out. 
• If you have one arm behind your back and you get hit in that arm again, you’re out. 
• To show that you’re out, put your boffer over your head. 
• If you get hit anywhere in the shoulders, sides, torso, or back, you’re out. 
• If you’re hit in one leg, you can either hop on one leg or take a knee.  
• If you’re hit in both legs, you have to take a knee. You can still scuttle around, but you can’t walk. 
• If you are tagged in the buttocks, you lose both legs. 
• Don’t aim for the head, neck, hands, groin, or feet. They hurt. 
• If you don’t know what a tag would do, think: what would a real sword do? If a real sword tags your arm, you probably wouldn’t have an arm.

Courtesy

• When someone knows you’re behind them, you can just tap them on the back like a normal tag 
• However, if it’s a sneak attack, there is a special way to backstab. You need two points of contact, one hand on each shoulder, and you say, “Death from behind.” 
• Do not engage a person who is unarmed, tying their shoes, not playing, or in conversation

Safety

• If you’re hurt, come find a Marshall. 
• Proper touch calibration (about the same as Tag)
• No climbing or parkour on available play structures, nature, or equipment 
• Stay within the boundaries set for the Lords & Ladies Gathering (ex: park, roped off area)
• When you’re starting out, you can only use a single short sword (or Squire Boffer) marked with red tape. However, you can use any shield you like. If you want to use larger boffers, you need to rank up.

Honor

• When you’re tagged, be honorable and take your shots. If you don’t take your shots, no one is going to like playing with you. 
• If you think you’ve tagged another player but they do not take their shot, trust them and don’t call other players shots. It’s on their honor to take their shots. However, you can ask them, “Did I tag you?” 
• If someone has not been taking their shots many times, find someone else to engage. If it continues to be a problem, tell a Marshal or Warden.

Disclaimers

These can also be found on the LALYP waiver in the section where parents or guardians must initial their understanding. 

• LALYP reserves the right to refuse service, send home, and/or forever ban anyone at its discretion, including, without limitation, if it is believed that that person’s conduct violates applicable laws, in-game rules, or is harmful to the interests of LALYP. Furthermore, LALYP reserves the right to accelerate any disciplinary action(s) for any reason.
• LALYP is not a daycare facility/child care provider. If the a child is left unattended, LALYP is not to be held responsible for the actions of that child, including, but not limited to, activities beyond the scope of LALYP, wandering off, and proper hydration.

Sign-In, Sign-Out, & Boffer Checks

The first thing that must be done when arriving at a Lords & Ladies gathering is have a parent or guardian sign in any participants. When leaving, the parent or guardian must sign them out. During this time, any boffer brought from home will be checked by a Marshall or Warden and approved for use or disallowed and given instructions on how to fix it. All approved boffers will be marked in such a way that allows others to see that it’s safe for play. 

There is a limit to the number of participants we can have per week based on the number of Marshals and Wardens who are present. WE WILL ACCEPT PLAYERS ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE BASIS.

Disciplinary Policies for Mild Bad Behavior

This includes behaviors such as deliberate breaking/misuse of scenario rules, refusing to listen to Instructors, dishonesty, disrespect, refusal to participate, unsafe behavior on equipment/trees/trashcans, wearing inappropriate articles of clothing, deliberate destruction of LALYP property, and other behaviors that Instructors deem detrimental to the group.

• First Incidence – at the first presentation of a behavior, the Instructor will clarify the rule. If the rule is a self-explanatory rule (ex: deliberate destruction of Lords & Ladies property), the Instructor may use the Instant Death or the Goblin consequences.
  • “Instant Death” – If the Participant is in the middle of a game, an Instructor may correct the behavior and tell them that they are dead and instruct them to re-spawn as per the rules of the scenario to allow them time to cool off or reflect.
  • “Goblin” – The Participant becomes a one-tag-out (any tag counts as “out”) for the duration of the game.
• Strike System – After the first presentation of a behavior, a Strike may be given to a player. The Player and the Instructor in charge of sign in will be notified and the Strike will be logged on the file of the Player. Strikes do not roll over from one week to the next. The Strike consequences are as follows:
  • 1 Strike – Sit out for one entire game. If a Player receives a Strike during a game, it is up to the Instructor running the game to determine if they sit out the remainder of that game or the duration of the next one.    
  • 2 Strike – Sit out for another entire games. See above notes as well. 
  • 3 Strike – Talk to parents to discuss the behavior(s). 
  • Leader – If a Player receives any Strikes in a day, they cannot be a team picker, team leader, or titled player (ex: Wizard) for the remainder of the day. 
• Probationary Period – After 3 instances of talking to parents, the Player is on a probationary period where any further Strikes will result in being barred from LALYP for one year.
• Recurring Behavior – We consider a recurring behavior to be a behavior that is present 75% of the time (at least 1 Strike per week for 3 weeks for that behavior in a one-month period). If a behavior is recurring, we need to come up with a written plan for addressing that specific behavior and how the parents can reinforce at home.
• Reported Behavior – if a behavior is reported more than 2 or more times by two different kids, the behavior merits a strike or a warning depending on severity.
  • There must be an accuser and witness for each instance that’s given a Strike
  • If one Player lodges multiple complaints against another Player, there needs to be mediation between these two kids, but not necessarily a Strike.

Disciplinary Policies for Extreme Bad Behavior

This includes behaviors such as (i) Abusive/sexually explicit language and/or actions; (ii) Deliberate injurious use of force; (iii) Another Strike during the probationary period after three discussions with a parent; (iv) Deliberate misappropriation of items or equipment; And/or (v) bullying (defined as intimidating or offensive verbal or physical conduct toward a student, which may also involve electronic media or the use of district technologies and resources, when such conduct is habitual or recurring, including, but not limited to, verbal or physical confrontation, threats, stalking, and name-calling, or menacing acts.).

• Players may be banned for a year/permanently banned from LALYP for any of the behaviors/actions listed above, but is not limited to the behaviors/actions listed above at the discretion of LALYP Instructors.

Injury Procedures

In the case of an injury, the following is the procedure we will follow:

• After realizing that an injury has occurred, we will call over another Instructor as a witness. If the parent or guardian is present, we will call them over too.
• We will attend the injured participant 1-on-1 to assess the injury and provide first aid, all the while removing other participants from the situation to keep everyone calm.
• We will then notify the parent or emergency contact in person or on speaker phone with the witness present.
• We are required to call 911 in the following cases of serious injury:
  • Suspected broken bone
  • Suspected heat stroke or dehydration
  • Participant has fallen from higher than 4’ up
  • Participant has been unconscious
  • Any bleeding from the head
  • Dislocation of a joint
  • Burns
• The Participant will be removed from play until such a time as their parent or legal guardian either (i) approves that they can return to play in the event of a non-serious injury or (ii) can come pick them up or until emergency services arrive.
• We will fill out a form detailing the incident which you will be required to sign. If you would like a copy, please let us know.