Every airsoft game needs an answer to one question: what happens after a player is hit? At a small skirmish the answer can be “walk back and come in again”. At an event with a hundred or more players, the respawn system shapes the whole game. It decides how long fights last, how far players walk, and how much work your staff have. This guide lists the systems organizers use most often and what each one does to the game.
Calling a hit
All systems start the same way. A player who is hit calls it, raises a hand and, at most events, shows a dead rag: a red or orange cloth. Agree on these points in the briefing:
- Does a hit on gear or on the gun count? Most events count any hit on the player or their kit. Some exclude the gun.
- Does a ricochet count? Say yes or no. Mixed answers cause arguments.
- Can a hit player speak? Most events allow only safety calls and “hit”.
Walk back to a fixed respawn
The hit player walks to a respawn point for their side and comes back in at once or after a wait. It is simple to explain and needs no staff decision. The cost is walking time: on a large field a player can spend more time walking than playing. Put respawn points close enough to the action and far enough from objectives that the defenders cannot be farmed.
Timed waves
Players gather at the respawn point and go back in together at fixed intervals. Waves stop a steady trickle of single players walking into an enemy position, and they give the side a regular moment to regroup. They need a clock everyone trusts, so a staff member or a signal at the respawn point helps. Choose the interval to suit the field size; a long walk and a long wait together feel like a punishment.
Medic systems
A hit player stays down where they were hit for a bleed-out time. If a medic or a teammate reaches them in that time and treats them, often by tying a bandage, they play on. If not, they walk to the respawn.
Rules differ a lot between events. Common variants are a fixed wait before a medic can act, a second hit while down meaning out, and a limit on how often one player can be revived. Write down which variant you use, with numbers, and repeat it in the briefing. Medic systems reward squads that stay together, which is often what organizers want at milsim events.
Mobile respawn
The respawn is a person, a flag or a vehicle that moves with the side. It shortens walking and makes protecting the respawn part of the game. It also needs clear rules: can it be captured, can it move while players are respawning, and what happens if it is lost.
Limited lives or side tickets
Each player, or each side, has a fixed number of respawns. When a side runs out, it loses the phase or the objective. This makes every hit matter and gives a clear end to a scenario. Counting is the hard part: someone has to track lives fairly, which means staff at the respawn points.
Choosing a system for 100 players or more
- Keep it to one system per phase. Mixing medic rules with waves and tickets in the same phase confuses newer players.
- Put the respawn rules on the printed map and in the sign-up confirmation, not only in the briefing.
- Staff every respawn point. Most disputes at large events happen there.
- Test the walking time before the day. Walk from the farthest objective to the respawn and back.
- Plan what you will do if a rule is not working. A short pause to change the wave interval is better than a frustrated field.
How TacLink fits
TacLink does not replace your hit rules, but it makes them visible to the side. Each player sets their status to Alive, Dead or Medic, and the rest of their side sees it on the live map. The other side never sees it. Organizers and staff see all sides.
On the web the organizer places pins on the event map for respawn points, HQs and objectives, with default icons or their own images. Every phone gets the pins when the player joins, so the respawn points are on the map even where there is no signal. Commanders can send a Regroup or Move to order with a point on the map when a wave goes back in.