SAFETY FOR THE DEFENSE
RUNNER MUST ENGAGE WARBALL BEFORE INTENTIONALLY CONTACTING DEFENDER
PENALTY ON BALL CARRIER
Here the runner did not attempt to engage the Warball, and the defender was attempting a strike. In this case fault lies with the ball carrier and should be a penalty. One carrying the ball can lower his shoulders to impact a defender but only after attempting a weapon engagement or targeting a device.
However, it may be an offsetting penalty, one player, though he may have slipped, dropped to the ground and the runner fell over his body. He did not engage his weapon beforehand and would have remained upright if he did.
SAFETY FOR THE THROWER
Thrower cannot be contacted unless weapons are engaged first
WAFL+’s patented WarBall fends off a device strike on the thrower, and per engagement rules will not be subject to a crushing tackle while releasing the ball as often happens in the football.
SAFETY FOR THE RUNNER:
PLAYS HALTED WITHOUT REQUIRING A THROW DOWN:
Rules provide for optional action by defender if confident with visor strike, no need to for a take down, official ends play at that point. Same rule applies if LED light button is triggered.
FIRST VIDEO SHOWS SEVERAL PLAYS WHERE OFICIAL WOULD HALT PLAY WITHOUT A THROW DOWN
Note the ball is used to block strikes and can be used to soften take downs, an exception to the rule of weapon engagement first.
(SAFETY FOR THE RUNNER CONTINUED- PLAY HALTED WITHOUT REQUIRING A THROW DOWN)
(SAFETY FOR THE RUNNER CONTINUED-
THROW DOWNS AT SPEED
Two videos of same play. Note rules of weapons engagement first forced defender to make a tackle with one arm and prevented him from diving into the legs of torso of the runner.
Another view, showing a successful strike upon the visor and a take down typical of a WAFL+ play at speed, a wrap up type instead of dangerously diving for the legs.
JUDO/WRESTLING THROW DOWNS NOT ‘TACKLES’:
JUDO/WRESTLING THROW DOWNS NOT ‘TACKLES’):
Because most engagements are slow speed or while standing, the word ‘tackle’ is misleading or not applicable. WarBall LARP SRJC uses ‘throw downs’ as used by judo or wrestling, sports leveraging hips and legs of the thrower. These are expanded upon in detail on the RULES PAGE
You can ONLY perform a judo throw or block if you FIRST engage a weapon or hand strike(directed only at a device and never at an opponent)
This rule also applies if weapon or hand was used to defend against a block from an offensive player, after which a counter block is authorized.
LINEMEN/WOMEN BLOCKING:
WEAPONS V. WEAPONS ONLY: NO CONTACT TO BODY UNLESS TARGETING VISOR OR HAND STRIKE TO LED BUTTON
Rules require no contact with fighting staffs upon a player’s body.Contact is strictly to target devices or by weapon to weapon. This applies to saber vs. staff or staff vs. the Warball carried by a player
Blocker successfully engaged device (on second attempt) and his opponent is now ineligible for duration of the play
SAFETY FOR RECEIVER
The receiver becomes a ball carrier and cannot be touched until a device is targeted by hand strike or weapon. He or she will not be in a defenseless position as ball is caught. Note armor mounted weapon, defensive backs and wide receivers have hands free.
A throw down is not necessary as device was triggered, and official would stop play there
AI view that does not quite capture a saber strike to a device followed by a take down IF necessary, but the receiver can not be touched until an attempt is made to trigger the LED or the visor.
If not for this rule, it is probable the Defender would be impacting at his highest speed possible horizontally into the receiver, hoping to cause a dropped pass, endangering both players.
Under WCL, it is likely the visor would have been dropped, and, even if not, a subsequent take down/arm wrap using leverage of the defenders’s own body weight would have brought both players down. Rules make it so a flying horizontal impact of great velocity is impossible to occur, and is the key aspect of WLC as much safer than football, while preserving core elements for fan and player appreciation.
