If you see someone fall you help them up
this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
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this is the most important rule
There is a clear “ring” where the crowd begins and the pit ends. Diving past that ring is incredibly frowned upon because you are smashing into people who do not want to be in the pit. You can usually tell where the ring is because there are people standing very grounded/anchored and have an arm up usually.
If someone goes down, you pick them up.
I will also add, jumping from the pit to the ring is kind of a dick move. The crowd doesn't want to be in the pit. Respect that. Most shows with a pit, being the edge of the ring also means throwing people back to the pit.
I think it very much depends on your location, the band playing, and the crowd present.
I've seen pits that were complete free-for-alls where many were out for blood.
I've also been in pits where the very second someone goes down, the whole pit stops to lift them back to their feet and then proceed again
I like mosh pits where people are pushing and bumping into eachother, less so the ones with the dickface swinging his arms around like a windmill.
When someone goes down, you help them up. It's basically the only rule.
Slam dancing is the literal worst
I love pits where everyone is helpful and just want to have a good time.
Like just having some wild fun, but once someone drops, everybody helps them up. Or immediately help someone who gets hurt or wants to leave the pit for some reason.
I also love it when someone drops something and this tiny circle gets created to help make space for the person searching. Or when you find something that looks important and lost you just hold it in the air and scream what your holding. I miraculously retrieved my glasses that way, that was the first and last time I wore my glasses in a pit :).
I have seem this exact scenario, in the 90s, at I think the Dead Milkmen’s final show. It was such an iconic moment. Glad to know it wasn’t a one-off!
I used to wear my glasses in pits like every time. The first time I dropped them I got them back, but never again. I'm also old now, so it is less of an issue.
The only rules I know of are help peeps who fall and keep your elbows down.
What I'm gathering is, have fun, be safe and a decent human being, and don't be a dick.
1: No nasty spikes intended to harm 2: Someone falls, you pick em up 3: No aiming for the face 4: Don't keep in people who clearly want no part of the pit
+1 for not bouncing off the folks on the edge like they're the ropes of a WWE ring. I'm always on the edge cause I'm bigger but don't mosh much and at some shows the people are just the worst (paledusk fans you're the worst).
No one has mentioned this yet, but it seems most pits I've witnessed/participated in went counter-clockwise for some reason? Just me or is this the norm?
Also, +1 for picking people up that fall down and holding up a shoe/pair of glasses/hat/etc. that you find on the ground.
Also, +1 for picking people up that fall down and holding up a shoe/pair of glasses/hat/etc. that you find on the ground.
The first time I went to a metal gig (Iced Earth) I lost my glasses and people actually stopped to help me look for them. Amazingly, they were unbroken.