Laser Tag Guide

Laser Tag History

Laser tag dates back to the late 1970s, when the U.S. Army began performing strategic combat exercises with infrared lasers. For us non-military folks, the games may well have started when the Star Trek Electronic Phaser Guns came out at about the same time. Almost as soon as they were introduced, people began using them for simulated combat.

​Eventually, those games evolved into laser tag, which uses infrared devices for indoor and outdoor close quarter, role-playing combat.

How to Play Laser Tag

Laser tag requires at least two players, but you can have up to 15 players at Nomads. 

At the start of a match, each team gets aligned on opposite sides of the laser tag arena. Typically, you’ll take a few minutes to strategize and plan before the match starts. A match generally lasts anywhere from a few minutes to over 15 minutes and even longer, depending on the size of the teams and what you’ve agreed to up front. 

In terms of execution, every player wears a vest with sensors on the front and back and gets a laser tag gun that’s connected to the vest. You shoot at the other team’s players by aiming your gun at the sensors on their vests and pressing the trigger on your gun. When a player is hit, they can’t be shot at or shoot at other players for several seconds. You also have a limited number of lives—usually between three and five—so you can end up out of the game.

​As far as scoring goes, you want to shoot as many of your opponents as possible. Every sensor hit means scores a point. The points at the end are totaled and each player’s total points are added to their team’s score. At the end of the match, the team with the most points wins.

Laser Tag Equipment

One of the great things about laser tag—aside from the fact that it’s simply a blast to play—is that it doesn’t require a ton of equipment. As described above, all you’ll need are the vests with sensors and infra-red guns. Also, you should wear closed-toed shoes for safety. That’s about it!

Laser Tag Rules

Laser tag rules and regulations are all about putting safety first and making sure everyone is on a level playing field, with the same advantages and disadvantages. In general, players shouldn’t:

• Make physical contact with other players
  
• Cover the sensors on their vests
  
• Point their laser guns at a player’s eyes
  
• Run in the laser tag arena due to potential injuries
  

Laser Tag Strategy

There are some laser tag strategies you can use to get an edge and increase your chances of success. Here are just a few:

• Move quickly from spot to spot—it makes you harder to hit.
  
• Wear dark clothing that’s comfortable and easy to move in.
  
• Keep a low profile and find hiding spots that put you in a good position to shoot at opponents. You shouldn’t feel cramped or end up with obstructed views.
  
• Get to know the layout of the arena so you can find strategic hiding places.
  
• Hanging with your team members as a group makes you tougher to target and offers greater protection.
  

The language of Laser Tag 

Like every sport, laser tag has terms all its own. Here’s a brief list:

• Arena—The laser tag course. 
  
• Dead—A player that is out of lives. 
  
• Dink—The sound a shot that hits makes. 
  
• Dong—The unwelcome sound of a player hitting a teammate. 
  
• Double Tag—When a player gets shot, then gets hit again before their defense shields start. 
  
• Friendly Fire—When you shoot your own teammate. 
  
• Tag—When a player’s vest sensor goes off due to a hit by an opponent
  

Are you ready to have fun at the speed of light? Check out Laser Tag at Nomads!

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