Dagorhir is fun for many people because it is a safe sport to return to play, again and again. A safe weapon is one that can be swung with a full out, baseball bat style swing and will not leave bruises, break bones or noses when striking an un-armored person. All weapons will be checked for safety by the weapons checker, and any weapon may be rejected, even if it has passed previous weapons inspection.

Global weapon restrictions (applies to all weapons):

• Weapons must have cloth coverings on all striking surfaces.
• Two and one-half inch rule: no surface on a striking edge (sword tip, arrow head, spear head, javelin head, etc.) whether designed for stabbing or not, shall pass more than 0.5 inch through a 2.5 inch hole.
• The flat (non-striking surface) of bladed weapons must be safely padded.
• Hafts on axes, morning stars, maces and the like must be safely padded except for a reasonable area for a handhold.
• No swung weapon may have more than 1/3 of its length unpadded. No swung weapon may have more than thirty unpadded inches.
• Single-edged weapons such as sabers and cutlasses must have their non-striking edge clearly marked with a 12-inch piece of silver tape.
• Double-ended weapons such as quarter staves are considered to be blue weapons.
• Cores of swung weapons may not be constructed with wood or metal.
• The shaft or blade of a weapon may not flex greater than 45 degrees.
• The pommel must not easily go through a two-inch (2.0) diameter hole.
• No weapon may have a spike or blade at the butt (pommel) end.  This includes double-ended daggers.
• Disallowed weapons include (but not limited to): Nets, lassos, pungi sticks, nunchucks, tonfas, & double-ended daggers. If you are uncertain whether or not a particular weapon would be legal, ASK before you construct it.

Blue weapon (one-handed) only restrictions:

• Blue weapons are one handed hacking or smashing weapons.
• Blue weapons must weigh a minimum of 12 ounces.
• The minimum length of a blue weapon is 18 inches.
• The maximum length of a blue weapon is 48 inches (except for double ended weapons).
• Blue swords have a minimum blade length of 12 inches and a maximum blade length of 36 inches.
• The minimum width of the striking surface is 1"x2.5" (single edged) or 1"x3.5" (double edged).
• Blue weapons may be equipped with green stabbing tips.
• Morning stars and flails:
  • Flail heads must weight a minimum of 4 ounces and minimum circumference of 16 inches measured on separate axes.
  • The end of morning star must follow the 2 1/2 inch rule.
  • The maximum chain length is 6 inches.
  • The rope or cloth of the flail chain must be covered with segmented foam (rings) to reduce risk of the chain wrapping a weapon or limb.
• Double-ended Weapons:
  • Double-ended weapons must not be more than 7 feet long.
  • Double-ended weapons must have a minimum of 18 inches in length of a cylindrically padded striking surface on each end and both ends must pass as green or neither end will pass as green.

Red weapon (two-handed) only restrictions:

• Red weapons are two-handed hacking or smashing weapons.
• Red weapons must weigh a minimum of 24 ounces.
• A red weapon (sword, axe, mace, glaive, halberd, etc.) is 48 inches or longer.
• The minimum width of the striking surface is 1.5"x3" (single edged) or 1"x5.5" (double edged).
• Red weapons may have green stabbing tips.
• A red weapon used with one hand is considered a blue weapon.
• Red weapons ignore armor when used two handed.
• All Red weapons when used two-handed can destroy a shield with two solid blows (a blow like would take to hit a baseball out of the stadium). Light or glancing hits to a shield do not count. The wielder of the shield determines the validity of the hit.

Green weapon (stabbing) restrictions:

• Green weapons are stabbing weapons, such as spears, sword points, daggers, and stabbing points on pole arms.
• Spears must have 1/3 of the haft covered.
• One-handed green thrusts do not penetrate armor.
• To penetrate armor, a green weapon must be thrust with both hands from the beginning of the thrust until it has connected solidly with the target.

Yellow weapon (missiles) restrictions :

• Yellow weapons are projectiles; javelins & arrows.
• Yellow weapons are legal to the head.
• Arrows and javelins must be half-drawn/thrown at half-force under 20 feet.
• A yellow weapon must travel its own length to count as a yellow hit.
• Heralds will check all missile weapons on a daily basis.
• Javelins:
  • The maximum weight of a javelin is 1.5 pounds.
  • The length of a javelin must be between 4 and 7 feet.
  • Javelins must pass standards for both yellow and green classifications, no yellow-only javelins.
  • All javelins must have a yellow cover on the head (not on the pommel). No non-missile weapons may have a yellow cover.
  • Javelins are are allowed greater flex up to 90 degrees, instead of the usual 45 degrees.
  • Any block that stops the head of the javelin from striking its target is a legal block.
  • Javelins must be padded along their entire length (much the same as the flat of a blade).
• Bows:
  • All bows must have a draw weight of 35 pounds or less at 28 inches draw. No compound bows allowed.
  • Bows may be used to turn aside thrusts without suffering any damage. However, if a bow is hacked or smashed by a red or blue weapon, or used to stop a thrust, the bow is considered broken.
• Arrows:
  • A draw stop is required to prevent an arrow from being drawn more than 28 inches.
  • Arrows may not easily pass (> 0.5 inch) through at 2.5-inch diameter hole. No part of the arrow face may be less than 2.5-inch in any direction.
  • All arrows must contain a perpendicular penny secured at the end of the shaft.
  • All arrow striking surfaces must be constructed of open-cell foam.
  • All arrows must have at least two full fletchings (feathers) and a nock.
  • All wood and fiberglass arrows must have their shafts wrapped in tape.
  • There can be no tape on the face of an arrow
  • The head of the arrow must not be able to be moved from side to side.
  • All arrows must have a yellow cover.
  • Arrows must always be shot; they can never be used as hand weapons.
  • If an arrow hits a weapon and had that weapon not been there and a hit would have occurred, the hit is considered good on that location.
  • The only things than can stop arrows are shields and/or head armor. Arrows cannot be caught, blocked, deflected, or knocked out of the air by anything else, including hands, feet and weapons. If an arrow is blocked intentionally with anything other than a shield or helmet, the warrior doing the blocking is dead automatically.
  • If an arrow strikes a limb that has already been hacked off, the arrow is considered to have continued as if the limb were not there, hitting whatever is in its path.
  • If the arrow is deflected it is considered to have hit.
  • An arrow must strike with its head to cause a hit.
  • Once an arrow has hit an object (changed its path) it is harmless (an arrow cannot strike multiple targets).
  • You may not ever carry another warrior''s arrows around without their express permission. You may return fire with arrows that have been shot at you, but if you leave the immediate area where the arrows were fired, you may not take any arrows other than your own with you. Arrows are expensive, respect your fellow participant''s property.

White Weapon(thrown) restrictions:

• White weapons are ''rocks'' which are thrown at the head of combatants.
• If a rock strikes an un-armored head, it counts as a deathblow. Otherwise, it does no damage.
• Rocks must be at least 4" in diameter and constructed of foam with a little tape as possible.
• Rocks must not contain any sort of solid core.
• The maximum weight of a rock is 1.5 pounds.

This list is intended to provide strict guidelines to make weapons as safe to use in the full contact sport known as Dagorhir. At no time should loopholes be found in these rules and exploited to make a weapon less than safe. Remember: safety first, realism second, playability third.

The information above differs from what is posted at the National site. Not all realms find the same guidelines work for them. Should you participate in a national event, expect to follow the national rules. If you have questions about the national rules, ask on the national forums. If you have questions about why we do things the way we do, feel free to ask us. Remember: the goal is safety and fun for all...