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Paintball

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Paintball is a sport whose participants use compressed-gas markers to shoot paintballs (roughly marble-sized, .68 caliber, gelatin capsules filled with colored polyethelene glycol) at other players. Once marked by a paintball, a player is eliminated from the game.

History

The first paintball game was played in New Hampshire in 1981 by Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, Charles Gaines, and nine others, who used markers built to tag cattle or trees. The first tournament with a cash prize was held in 1983.

Basic Paintball Games

Capture the Flag

The classic schoolyard game, with a paintball twist. Teams start on opposing sides and attempt to acquire the opponents' flag while protecting their own. Victory is achieved by being the first team to hang the opponents' flag on the designated location at or near their own starting location.

Center Flag

Similar to Capture the Flag, the game starts with a single flag at the center of the field instead of one at each end. The winner is the team that brings the flag to the opponent's end of the field.

Elimination

The team that eliminates all of the players on the other team wins.

Styles of Play

Woodsball

Woodsball (also "Bushball"), paintball's original form, is generally played in a wooded area large enough to hold dozens of players. Woodsball games generally take more time than speedball games.

Speedball

Speedball is a faster, closer-quarters game than woodsball and is played on a field about the size of a basketball court or two. Artificial barriers (bunkers) are placed throughout the field for players to move between and hide behind. The close quarters foster a lot of movement and "bunkering", or running up to an opposing player's bunker and eliminating them from close range. Most national and local tournaments and leagues are built around speedball.

Scenario paintball

Scenario paintball games are often larger-scale re-enactments of historical battles involving hundreds of people, such as the Battle of Normandy, or modern scenarios such as storming a building and rescuing hostages. Scenario games can last hours or even days, and bigger games often have player re-insertions at set intervals. Skirmish Paintball in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania holds several every year, including The Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Normandy, which drew more than 3,000 attendees in 2005. The largest is probably "Oklahoma D-Day" which drew more than 3,500 in 2005, plays across 700 acres of land and includes some 15 "paintball tanks" and pontoon-built landing craft.

Tournament

Modern tournament paintball has developed in earnest since roughly 1990. Woodsball tournaments, the original and once the most popular format, have largely given way to speedball fields, whose inflatable bunkers can be moved between matches or tournament stages. The most common tournament formats pit two teams of three, five, or seven players against each other. Teams play several other teams, accumulating points in each game for acts such as being the first to get the flag, bringing the flag to the goal, eliminating opposing players, and having uneliminated players left at the end of the game.

X-Ball

A newer tournament format, X-Ball pits two teams against each other in multiple rounds of Center Flag played one after another until time runs out. The winner is the team with the most victories after two 16- to 20-minute halves.

Teams of up to 18 players field five players at a time. Unlike most tournament formats that forbid players to communicate with people on the sidelines, X-Ball allows a coach to advise players on the field. Players who receive penalties are not permanently removed from the game, but placed in a hockey-like penalty box for several minutes.

X-Ball has taken root at the national level, although variations are found in regional and local competition.

The X-Ball Light variant has one period, typically 15 minutes long. The first team to reach a set point total (commonly 5 or 7 points), or the team with the highest point total after game time has elapsed, wins the match.

Reball

A "reball" is a solid, dense-foam substitute for a paintball. Reballs are approximately the same size and weight of a paintball, but do not contain a paint filling. While they do not break open to leave a paint mark on players, the lack of filling makes them useful for indoor locations where accumulation of paint from broken paintballs would be a problem. A reball is more expensive than a paintball, but since they can be reused, they are cheaper over the long term. Some paintball parks have added dedicated reball fields.

Organizations

Current professional and semi-professional leagues, such as the NXL (National X-Ball League), NPPL (National Professional Paintball League), NCPA (National Collegiate Paintball Association), CFOA (Carolina Field Owners Association) the NEPL (New England Paintball League), and the SPPL (Scenario Paintball Players League), regularly hold high-class, well-organized events. These aren't the only leagues, however, as most regions both inside and outside the USA have leagues. The Millennium Series, the Nordic Series, the former European X-Ball League, the Centurio Circuit, the XSPL, the Paintball Association in the UK and many more leagues exist and draw large numbers of teams and fans. Tournament paintball is played by the same rules as normal paintball, but in a more competitive environment. There is a set number of people on each team (commonly three, five or seven), and modern tournament play is primarily speedball. Due to the competitive nature, most tournament players use high-end markers capable of higher rates of fire. The major leagues are National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), Paintball Sports Promotions™ (PSP), and Millennium Series. The leagues consist of a whole circuit of paintball tournaments, but smaller regional and locally-sponsored tournaments are very common.

Types of Players

Players usually fall into three categories: recreational, scenario or big game, and tournament.

Recreational players encompass occasional players like those in church groups or bachelor parties up through more regular players who may own their own entry-level equipment, but usually play locally. Recreational players may play at commercial, insured paintball parks, or on private land (often referred to as "renegade".)

According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association, of the approximately 10 million people who participate in paintball annually, about 1.5 million of them play at least 15 times per year. These frequent participants can generally be divided into two groups: Scenario players and tournament players. While each's preferred style of play and appearance is quite different from the other, the most devoted of both groups may spend thousands of dollars per year not only on paintball equipment, but also travelling around the country to various paintball events.

Types of Playing Locations

Most players play, and most scenario games and tournaments occur, at commercial, insured paintball parks. A paintball park may be an area of woods, a complex of speedball fields, or a combination. Commercial fields adhere to specific safety and insurance standards and have employed staff (often called referees) whose job is to make sure players are instructed in proper play and play in a manner that insures all participants' safety.

Some players play on private land, often refered to as "renegade" play. While less expensive, and often less structured than play at a commerical facility, due to the lack of standards, instruction, and oversight, the vast majority of injuries incured by paintball players occur in a "renegade" setting. Private landowners may also be liable for injuries sustained on their property, especially if there are any fees for play.

Major scenario and tournament events may sometimes occur at other locations like fairgrounds, military bases, or stadiums, essentially creating a temporary paintball park, including the trained staff and insurance found at permanent commercial paintball parks.

Common rules of play

When playing at a field for the first time, be sure to check up on the field rules. Variations of the following rules are in effect at most fields. These are the most common regulations, and do not include tips for playing. For information on tactics, see paintball strategy.


How to know if you are marked/hit/tagged

Generally if you are marked (hit) anywhere on your body, or on anything you are carrying (marker, hopper, pods) and the paintball broke upon impact, you have been marked. If you believe the paintball broke before impact, or if you cannot see the area to confirm a hit, then you should call for a paint check (by yelling "paint check"). A referee will come over and make a judgment call. Usually, if there is any spot that isn't clearly a hit or larger than a quarter, it will not be considered a hit. In some cases, depending on the field's rules, being checked by a referee does not make you invulnerable.

The X foot/meter surrender rule

Some fields require that if you are within a certain distance of an unaware opponent, you must demand their surrender (by yelling "Surrender!") before you may open fire. If your opponent complies (verbally, see above or by raising their hand or marker), they are considered marked and are out of the match. However, if they refuse and attempt any hostile action (such as turning to fire at you), you may fire upon them. Keep in mind that while waiting for a response you can still be hit by other opponents.

In almost all tournament play, there is no surrender rule. If you catch an opponent off guard, you are free to fire at him. Moves such as a 'run through', where a player sprints down the field shooting as many of the opposing team as he can, have developed over time and are now very important plays. Another popular move is "bunkering". This refers to running/charging up to the bunker or barricade that an opposing player is behind and tagging them at very close range. The idea is to get as close to the opponent as possible, as fast as you can, so that you can catch the other player off guard, giving them little to no time to react, and giving you little to no chance to miss due to the close range. If you think you may have been hit the ref of the current game will run over and complete a "paint check" to evaluate whether you have been marked or not.

Safety

Safety is paramount while playing paintball and is strictly enforced. This means players must wear only paintball-specific goggles and facemasks at all times while playing, even if they are out. Under no circumstances should eye protection ever be removed on a live field.

If you find your mask is covered with paint, sweat, or dirt, and you cannot see well enough to safely get off the field, stand with both hands in the air and yell (usually "Fogged!") for assistance. A ref or another player will lead you to a safe area.

If your mask falls off during a game, drop to your knees and cover your eyes with your arm or hands while yelling for assistance and/or a ceasefire repeatedly. Players or refs will come running to help. Do not be surprised if you are pushed down or otherwise covered by players and/or refs.

Besides mandatory use of masks, fields require that markers don't fire above certain speeds. This reduces the possibility of mask failure, and will leave less of an injury when you are hit. The allowed speeds usually range from around 250 Feet Per Second to the highest allowed speed of 300 FPS. Many players involved in outlaw games will tend to have their guns firing "hot" or above this speed. It is recommended that everyone playing outlaw games, get their guns "chronoed" or speed check before playing. Chronographs or "Chronos" can be found from $60-250 and can greatly help the safety of everyone playing.

Paintball has proved to be an extremely safe sport and its good record comes from the uncompromising emphasis on safety.

Paintball-like alternatives

  • Airsoft
  • Lasertag
  • Nerf is a hobby/sport similar to paintball in that many of the game types are the same, however instead of using marker it uses modified Nerf toys.
  • V ammo Cheap Alternative

Common Misconceptions

Various misconceptions are held by players as well as people who have never seen a paintball marker.

War and Violence

One common misconception is that paintball simulates war and encourages violence, thanks largely to the resemblence of markers to firearms and the donning of camouflage for woodsball. Additionally, paintball has been used for combat training by both law enforcement agencies and terrorist groups.

The paintball community generally works to dispel this image, Increasing the public's exposure to paintball is seen as crucial to breaking down stereotypes. Paintball fields do not tolerate physical violence (contact with an opponent is usually forbidden) nor even verbal abuse. Today's markers are generally not designed to mimic firearms. And "scenario" paintball games seek to re-enact historic wars and battles, not to encourage violence.

Tournaments include aspects of traditional sports: players wear bright colors as fans watch the action behind safety netting and film crews record nearly all top competitive events for DVD or TV.

Injury and Danger

Another common misconception of paintball is that it is dangerous. Recent statistics from various insurance companies have proven that paintball is actually safer than traditional sports, such as football. As long as the players follow the rules, paintball is an entirely safe sport. Paintball fields require anyone near the field to wear a face mask, and that markers shoot at a velocity of less than 300 feet per second. Many fields forbid the use of full-auto markers, which are illegal in many countries (for example the UK).

Quality of Equipment

Many players believe that more expensive and higher quality equipment determines how well a person plays. Good equipment does lend a competitive edge, but it is possible to get good results with relatively inexpensive equipment, and skill trumps gear quality.

Paintball Lingo

"lit up" - An expression connotating overwhelming victory. It is often used to describe someone who has been marked several times. It can also be used to describe a situation in which an individual or team excercised a great advantage to defeat the other player or team.

"maxed" - In tournament play, a team successfully eliminating all opposing players, losing none of their own players and successfully hanging the opponent's flag within the allotted game time is said to have "maxed" the other team (that is, they have achieved the maximum points possible in the game).

"tricked out" - A term used to describe a gun that has numerous upgrades and enhancements.

"check" - Asking for another player or a referee to inspect a player or yourself for evidence of a burst paintball. This is due to the fact that a paintball will not uncommonly hit a player and not break, or clip a player and not break.

"snake" - In hyperball, speedball, and airball a snake is a long, low structure (less then 1 meter/3 feet high) usually located either in the middle or to one or both sides of a field.

"chop a snake" - A process in which one player will fire over the head of an opponent located behind a snake, pinning him down, while another will advance along the lengh of the snake eliminating the opponent.

"bunker" - As a verb, to constantly fire at an opponent behind an object, even when the opponent cannot be seen, preventing him from firing at other players and trapping him behind the barrier.

"bust" - To eliminate a player once he is bunkered, usually involving two players simultaneously advancning on the bunker while firing; since the opponent is trapped he cannot return fire.

"bonus ball(s)" - Hitting an opponent multiple times, now common due to the very high rate of fire possible with electronic-trigger markers and power loaders. Also hitting a player intentionally after they are hit.

"ramping" - A feature enabled in many aftermarket electronic marker 'mod boards' that functions as de-facto full-auto; while in ramping mode, pulling the trigger faster than a preset lower limit (typically 5 or more times a second) causes the marker to "ramp" to its maximum preset rate of fire, which can exceed 20 balls per second, or to fire as quickly as the hopper can supply balls to the breech. Many "ramp boards" also incorporate elaborate schemes to conceal this feature from tournament referees, including a simple "panic button" trigger press sequence to turn ramping off before a marker can be confiscated and tested, and randomized rate of fire to mask the fact that the trigger activity doesn't match the actual firing of paintballs. In response to the popularity of ramping (and the difficulty of catching violators), some organizations have abandoned a strict semi-auto-only policy and adopted a 15 ball-per-second cap in its place. This allows referees with sound-activated timers to monitor rate of fire during games.

"chop" - When the ball is struck by the bolt of the marker, causing it to burst in the barrel. This can be caused by low quality paintballs, low gas pressure, a faulty or poorly designed valve, or exeeding the rate of fire the marker was designed to handle.

Paintball Manufacturers

Paintball Magazines

Owner Groups

  • Automag Owners' - One of the more popular Internet Paintball chat sites; AO was originally formed as the official forum for AirGun Designs, though it has expanded into much, much more.
  • A-5 Owners Den - An independent and informal web forum and archives for Tippmann owners
  • ICD-Owners - A user group for markers manufactured by Indian Creek Designs
  • Angel Owners - A web forum for Angel (WDP) owners
  • Ion Owners' - Web forum based for owners of the popular Smart Parts marker.
  • AKA Owners' - Independent paintball Forum For AKA owners.

Misc Websites

  • National Paintball Supply - Worlds largest distributor of paintball products worldwide.
  • PbNation.com - The largest internet paintball forum. Features over 200,000 members, forums frequented by professional paintballers, field maps, and much, much more.
  • PBReview.com - Field and equipment reviews, by players, for players. Second largest paintball forum.
  • AO - Prominent internet paintball forum; created originally for owners of AGD products, now hosts discussions on all things paintball.
  • PaintBallForum.com - Large online paintball forum. Great place for Rec, Woods, and Tournament players alike.
  • Pump Players Internet Group - Promotes the game's history and the use of pump-action and stock class paintball markers.
  • Extreme Paintball Connecticut One of the longest running paintball fields in the northeast United States, Waterbury CT.
  • Warpig (World and Regional Paintball Information Guide), An older and fairly unbiased site for paintballers.
  • Online Paintball Museum
  • History of Paintball
  • Multilingual Paintball Wiki
  • R-Team - A new form of joining recreational paintball with competition (Portuguese site)
  • WikiPB - A quickly growing paintball wiki.
  • Paintball Nexus - Resource for paintball information.
  • The Press - A paintball formum.

Newly added

  • Paintball Star - A large and quickly growing painball forum, useful for learning tips, getting product reviews, and other information.
  • CPPA - A website for Christian paintball players
  • Oklahoma D-Day - Official website of the world's largest paintball event, a WWII scenario game.
  • http://www.igraona.hr/ Croatian Paintball Club.

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