BTA brings big changes to competitive blaster tag!

Of the list of major competitive nerf tournaments, the Blaster Tag Association’s annual King of the Hill Tournament stands out in more ways than one. It runs the oldest continually played format in the hobby, is a partner with one of the biggest weekend-long events of the year, and its unique game mechanics appeal to both athletes and fans alike. 

Now, ten years later, the latest ruleset includes some of the most significant changes to the game type yet. So, I sat down with BTA founder and organizer, Jangular, ahead of the 2025 Ragnarocktoberfest tournament to ask him all about where King of the Hill has been, what to expect at Rag in a couple of weeks, and where he expects competitive blaster tag to go from here.

 

History

Native to San Jose, California, Jangular formed the then-named Blaster Tag League in 2015 as an organization. “I’ve always loved competing,” Jangular noted, “[but competitive nerf] only happened because everyone locally was open to it.” He also added that “there are seriously too many people to mention” when it comes to early supporters and volunteers who made the first games happen. From building the first standard cover to developing the buckets for scorekeeping, BTL was undoubtedly a community initiative.

The first three years of King of the Hill development included experiments in field size and shape, different blaster and ammo restrictions, and even the style of cover. For instance, the earliest games featured mesh tarps on PVC frames, which prevented people from turtling behind cover and allowed spectators to see more of the field. Luke Goodman had the opportunity to play in the fledgling competitive format at the 2017 BTL tournament, and it’s fascinating to see how much has changed over the years (note his use of a HIR-ricane as a competitive primary).

By 2018, the Blaster Tag Association had been firmly established with a new name and logo. It was also a founding partner with Foam War Inc and other locals to host annual competitive tournaments at Ragnarocktoberfest’s weekend of events every fall since 2017. For the most part, the rules were well established by then, utilizing a square field with a symmetrical layout and making the PVC cover opaque.

However, a game maker’s work is never finished; with each new year comes different metas in blaster choices and player abilities. “When we started, the cap was 130 FPS with full-length darts. Jangular added. “So things have definitely evolved a fair amount, and it can be a struggle to find the balance between what some players may want and what’s best for the game and quality of competition.” 

 

Broadening the Playing Field... Literally! 

To maintain the spirit of the game, the BTA continues to host workshops during the off-season to learn from the previous tournament’s shortcomings and anticipate trends for the upcoming competition. After some adjustments, the latest Blaster Tag Association ruleset introduced several significant changes to the King of the Hill format. The most notable change is the field size and shape. For the first time since 2016, KotH has returned to a 3:2 rectangular field. This time, the 150-foot by 100-foot field (approximately the size of a 7v7 soccer pitch) allows for larger engagement distances while still providing an audience with a great viewing experience. Additionally, this field size allows other clubs and leagues to adapt this ruleset more effectively to their own venues.

On the note of accessibility, cover that was once a premium option that many leagues could not afford, with many building their own PVC cover. In just a few short years, it is now much more likely that groups will have access to a greater number and a wider variety of cover options. So not only are there more flat panel cover, but also taller pop-up tents and inflatable paintball-style cover too.

Having obtainable fields and cover is a significant priority for Jangular. “If something isn’t accessible,” he said, “at best, it will grow slower than it otherwise could.” “At worst, it will stagnate and fade away.” He then added that striking a balance between logistical accessibility for clubs and creating a fun and entertaining experience for players is crucial to the growth of the competitive side of the hobby.

 

Other 2025 Updates

While improvements to the field are welcome, they are only part of the equation when it comes to redeveloping the rules. And Jangular primarily focused on one thing. In his own words, “One of the long-term problems I had with the previous KotH rulesets was the difficulty for players when it came to spawning in. This led to frustrations and confusion in games, and a less engaging viewing experience for spectators.”

Learning from the previous two years’ tournaments, the new rules add a 50-square-foot perimeter to each team’s corner. This new area acts like a kind of goalie box that the opposing team can’t enter, allowing teams a better chance to enter the field without being tagged. Additionally, this rule, which reduces the area players can respawn by 60%, was explicitly designed to reduce the number of standoffs when respawning, which often ground otherwise dynamic gameplay to a halt. Since the introduction of this safe zone, testing has shown respawns to be a more enjoyable experience overall.

It’s essential to recognize that the Blaster Tag Association’s tournament does not operate in isolation; other rulesets and formats exist, and we can draw valuable lessons from them as the competitive scene continues to evolve. The Blaster Alliance of New England (BANE) hosted a King of the Hill tournament in November 2024, adapting the BTA rules to include a simplified respawn procedure for clarity among players and referees.

Likewise, Singapore Nerf held a 3v3 “Hold the Hill” tournament that required players to hold the button down to activate the timer, thereby limiting their ability to defend the hill points. These variations on the rules proved quite successful, and after further play-testing by Bay Area Foam Tag and other participating leagues, were adapted back into the standard KotH format. 

• • • 

The primary objective of any sport is to have good, clean fun; as the sport of blaster tag grows, the games we play must grow along with it. When I asked Jangular what his goal was with these changes, he said he hopes that the updated format promotes teamwork and coordination, accommodates riskier strategies, and creates an engaging gameplay experience that both players and spectators enjoy. – J Perry Heun 

Photo Credit: Wes Chan (AKA “Fish”)