Methods of play

Skirmish

"Skirmishing" is the most common form of play. Players may use methods and equipment that may differ from a realistic battle (Hi-cap mags for example). Most players in this group dress in BDUs and have guns ranging for $50 to $2000 in price. These battles can take place anywhere from an abandoned building, an area of woods, to a farm.

MilSim

MilSim, short for Military Simulation, generally combines airsoft play with some military live-action role-playing elements. Several goals or missions are assigned to each team, along with a basic load-out of ammunition (6 millimeter pellets), rations, batteries, and other suitable equipment, such as short-range radios and head-sets. Sometimes such equipment is provided whilst other times players may bring them at their own discretion.

The teams will remain in the field for the duration of play, only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies, or other such circumstances. Military simulation games often last several days, for example the large BERGET event in Sweden lasts for six days, with no breaks. In large scale MilSim operations players may utilize vehicles such as painted vans and trucks. In some cases, such as Operation Irene, real APCs and tanks are used.

Airsoft games are not only limited to MilSim or CQB, however. There are many alternate game scenarios.

Honor system

The 'honor system' is employed whereby the players rely on each others' honesty to admit to being hit, because unlike paintballs plastic pellets do not leave a surface mark distinguishable at a distance. While airsoft pellets that contain paint do exist, they are very rarely used by serious players due to their ineffectiveness, and tendency to damage some airsoft equipment.

Depending on the muzzle velocity of the gun and distance from which a person is shooting, the person on the receiving end of the shot will usually feel the impact, but the pellets may sometimes not be felt by a player at very long ranges, when distracted, or when running strenuously, hence the importance of marshals or referees. Honest admission of hits is still required because no one can monitor what happens to every player on the playing field.

To avoid unnecessary disputes that disrupt the game, players are discouraged from calling out hits on their opponent but are expected to signal a marshal to judge how effectively they can hit their opponents. Simulated 'knife kills' can, at the venue's discretion, be performed when a player touches or taps an unaware opponent. This prevents the player being forced to shoot him or her at point-blank range. Similarly a 'courtesy kill' occurs when a player refrains from shooting an opponent at close range while enforcing that opponent's surrender. Players are usually prohibited from firing blindly when not able to see their target, especially around corners. Players are expected to avoid the shooting of an opponent who has already admitted to being hit. Harsh language and forceful physical contact between players is strongly discouraged and even penalized. Players are expected to resolve disputes politely and with proper decorum.

All airsoft players are required and expected to acknowledge being hit even if they are in doubt. Those who acknowledge being hit are generally expected to do the following: (1) Shout "I'm hit" loudly; (2) Raise their hand or gun high and/or display a 'hit indicator' while walking back to the safe zone. A hit indicator can be either a bright-colored cloth during daytime or a blinker or mini-flashlight when in dim light or darkness. Dishonest players who fail to follow the rules or acknowledge their hits run the risk of being labelled and ostracized by the local airsoft community. They will from then on be observed more carefully by the marshals or possibly be even banned from playing in the area.

Another form of cheating occurs when an active player gains an unfair advantage by pretending to be an already-hit player in order to avoid being shot. During night games, active players have been known to turn on their blinker lights to move casually and then to turn them off for combat. Cheating also takes place when an eliminated player re-activates himself within the same game without permission from a marshal. Some players can also gain an unfair advantage by spontaneously joining a game (without authorization) some time long after the game had already started, therefore being in fresh condition and in a position to surprise their opponents.

Due to the nature of the honor system many feel airsoft requires high moral values and gentlemanly ethics to play well without the need for distinguishing hit marks or strict marshal's calls.