Terms and conditions for a paintball or airsoft site

Paintball and airsoft are games in which players shoot each other, and the terms have to draw a line that other leisure businesses do not: bruising is expected, eye injuries are not. The rules on masks, conduct and removal, the age limits, and the accurate position on negligence are what protect the site. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Paintball, airsoft and laser tag sites in England and Wales running public sessions, private group games, stag and hen parties, junior sessions and corporate events, with equipment hired on site and paint or ammunition sold.

What matters in paintball and airsoft terms

Safety equipment and the mask rule

The terms should make the wearing of the eye and face protection provided mandatory at all times in the game zones, say that a player who removes it may be removed from the site without refund, and require players to follow the marshals' instructions on barrel covers, safe zones and ceasefires. The mask rule is the single most important term on the site and should be stated without qualification.

Age limits, disclosure and consent

The terms should set minimum ages for each game type, require a parent or guardian to accept the terms and provide health information for a child, and require every player to disclose conditions that affect their safety and to confirm they are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Players who arrive drunk are refused, and the terms should say so. Airsoft replicas are realistic imitation firearms, which section 36 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 makes an offence to sell or import unless a defence applies; the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (Realistic Imitation Firearms) Regulations 2007 provide that defence for insured skirmishing sites, and section 57A of the Firearms Act 1968 sets the power limits below which an airsoft gun is not a firearm, so the terms should say that site equipment is used only on site and that players' own guns must meet those limits.

Bruising, injury and what cannot be excluded

Being hit by a paintball hurts and leaves marks, and the terms should say so and record the player's acceptance of that inherent risk, along with the risks of running on uneven ground. What no document can do is remove the site's responsibility for an injury its own negligence causes, whether a faulty marker, a badly built game zone or marshals who were not watching; the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not let a consumer sign that away. So the document sets out the briefing, the equipment checks and the marshalling, which is where the protection lies, and the site owes players the common duty of care under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957.

Conduct, removal and damage

The terms should prohibit shooting at close range, shooting surrendered or masked-off players, and any conduct the marshals consider unsafe, with removal from the site without refund. Hired equipment is the player's responsibility during the session, with loss or damage beyond fair wear charged at cost. Paint and ammunition sold on the day are goods and the terms should say whether unused paint is refundable.

Bookings, deposits and groups

Games are booked for a date, which regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 takes outside the fourteen-day cancellation right; the cancellation scale you write is what counts, and it has to be fair. Take a deposit per player through one organiser, fix a cut-off for numbers and make the organiser answerable for the group. Where a company books the day, it is a business customer paying on invoice, with statutory interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Play usually continues in rain but not in lightning, and the terms should say so.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A player lifted their mask and was hit in the face. Am I liable?

If the briefing and the terms made the mask mandatory at all times in the game zone, the mask was sound, and marshals were enforcing the rule, the injury followed the player's own breach. If the mask was faulty or the rule was not enforced, the site is liable, and the terms cannot change that.

Can I refuse a group that arrives drunk?

The terms should say that players under the influence of alcohol or drugs are refused entry to the game zones without refund. Say it at booking and in the confirmation.

Half the stag party did not turn up. Can I keep their deposits?

If the terms take a deposit per player and set a cut-off for reducing numbers, the deposits for players not released by the cut-off are retained. The organiser who booked is the customer.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a go-karting track
• Terms and conditions for an escape room

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.