Whether it is a handful of people or a couple dozen, keeping your airsoft matches moving and everyone involved is a hard task. There are a couple of things you can do before the match starts to insure that games move along at a nice pace.
Have a set time between matches for reloading, discussion, hydrating, etc. If there is not a set time between matches or a time limit is not enforced, you will find that the time between games will grow longer and longer as the day goes along. This has a tendency to frustrate those that are the most excited or have a limited time frame in which to play airsoft. By regulating the in between time to 10 to 15 minutes it is possible to squeeze a few extra games in on game day.
Have a set match length. Given a chance, the length of each game will grow like the national debt. By having a set time with a 5 and 10 minute warning, you can keep the games shorter and the action more even. Besides the added benefit of more airsoft games in a day, the fixed time length will shorten the time players have to spend on the sidelines, and will and a sense of urgency and excitement when time is running out.
Think about using objectives in your airsoft games. These objectives need to be something other than the usually "eliminate all of the enemy". Game types such as escort or bomb run have a tendency to keep the action concentrated and fast past. Bomb run is nothing more than having to move an object from one location to another. If the carrier is hit, another player from the team must pick up the bomb where it was dropped and proceed with the mission. Escort involves the protection of one individual from being hit and "escorting" this individual from point A to point B. These are just two examples of game types that keep action compact, intense, fast paced, and adds more excitement than the usual team death match.
Some fields use a regeneration system during game play. Regeneration allows a player to return to a predetermined location after being hit and then return to game play. This feature is very useful in larger airsoft games to keep players in the game. For your smaller weekly games, using some of the tips given here may remove the need for a regeneration system.
Combining these game types with a fixed game time and set break time between games will allow you to play more games and reduce the sideline time players will experience. Especially for your weekly games, you may find that having more games and keeping a total score of games won will add more excitement to your airsoft games
Always remember to mix your game types up, as not everyone will have the same likes when it comes to game play. The first couple of games of the day are good candidates for the usual team death match game type, as you are usually waiting for everyone to arrive. By mixing things up you can insure that everyone has something to look forward to when the next game day comes around.
