Start With The Right Gear
The right gear starts with sufficient safety equipment for whatever you do. That varies from person to person based on how they fight and what they expect to be doing. A person who uses a shield in one hand isn't going to require as much padding on that hand as someone who fights florentine or with a red. If you're an archer you need a different set of equipment to protect your fingers and your arm from the bowstring. If you expect to be a very mobile fighter, or are heavy set a nice pair of kneepads is going to be crucial. As a florentine fighter I prefer lacrosse gloves to that end as they don't inhibit the motion of my wrists (after some modification) but still provide me with a lot of protection over the entirety of my hand. A sword and board fighter might prefer lighter gloves because presumably they'll get railed in the hand less often then a florentine or red fighter and may instead opt for some heavy bag gloves. As far kneepads if you plan on falling hard onto the ground a set of kneepads that includes a hard shell is a must, this is what I'd recommend for more mobile fighters. If you are heavy set and planning to drop to your knees in a line it's going to be more important to have kneepads that have a fair amount of cushion so that you can be comfortable pivoting on them for an extended period of time.
The right gear also includes the weapons that you fight with. Step one is to make sure that the weight of the weapon suites you. Fighting with a weapon that's too heavy for you to manipulate correctly will likely cause you to strain some of your own muscles (usually your wrist), especially when you have to deal with other people blocking and manipulating your weapon. Having a weapon that's too heavy to handle is also going to make it more likely that you injure someone else with that weapon. A weapon can also be unwieldy (and thus likely to cause injury) if the balance for it is off in a way that you're not used to. A red weapon that's excessively tip heavy is one example where even if you are strong enough to lift and swing the weapon you may still not be able to control it well. Shorter melee weapons like bats, clubs, swords and the like with a different point of rotation then you're accustomed to may also cause you to injure yourself because they screw up how you throw wrap shots.
If you find that you are a sword and board fighter then the kind of board that you use will also be very important. It's important to make sure that the board you pick isn't too heavy and is strapped in such a way that you can hold it easily. This will reduce fatigue and also make sure you aren't going to mess up your wrist, elbow or shoulder. I highly recommend that shorter fighters avoid using round shields. There is nothing inherently wrong with round shields, but by their shape, shots that are aimed to the left or right of the shield have a higher tendency of riding the edge of the shield up into a face shot. So if your head is already at an opponents waist height and your shield deflects shots up you run the risk of getting hit in the head A LOT even if the other person isn't throwing any inherently dangerous shots. To counteract this you can keep the shield in front of you if you're going to use a round rather then having it rest near your chin. Better yet, flare it out to the side so that shots that ride up the edges aren't angled directly into your face. Ideally though get a square or kite shield. The square edges at the top of the shield make it so that there's no chance that a shot to the shields left or right will wind up riding the edge into your face.
There's some extra gear that you can get that will increase your safety to certain locations. As a man getting a cup comes highly recommended. If you're going to be on a field that has a lot of arrows a helmet or face mask is recommended in order to keep arrows out of your eyes. If you feel like taking a hit from a normal swing is unpleasant you may want to consider armor just for the additional protection it adds. In particular chest armor that covers the solar plexus can save you from some particularly nasty polearm stabs.
Prep For Combat
One really easy way to get injured is to show up on the field at less then 100%. This can just be that you haven't had nearly enough sleep to be out fighting. It can be that you're not sufficiently hydrated or protected from the sun so you're more likely to overheat. This can also be because you haven't had enough food or water to have the right fuel to be out fighting. Some days it's just that you're too distracted to be able to focus.
This can also be an injury. No matter how safe you are, if you fight on an injury you wind up risking RE-injury, at which point the damage is gong to be much worse then it was the first time. I am not a good example of doing this particular thing, so do as I say not as I do. Realize that there are fighters who are perpetually injured now because they keep pushing themselves to fight before they've healed completely so they never quite get themselves patched up. Don't become one of the perpetually broken. To that end taking the time to warm up with some light sparring and then stretching to stay limber. Some light sparring will make you focused and awake which you'll want to be before jumping into a larger fight.
Take Safe Shots
Most of the basic shots that you can throw are going to have a low chance for self injury. It tends to be the more complex shots that if interrupted can really screw up your joints. It's important for a person to learn to throw shots smoothly before they advance to throwing shots quickly and in combat when another person will be interrupting your swings. If you attempt a shot that you don't really know how to throw properly you are can injure yourself. If you attempt that same shot and someone interrupts your shot mechanics then you can really mess yourself up by having your joints be in a bad place to absorb the impact from your opponents manipulation. Wrap shots in particular, if thrown wrong can apply some bad torque to joints. Throwing shots safely also includes not swinging at an archers arrows, as if those get broken they represent an immediate hazard to everyone in the immediate vicinity.
As a part of shot mechanics your footwork will also be important. Having good footwork and balance as you fight is really important to avoid injury in a game like Bel where there is grappling and shield bashing. If you're standing then having crossed legs makes you more likely to fall when rushed leading to a potential concussion from when you hit the ground. If you are on a leg and you cross your legs then they run the risk of getting mangled if someone decides to do aggressive shieldwork on you in the wrong way. Similarly being off balance may make shield bashing more dangerous when it's used against you, especially if the person doing the shield manipulation isn't very experienced.
How you position the rest of your body as you swing is also important. In particular when you swing, (especially if you're swinging low) make sure that you don't put your head forward but rather keep it back and in line with your body. Any time you wind up changing the vertical position of your head from high to low you run the risk of intercepting a shot that was aimed for your torso. If you know that you're about to execute a maneuver that puts your head in harms way, be ready to block that area as soon as humanly possible. Bel prohibits hopping on one leg for exactly this reason, but if your particular foam sword sports allows hopping on one leg, I'd recommend against it.
Learn How To Block (Properly)
There are a million ways to block a weapon wrong and nearly as many ways to block a weapon correctly. If you don't feel confident blocking a full red swing with one hand then it might be worth seeking out a vet to teach you how to really block well. Even if you aren't particularly muscular by leveraging proper body mechanics you can absorb the force of a swing with your body rather then with your wrist or arms which will allow you to block most swings from most people without any kind of significant discomfort. If you find that there's someone who is swinging wildly so that you are afraid to engage them, then don't. Go to another part of the field, find someone else to fight. You may want to additionally alert a herald that a particular fighter makes you feel unsafe. At a time when a fight isn't going on you may also want to approach that particular individual and let them know that the way they handle their weapon scares you. Even as an old vet I occasionally have a talk with someone about the amount of force they are delivering with their weapon seems to me to be a bit excessive and ask them to tone it down.
Know Where You're Standing
Certain areas of a field are way more dangerous then others. Being part of the back line in a fight is usually the safest place to be as it's got the fewest bodies in it and as a result the lowest likelihood for there to be a problem. The flanks tend to be the next safest spot because while there are more people on the edges then in the back there's enough room to move around so if someone gets themselves into a bad situation they can usually then get out of the way. The flanks have their own danger in that with everyone moving around quickly it's important to communicate death and get out of the way in a hurry once you've dropped. Usually though there's enough space to evade the fight that's still going on, or you're close enough to the edge of a field to clear.
The most dangerous place to be in any given battle is the line. This is even more dangerous if the field is constrained (like in a bridge battle). A line has the most moving bodies and tends to roll forwards and backwards quickly. If you are killed while being part of a line walk AWAY from the enemy team while dying, or if you're on the edge of the map then immediately off the map as you die. DO NOT drop down in between lines. That is an excellent way to get trampled. Line fights tend to have red weapons that throw shots from high to low aiming for either shields or shoulders. If you are fighting on a line be aware of these weapons and make sure that you are either behind the line and therefore covered, or that if you have a shield your guard is a bit higher then usual. If you know in advance that you're going to spend most of your time on a line I'd recommend a helmet. Not only will this absorb some of the impact should you get hit in the head but it will also keep arrows out of your eyes, which will not usually a source of injury are certainly unpleasant.
Communicate
We have the hold call for a reason. If you are injured immediately shout hold. If you see someone else go down, immediately shout hold. If you are fighting an opponent and they are about to back into a hazard, let them know. If you see an arrow or weapon break out on the field, call hold, as even if this isn't your own gear it creates a hazardous situation for everyone, ESPECIALLY if that weapon is an arrow. If for whatever reason the wind is knocked out of you, get away from the fighting if you can and throw a hand up, usually someone will notice that something is wrong and help ensure your safety while you recover. Having received some nasty shots to the solar plexus I've definitely been there. Communication is also relevant in a group situation to let your teammates know exactly where you're standing. This can prevent your team from running into you or, as a support weapon having someone sprint backwards right into you. This applies even if you're dead. If you notice a person is sprinting backwards right into you, say something, or, if you can, get out of the way.
When All Else Fails
Use common sense. Most of us have self preservation instincts so if your body tells you that something is probably not a good idea, listen. If your best judgement tells you that you shouldn't be standing where you are because you're likely to get injured, listen. In the end while there are lots of things the fighters around you can do to try and keep you safe the final custodian of your safety is you.
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