NT Gotcha: Nerf™ Edition Rules & Gameplay (High School)
Table of Contents
1 — Section A: Preparing (things you must do before the game)
2 — Section B: Gameplay (how the game is played)
3-4 — Section C: Scoring (how to score points
5-6 — Section D: Safe Zones
7 — Section E: Safety Expectations
8 — Section F: KO Product Regulations (Approved Nerf™ guns)
9 — Section G: Frequently Asked Questions
Section A — PREPARING: THINGS YOU MUST DO BEFORE THE GAME
1. Sign up, create a Twitter account, and follow @ntstudents.
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To sign up, go to to ntcoc.org/gotcha.
2. Submit your picture.
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After you register, you will be prompted to click a link that will allow you to submit a picture of yourself. This
will be your “mugshot” for the remainder of the game. Why is this necessary, you ask? Because during
gameplay, you will be given mugshots instead of names to indicate who your next target is. You will not be
eligible for General Play until you submit your mugshot.
3. Read the rules.
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Sections B & C will help you understand how the game is played & help you decide which Nerf™ guns to get.
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Section D is essential for understanding safe zones. Nothing you do in safe zones will count.
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Section E is a short but important section about safety expectations including (a) avoiding “headshots,” (b) the
ban of “drive-by” Nerf™ attacks, (c) trespassing, and (d) avoiding physical contact.
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Section F is a description of what kinds of Nerf™ guns are acceptable. Important note: painting or
modifying Nerf™ guns to look like real firearms or shoot differently is strictly prohibited.
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Section G will help clarify most other questions you may have!
4. Get your Nerf™ gun(s).
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Check Section F to make sure you get a Nerf™ product that meets NT Gotcha regulations.
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You will be responsible for obtaining your own gun(s) for competition. If you don’t know where to find them,
there are reasonably priced guns at Walmart, amazon.com, and nerf.hasbro.com.
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Here are some Nerf™ gun tips:
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In general play, you will want to be discreet. In other situations (like BattleZone Events), you will probably
just want to be heavily armed.
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The Zombie Strike Hammershot Blaster (5-shot) is a high quality & very reasonably priced option.
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There are inexpensive 1-3 shot Nerf™ guns that will fit in your pocket and allow you to be extra discreet.
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Nerf™ makes some huge, crazy, fully automatic, battery powered Nerf™ guns (higher prices though).
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There are specialized vests that can help you carry extra Nerf™ guns & darts.
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You could to go super all-out and get all of the above.
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We will be using Twitter for all NT
Gotcha communication. If you don’t
have twitter, you need to get one for
the purposes of this game. You are
free to delete it afterward!
If you still have questions after
reading the Frequently Asked
Questions, direct them to the
@ntstudents Twitter account.
Section B — GAMEPLAY: HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED
Object: Your goal is to be the last contestant standing after the NT Gotcha BattleZone Championship. The last
contestant standing will be declared the winner.
Gameplay: Each week after the BattleZone Event, you will receive an envelope with the mugshots of your 2 targets for
the week. No names, no information. Just pictures. You may have to do some investigating! Your goal is to KO
(knockout) your targets by shooting them with a Nerf™ gun during General Play. All the while, you must avoid being
KO’d by your unknown assailants.
Target Assignments: Your target assignment will last until the next BattleZone Event. If you have not made your KO
by that time, your target assignment expires. That means you are no longer allowed to pursue them unless you receive
them as a target again.
General Play: General play happens during the week in live zones. A live zone is anything not listed as a safe zone
below. This is when you are pursuing your targets and attempting to avoid the players who are pursuing you. Each
week, General Play begins at 6:00 AM on Thursday Morning and ends the following Wednesday at 4:30 PM, 2 hours
before that week’s BattleZone Event. In other words, all players are inactive after 4:30 PM on the day of a BattleZone
Event. You must wait until 6:00 AM the following day to pursue your new targets.
BattleZone Play: BattleZone Play happens every Wednesday at 6:30 PM (as a part of our weekly student program). At
BattleZone Events, you will compete in challenges that could include battles, duels, puzzles, riddles, et cetera. If you
win a BattleZone Event, you will be rewarded with points and/or a care package that will assist you in General Play. As
the weeks go on, these care packages will get ever-so-sweeter. There will be a total of four BattleZone Events.
BattleZone Attendance Requirement: You must attend at least 3 of the 4 BattleZone Events to compete in the NT
Gotcha Championship and remain eligible for prizes. The NT Gotcha Championship does not count toward this total.
NT Gotcha Championship: On Wednesday, October 4th, all eligible contestants will compete in a Hunger Games-
style free-for-all match. The last contestant standing is your 2017 NT Gotcha Champion in all of his/her glory.
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Section C — SCORING: HOW TO SCORE POINTS
Point System: You must have at least 12 points to be eligible for the BattleZone Championship. Descriptions of how to
achieve these KOs and Hospitalizations are included below.
3 points — You KO another player — You’re limited to 2 KOs per week (or 3 if you get 2 Self-Defense KOs).
1 point — You put another player in the hospital — You can hospitalize an unlimited amount of players.
-3 points — You are KO’d — Once KO’d, you are inactive (and safe) until next BattleZone Event.
-1 point — You are hospitalized — Once hospitalized, you’re inactive (and safe) until 6 AM the next day.
Varies — BattleZone Victory Points — BattleZone point rewards will be announced at each BattleZone Event.
Making a KO (knockout): You may only pursue the targets you were assigned at the BattleZone Event. This means
that even if you know the names and whereabouts of several other players, you may not KO them unless you have been
issued a Target Assignment. When you have your assignment, find your target, get in close enough proximity, and shoot
them with your Nerf™ dart gun. (If you won another BattleZone-Approved KO Product, you may use that as well.)
Your target is KO’d if the dart hits any part of their body. This includes pinky fingers, big toes, over coats, and any
other object the target is holding or carrying (including Nerf™ guns). Shields and body armor won’t save you either;
they will be considered an extension of your body and will only make you an easier target to hit. (*The only exception
to this is if you win a BattleZone-Approved shield or body armor.)
Self-Defense KO: You may defend yourself against anyone who has a gun in their hand. If another player has their
Nerf™ gun unconcealed in a non-safe zone, you may assume you are being attacked and open fire. Keep in mind that
any time you pull your Nerf™ gun out in a non-safe zone, you are vulnerable and can be Self-Defense KO’d by any
player who sees your unconcealed Nerf™ gun. Each self-defense KO will count as 1 of your KOs for the week. Since
you are limited to 2 KOs per week, you will only be able to KO 1 more target for the remainder of the week. Likewise,
if you already KO’d one of your targets prior to your Self-Defense KO, you have reached your weekly limit.
There is an exception to the 2-KO rule: If you successfully make 2 Self-Defense KOs, you will still be able to
KO one of your assigned targets. This is your reward for being awesome. If this were to occur, you would receive
points for 3 KOs in one week. This, however, does not mean you can just sit back and relax. There may be someone
else coming after you… See below.
Game Master Interference: For high-profile players who make 3 KOs in a week or for players getting a little “too
close” in their alliances, the Game Master is likely to interfere by sending additional assailants or even bounty
hunters after you. The good news for you: It we assign you additional assailants or bounty hunters, you will be
eligible for additional Self-Defense KOs when defending yourself against them.
KO by Poison: In addition to the traditional way of making a KO, you can also make a KO by “poisoning” your target.
To do this, you must place a note under your target’s tray/plate/drink indicating they have been poisoned. If they take a
bite or drink, show them the note and tell them they are KO’d. The note must be written on a 3 by 5 index card or larger
sheet of paper in order for it to count. If the note is discovered before the target eats or drinks, the target must tear the
card in 2 to “destroy the poison.” Once the card is torn, the food/drink is safe consume once again.
Note: You are never safe from poison during General Play hours, even if you are in a safe zone. Poisonings can
happen literally anywhere. (And no, there is no such thing as a self-defense poisoning.)
Hospitalizations: Once you have reached your weekly KO limit, the remainder of the players you shoot will be
hospitalized. Hospitalized players are considered inactive (and safe) until 6:00 AM the following morning.
(continued on next page)
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Section C: Scoring (continued)
Simultaneous KOs: A Simultaneous KO is when two Nerf™ darts are in the air at the same time and successfully
continue to strike contestants. It does not matter who fires their Nerf™ gun first or who gets hit first; it only matters
that both contestants are active when they pull the trigger, that the darts are airborne at the same time, and that both
contestants are hit. If this should happens, you must report it in a private message to the @ntstudents Twitter account.
Contestants will be required to meet at an agreed-upon time and location with the Game Master or another approved
official. Here, we will settle the matter with a 5-pace duel (best 2 out of 3):
(1) Both contestants are allowed one Nerf™ gun of their choice.
(2) Contestants start back-to-back with their Nerf™ guns pointed at the ground and proceed to take 5 steps away
from one another in opposite directions.
(3) Once they are 5 steps away from one another, the official counts down: “3-2-1, DRAW!”
(4) When the official says “draw,” both contestants may turn around, run in any direction, and fire at will. The first
person to hit their opponent is the winner.
(5) The contestant who wins 2 duels first is the winner.
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When simultaneous KOs happen during a 5-pace duel, it does not count toward the best of 3. Simply
continue dueling until somebody has won 2 duels.
(6) The winner is awarded the KO & receives 3 points. The loser becomes inactive until the next BattleZone event,
however they do not receive a point penalty (a reward for fighting so valiantly).
Reporting a KO or Hospitalization: Once a player has been KO’d, both players involved must make a short video
together telling how it happened. Be funny and creative with this (it will make it more fun!), and always be a good
sport no matter what side you find yourself on. If you took a video of your hit, you could choose to use that instead.
Both players must post the video on Twitter with the caption:
“Insert name has been KO’d by insert name! #NTGotcha2017 @ntstudents”
It has to be on Twitter, or it doesn’t count.
Make sure your Twitter profile is public, and make sure you tag @ntstudents & include the hashtag. Otherwise,
we may not see your report, and you may not get credit for the KO.
After you post on Twitter, you are welcome to post about it on other social media platforms as well!
Resolving Disputes: When there is a dispute and you don’t agree with your opponent on what happened, send a private
message to the @ntstudents Twitter account. The Game Master & NT Gotcha Committee will decide how to determine
the outcome. The committee is made of un-biased adults who are not competing in General Play. The committee will
review video evidence (if submitted), hear the testimony of relevant players and/or witnesses, and make a decision
based on all of the information available. When a situation is incredibly unclear, the committee may come up with
creative means of resolving the dispute.
Video Evidence: Video evidence of KOs is not required but is strongly encouraged. In order for a KO to count, both
parties must agree that a successful hit was made. We don’t have eyes everywhere (that you know of), and we are
trusting all of you to be honest. With that being said, the stakes are high, and there may be times when we receive
conflicting information. For instance, there may be times when you swear you hit your target, but they didn’t feel it.
There also may be times when someone swears they hit you, but you don’t believe them. In case these circumstances
should arise, it is wise to protect yourself by making sure their is video evidence of all KOs.
Interpretation of Rules: These rules are to be interpreted solely by the NT Gotcha Game Master & Committee.
Playing with words, trying to use technicalities to bend the rules, and using Jedi Mind Tricks won’t work for you. We
know the purpose of the rules, and we have full power to uphold that purpose—whatever we determine that purpose to
be. What the Game Master says, goes. If the Game Master calls in the Committee—what the Committee says, goes.
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Section D — SAFE ZONES
All safe zones are included below. During general play, contestants cannot be KO’d in these locations unless it is a KO
by Poison. Note that for KOs by poison, you still have to have permission to be on the property where the poisoning
takes place in order for the KO to count. If you are found guilty of trespassing by the Game Master, your target is
awarded a Self-Defense KO, you lose three points, and you are considered be inactive until the next BattleZone
Event.
1. All High School Campuses
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Contestants are safe from 15 minutes before school starts to 15 minutes after school ends. (You MUST
follow your school’s rules in addition to ours. School employees have more authority over you than the
NT Gotcha Game Master during school hours. Going against any of their rules/guidelines will result in
your KO not counting.)
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
2. All College Campuses
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Contestants are safe from when they leave their vehicle until they completely enter the vehicle after it is
over. (Same as above: You MUST follow your school’s rules in addition to ours. School employees have
more authority over you than the NT Gotcha Game Master during school hours. Going against any of
their rules/guidelines will result in your KO not counting.)
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
3. Work/Place of Employment
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Contestants are safe from the moment they leave their vehicle until they completely enter the vehicle after
their shift.
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
4. North Terrace Church Property
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While on church property, contestants are safe from the moment they leave their vehicle upon arrival until
they completely enter the vehicle after volunteering at the church, attending any activity or event on church
grounds, or even just hanging out there.
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Note: The Game Master has the power to declare church grounds a temporary live zone at any time by
tweeting to the @ntstudents account. This could make for some crazy fun impromptu Nerf™ battles.
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
5. Extra-curricular events or practices
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Contestants are safe when participating in an extra-curricular event or practice from the moment they leave
their vehicle until they completely enter the vehicle after it is over. This includes when you are attending an
event as a spectator on school grounds.
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
6. Volunteering
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When receiving documented volunteer hours, contestants are safe from the moment they leave their vehicle
in the parking lot until they completely enter the vehicle afterward.
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
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Section D: Safe Zones (continued)
7. Any business that declares themselves a Gotca-Free Zone
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Contestants are safe on the property of a business that declares themselves to be a Gotcha-Free Zone.
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Parking lots
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If the business has its own parking lot, the parking lot is a safe zone as well.
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If the business is renting space and shares a parking lot with other businesses, assume that KOs can
happen in the parking lot unless a business employee tells you otherwise.
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Always treat business owners and employees and with he utmost respect. They have more authority over
you than the NT Gotcha Game Master when you are on their property.
•
KO by Poison is still allowed.
8. Homes
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A contestant’s home & property is considered a safe zone. Trespassing on another contestant’s property
without permission is strictly prohibited. If you do this, your KO will not count.
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Exception: If you are invited into the contestant’s home by someone who lives there, you are free to make
any king of legal KO attempt you want. These can be epic/hilarious situations, but only if you have
permission to be on the property.
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If there are any disputes, we will simply contact the homeowner and ask whether or not you had
permission to be on their property.
9. Government Facilities
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No not bring a Nerf™ gun into a government facility. Not even a KO by Poison is allowed here. This is a
no-brainer. Breaking this rule will result in ejection from general play without refund. Ejected players may
still compete in BattleZone Events, however ejected players will not eligible for any prizes.
10. Healthcare Facilities
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To respect patients & healthcare providers, don’t bring a Nerf™ gun inside a healthcare facility. Your KOs
won’t count in there.
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KO by Poison is still allowed.
11. Other Possible Safe Zones
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Any time you are on someone else’s property (whether an individual or a business) and are asked to stop
engaging in NT Gotcha activities, that place becomes a safe zone.
12. Police Officers
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Police officers have more authority over you than the NT Gotcha Game Master at all times.
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Treat police officers with the utmost respect.
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If a police officer tells you not to go somewhere, don’t go there.
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If a police officer tells you not to do something, don’t do it.
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If you have a run-in with a police officer that is Gotcha-related, you need to report this via Direct Message
to the @ntstudents twitter account immediately. It doesn’t mean you’re in trouble. We just need to know
about these things to help keep a good relationship with the community and change/edit rules if necessary.
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Section E — SAFETY EXPECTATIONS
Considering the sneaky nature of this game it will be very important that you use discretion and make wise choices.
Below are some general safety guidelines to follow.
Don’t aim for the head, neck or face. Headshots will still count if done accidentally, but please don’t do it on purpose.
If we find out you intentionally KO’d someone in the head, your KO will not count.
No Drive-by's. Never not point your Nerf™ gun out of your car window. This is not safe, and your KO will not count.
It doesn’t matter who’re driving. It doesn’t even matter if the car is in park. Shooting out of cars is dangerous, and it is
never permitted.
No Trespassing. We said this already. We’ll say it again… Don’t trespass. Just don’t.
Don’t do illegal things. Obey the law. Respect police officers. ‘Nuff said.
No physical contact. Never physically touch another contestant. The only thing that should be touching them is your
Nerf™ dart. Also refrain from punching, Chuck-Norris-style roundhouse kicks, and other potentially dangerous
activities. That’ll get you ejected from competition pretty quick. It’s just a game, so have fun with it!
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Section F — KO Product Regulations
————————————————————————————————————
Accepted KO Products:
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Products must be Nerf™ brand, shoot Nerf™ darts, and the darts must be Nerf™ brand.
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The purpose of the Nerf™-only rule is to ensure safety and fairness. It’s realistic for us to be able to regulate all Nerf™
products, but it’s unrealistic to think we could know about every plastic gun thats shoots foam darts. To be safe, use
approved Nerf™ products. Using products that are not yet approved may result in minor or severe penalties.
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Certain non-Nerf™ products may be allowed, but ONLY if inspected by the Game Master.
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Modification of products is strictly prohibited.
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KOs made with modified products will not count.
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Using a modified product will result in ejection from general play without refund. Any allegations will be thoroughly
investigated by the NT Gotcha Game Master. (Ejected players may still compete in BattleZone Events with pre-inspected
Nerf™ products, however ejected players will not eligible for any prizes.)
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*PROHIBITED: Nerf™ Knives, Swords, Sabers, and anything else you swing at people.
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Attempts made with prohibited KO products will not count.
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Ask yourself, “does this shoot Nerf™ darts?” If the answer is no, you’re not permitted to use it.
Prohibited KO Products:
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Real adult weapons that actually hurt people
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Products modified to look like real weapons/firearms
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Modified Nerf™ Products
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*Nerf™ Nitro, Sports, Super Soaker & Rival Series
Products
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Anything else the NT Gotcha Game Master deems “ridiculous,
unsafe or unfair.”
*Legal Use of Prohibited KO Products:
There are 2 different circumstances in which you are allowed to use certain Prohibited KO Products in competition.
1. If you win a Prohibited KO Product when competing in a BattleZone Event, the NT Gotcha Game Master may
specify that you can use it in general play.
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In this case, enjoy the legal use of your Prohibited KO Product during general play!
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This product, however, cannot be used by other players. Only the player who wins the right to use the product is
permitted to use it.
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The only Prohibited KO Products allowed to be used are the actual BattleZone Prizes. You can’t buy more of the same
product to use them all in general play; you can only the actual product you won.
2. Some BattleZone Events may allow for the use of specified Nerf™ products that are prohibited from general play.
During BattleZone Play, the BattleZone Rules are the ones to go by.
•
In these cases, BattleZone Rules will give clear specifications on who can use prohibited products, which prohibited
products can be used, when the prohibited products can be used, and how the prohibited products can be used.
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DO NOT change your Nerf™
product’s appearance.
If you are seen walking around with
anything that looks similar to an actual
firearm, you may be banned from all NT
Gotcha activities.
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