Cheating in Airsoft

Cheating in airsoft is wrong, but unfortunately, many people do it. It is important to know how to identify cheaters so that they can be appropriately disciplined or punished. In fact, cheating is the number one reason that people switch from airsoft to paintball (as it is much easier to spot hits that way, as well as cheaters). Any game you play, you must make it clear that if someone cheats, they are permanently out for the day, or even a longer period of time. So, what should you do if you know you hit someone, but they didn’t go out? There might be a chance they didn’t realize they got hit, so put your hand up to signify a time out and notify the opponent he was hit. If he refuses to believe, you should go as far as calling a ref over and explaining what happened. Just be diligent with your argument, and the chances are high he’ll be called out. However, only do this if you are absolutely positive you hit the person, or you could be fighting for nothing and may be seen as a “jerk.” Do not be afraid to call over a referee. Most times, taking that measure shows how dedicated you are to proving the hit, and the opponent will see he has no chance and go away voluntarily. Of course, there will be times when the opponent is a real cheater and fights the call even when the referee gets there, and that is when you should point out cheating. It really helps if there was a witness, because that almost guarantees that the offender will be kicked out of the game. Often, you cannot prove somebody is a cheater, but you can get them called out of that particular match. In the case an opponent is a strong repeat offender, you should suggest to the referee that this person is cheating. There may be times where you hit somebody, but it was on an unseen and protected place, like the shoe, so the opponent never felt or saw it and as far as he/she knows, they weren’t hit. If you notice you hit somebody in an area like that, of course notify them, and they probably will go out, but if they don’t, do not fight it like you would in an instance where you know there was cheating. You yourself should never cheat, no matter what. As stated above, it can lead to disqualification of many levels, and of course you will probably be shunned by your fellow players, which can be even worse than disqualification. Having a history of clean playing is good, and don’t give it up just because you think it will help you win a game.