Paintball

A woodsball player firing at opponents from behind cover.

Paintball is a sport in which participants eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with paintballs (spherical gelatin capsules containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye) shot from a compressed-gas-powered "marker" (proponents of the sport endorse the use of 'marker', rather than the more violent 'paintball gun').

Paintball draws a wide array of players,and the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association estimates that over 10 million people play in the United States alone. Insurance statistics show that paintball is one of the safest sports, with fewer injuries per exposure than sports like tennis, golf, and bowling.

Games can be played either indoors or outdoors and take various forms, of which some of the most popular are woodsball, scenario and speedball, also sometimes known as tourneyball under various circumstances. Rules for playing paintball vary widely, with most designed to ensure that participants enjoy the sport in a safe environment. The sport requires a significant amount of equipment and has even developed its own slang.

A game of paintball usually involves two opposing teams seeking to eliminate all of the other team's players or to complete an objective, such as retrieving a flag, eliminating a specific player, or other paintball variations. An average, non-professional game of paintball usually lasts around five minutes to half an hour. Since its inception, paintball has drawn a crowd of both casual and serious players.

History

File:PaintballPlayers1998-2004.png

A graph showing the number of paintball players in the U.S. from 1998 to 2004.

The first paintballs were created by the Nelson Paint Company in the 1950s for forestry service use in marking trees from a distance, and also for use by cattlemen to mark cows. Two decades later, paintballs were used in a survival game between two friends in the woods of Henniker, New Hampshire, and paintball as a sport was born.

In 1976, Hayes Noel, a stock trader, Bob Gurnsey, and his friend Charles Gaines, a writer, were walking home and chatting about Gaines' recent trip to Africa and his experiences hunting buffalo. Eager to recreate the adrenaline rush that came with the thrill of the hunt, and inspired by Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, the two friends came up with the idea to create a game where they could stalk and hunt each other.

In the ensuing months, the friends talked about what sorts of qualities and characteristics made for a good hunter and survivalist. They were stumped, however, on how to devise a test of those skills. It wasn't until a year and a half later that George Butler, a friend of theirs, showed them a paintball gun in an agricultural catalog. The gun was a Nelspot 007 marker manufactured by the Nelson Paint Company.

Twelve players competed against each other with Nelspot 007s pistols in the first paintball game on June 27, 1981. They were: Bob Jones, a novelist and staff writer for Sports Illustrated and an experienced hunter; Ronnie Simpkins, a farmer from Alabama and a master turkey hunter; Jerome Gary, a New York film producer; Carl Sandquist, a New Hampshire contracting estimator; Ritchie White, the New Hampshire forester; Ken Barrett, a New York venturer and hunter; Joe Drinon, a stock-broker and former Golden Gloves boxer from New Hampshire; Bob Carlson, a trauma surgeon and hunter from Alabama; Lionel Atwill, a writer for Sports Afield, a hunter and a Vietnam veteran; Charles Gaines; Bob Gurnsey and Hayes Noel. The game was capture the flag on an 80 acre wooded cross-country ski area.

Thereafter, the friends devised basic rules for the game fashioned along the lines of capture the flag, and invited friends and a writer from Sports Illustrated to play. They called their game "Survival," and an article about the game was published in the June 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated. As national interest in the game steadily built, Bob Gurnsey formed a company, National Survival Game, and entered a contract with Nelson Paint Company to be the sole distributor of their paintball equipment. Thereafter, they licensed to franchisees in other states the right to sell their guns, paint, and goggles. As a result of their monopoly on equipment, they turned a profit in only six months.

The first games of paintball were very different from modern paintball games. Nelspot pistols were the only gun available. They used 12-gram CO₂ cartridges, held at most 10 rounds, and had to be tilted to roll the ball into the chamber and then recocked after each shot. Dedicated paintball masks had not yet been created, so players wore shop glasses that left the rest of their faces exposed. The first paintballs were oil-based and thus not water soluble; "turpentine parties" were common after a day of play. Games often lasted for hours as players stalked each other, and since each player had only a limited number of rounds, shooting was rare.

Between 1981 and 1983, rival manufacturers such as PMI began to create competing products, and it was during those years that the sport took off. Paintball technology gradually developed as manufacturers added a front-mounted pump in order to make recocking easier, then replaced the 12-gram cartridges with larger air tanks, commonly referred to as "constant air". These basic innovations were later followed by gravity feed hoppers and 45-degree elbows to facilitate loading from the hopper.

Common rules of play

The following are the most basic and common paintball rules. While there is little variation in safety rules, variation in other game rules is quite common, and players should ask about the specific rules where they are playing.

Safety rules

A typical paintball mask with a MARPAT cover.

Like many sports, safe participation in paintball requires observance of proper safety procedure. When safety rules are followed, paintball is extremely safe, with an injury rate of only 0.2 injuries per 1,000 exposures.

Goggle system

The most important rule in paintball is that all players must wear a protective goggle system or mask at all times when they are playing or near other people who are playing. While paintballs will not cause permanent injury to most areas of the body, the eyes, and to a lesser extent the ears, are vulnerable to serious injury if hit by a paintball. Paintball masks are specifically designed for the sport, and the goggles are capable of withstanding a direct hit from a paintball traveling at well over 300 feet per second (90 m/s), the safety limit adopted by paintball marker manufacturers. Most masks have flaps that protect the ears, and some include a visor to shade the player from sunlight. Some players use masks that cover the entire head for maximum protection, while the majority of tournament-level players choose smaller masks that offer a wider field of view, better hearing, vocal communication and more venting. Recently, small timers were created to fit in the goggle, alerting the user to a certain time in the game.poo poo paintball is the best

Paintball velocity

Used paintballs

In addition to the mandatory use of masks, paintball markers must not fire paintballs that exceed a certain velocity. The industry standard maximum velocity for safe play is 300 feet per second (90 m/s).

Many commercial paintball facilities mandate a lower velocity, usually around 280 feet per second (85.4 m/s, 307 km/h or 191 mph), with a muzzle energy of approximately 11 joules, in order to create an extra margin of safety. Being hit by a paintball can be painful at any range but most especially at point blank range. Recreational players sometimes use a "barrel tap" rule where a player is out if they are tapped with an opponent's barrel. (Also see surrender rule below)

Paintball velocity is measured using a chronograph. Chronographs are standard equipment at commercial paintball facilities, but should be purchased if not playing at a commercial location. Players who play without first using a chronograph put themselves and other players at risk. Changes in temperature greatly affect a paintball's velocity when propelled by compressed gases that undergo phase change, such as compressed carbon dioxide and compressed air, the most commonly used propellants. Markers should be chronographed several times throughout the day. Paintball markers should also be chronographed after any adjustment, replacement of parts, such as the barrel, or paint as these changes generally affect the paintball's velocity.

Barrel blocking

All players must use some sort of barrel blocking device on their paintball marker when not actively playing. These devices generally take the form of a small bag, commonly known as a barrel sock, barrel cover or barrel condom, which covers the front end of the barrel and is held in place by an elastic cord looped around the paintball marker. The barrel sock thus catches any paintballs that may be accidentally fired. Prior to the introduction of barrel socks in the late 1990s, barrel plugs, a piece of hard plastic with rubber O-rings placed into the front end of the barrel, were the most commonly used barrel blocking device. Because barrel plugs can fall out or be shot out of the barrel if a round is accidentally discharged, barrel socks are now required by the insurance policies of many commercial fields. Some markers use a safety catch, where a button on the side of the marker is pressed to lock the firing trigger. However, because the safety catch is difficult for other players to see, players should always use a barrel blocking device so that others may know they are safe, and players should observe the same safety policies that are applied to firearms.

Player eliminations

Players eliminate each other from the game by hitting their opponents with a paintball that breaks upon impact and leaves them visibly marked with paint. Rules on how big a paint mark must be to count as a hit vary, but a paint mark from a paintball that breaks on some other object before impacting a player, referred to as splatter, does not count as a hit. Once a player has been marked, they are eliminated from the game.

Most rules consider hits on any body part, clothing, gear, or object the player is carrying or wearing as an elimination. This includes the marker, backpack or an object picked up from the field, such as a flag or a pod. Some rules do not count hits on the marker or head or both, or other areas of the body as an elimination, such as anywhere but the torso, or require more than one hit in certain areas for elimination. These special rules are usually found in scenario paintball games.

If a player is uncertain whether a mark they have received is a valid hit or not, possibly because the mark is from the spray of a paintball breaking on another nearby object, they can not see the part of the body where they have been struck by a paintball, or because the paintball may have been shot by a player who had already been eliminated, the player should ask a referee or a nearby teammate to determine whether or not the player has a valid hit. This request is commonly referred to as a 'paint check', and is most often requested by the player yelling the words 'paint check' to a nearby referee. Some game rules allow a referee to call a player 'neutral' during a paint check so that the referee can more closely inspect a player. If a player is called neutral, they must discontinue play while being checked and opponents may also not fire or advance on the neutral player.

Players may also be eliminated from the game for reasons other than being hit by a paintball, including calling themselves out by saying "I'm hit!" or "I'm out!", from paint marks from paint grenades or paint mines in games where such equipment is allowed, or due to a penalty, such as stepping out-of-bounds or leaving the starting station prior to the beginning of the game. Because players who call themselves out are eliminated even if they are not actually hit, players should always check to see if a paintball that has hit them has indeed left a mark. A paintball may simply bounce off a player’s body without breaking, which does not count as a hit. Players may also call for a paint check on another player if they believe they have marked an opponent to ensure the player is promptly eliminated from the game, especially if the opposing player may not be aware they are hit or may be attempting to hide or remove a hit. Removing a hit and continuing to play is a severe form of cheating commonly known as 'wiping' and can result in severe penalties, including being permanently banned from the playing location at a recreational or commercial facility. In tournaments, a “3 for 1” penalty may be called, where the offending player and an additional three teammates are eliminated from play.

Surrender rule

Recreational rules often suggest a player within a certain distance of an unaware opponent, usually 10 to 15 feet, should offer the unaware player's surrender by yelling "Surrender!"(or Point Blank) before they may open fire. If the opponent complies, either verbally or by raising their hand or marker, they are considered marked and are out of the match. However, if they refuse or attempt any hostile action, such as turning to fire, the challenging player may fire upon them. Getting hit by a paintball from close range can be painful, and it is considered polite and good sportsmanship to offer an opponent the opportunity to surrender when possible instead of unnecessarily shooting at close range.

This "rule" is subject to great interpretation between fields, and even between players, for a variety of reasons. A common field interpretation of the surrender rule is not to prevent two players in a heated exchange from shooting each other close range, but rather from having an experienced player mowing down a first-timer who is in shock and hiding in a bunker. Interpretation at the other end of the debate often stipulates an automatic elimination for any move where a surrender would be offered, such as surprise or bunkering. This strict variant is often called a "bunker tap rule," to differentiate it from a more lax interpretation.

New players can become packed with adrenaline in such situations, and often attempt to fire out of reflex. Thus, experienced players often decide to offer a surrender only in situations where the opponent is completely off guard, and will be too shocked to make any reflex action. For these reasons, when a bunkering move is executed, even in recreational play, a surrender is rarely offered unless field rules absolutely require it.

In tournament play there is no enforcement of a surrender rule. When a player catches an opponent off guard, they will fire until they see that the paint breaks, or until a referee calls the opponent out. Moves such as a 'run through', where a player runs down the field shooting opponents as he passes them and continuing on, have developed over time and are now important plays. Another popular move is "bunkering", where a player charges up to the bunker or barricade that an opposing player is behind and shoots them from over the top or around the side of the bunker. Players also sometimes call themselves out if they are the last player, just in plain fear of getting hit.

Some players use the term 'mercy kill' rather than 'surrender', though the terms are mostly interchangeable.

Overshooting

To overshoot (also called bonus balling) is to repeatedly shoot a player after they are eliminated. Generally, it's considered a few extra shots after a successful break. This practice is frowned upon by most recreational players, but is the accepted form of play by tournament players. There is no set rule as to what constitutes overshooting. It varies in recreational play, with each field having its own individual set of rules. However, in tournament play, it is generally up to the head referee's discretion. The penalty for overshooting in tournaments is usually a 1-for-1, the elimination of the guilty player as well as another player from his or her own team, but each tournament has its own set of rules. Overshooting is more commonly also referred to as bonusballing, especially by tournament players.

Blind firing

To blind fire is to discharge a marker around a corner or over an object with your head still behind that object or corner, making you unable to see where you shoot. Blind firing is discouraged on many fields, for potential safety implications. As the shooter cannot see where their shots are landing, they could accidentally fire at somebody point blank, hit a referee, hit a person that had removed their mask (also a major safety violation), or otherwise cause damage or injury through indiscriminately firing paint at an unseen target.

'Field paint' and 'field markers'

Most modern paintball fields enforce a 'field paint' or 'field marker' rule; as the name of the rule implies, the participants are not allowed to use their own paint and/or markers, and must rent what they require from the field operators. The 'field' rules are presented as safety precautions: a personal gun might be set to fire over the maximum safe velocity, while an unscrupulous player might put their paintballs in a freezer overnight, which freezes the paint within and makes small hard projectiles, capable of cracking a paintball mask or possibly a bone. In addition to this, its common practice in commercial venues charge more for field paint than a case may cost somewhere else.

Types of games

Basic variations

Main article: Paintball variations

• Capture the Flag - A team must take the flag from the designated flag station, often either at the opponents' flag station at the opposite side of the field, or in the center of the field. The flag must then be 'hung' at one's own flag station or the enemy flag station, respectively.

• Elimination - A team or individual player must eliminate all of the opposing team.

• "King of the Hill" - two or more teams attempt to capture and hold one or more bases. The game is won by the team that holds the base(s) for the longest net amount of time.

Woodsball

Main article: Woodsball

A woodsball player lying in wait.

Paintball started out as a recreational game in wooded areas, with capture the flag and elimination being the most common formats. Woodsball can involve any range of players with a variety of bunker types. The size and terrain of woodsball fields make it unlikely that a player can observe more than a small subsection of the field at any given time. This limited field awareness coupled with the usually larger number of players causes woodsball games to generally last for an extended period of time. Many playing locations often have their own custom variations. Woodsball gives players the freedom to engage in any number of typical and atypical scenarios such as ambushes, assaults on fortified positions and protecting VIPs. Woodsball can be played throughout the year, although cold weather play often hinders the use of CO₂ because lower temperatures don't allow the gas to expand properly. Playing woodsball in varying weather conditions further adds challenges and advantages for the players.

Woodsball is sometimes played in National Forest areas, although the same rules that apply to the discharge of firearms are applicable to paintball players.

Speedball

Main article: Speedball

Speedball is a type of paintball characterized by a small field filled with bunkers. While a woodsball field may cover several acres, speedball fields are usually less than half the size of a football field, and located on level, treeless terrain. Bunkers on a speedball field are man-made, and have evolved from wooden spools and crates to corrugated sewer piping to the customized inflatable obstacles in various shapes that are common today.

Because of the small field size, and the lack of foliage or any other objects aside from the artificial obstacles on the field, players can see from one end of the field to the other, and games are usually much shorter than those played in the woods. Since players can see each other and start the game within range of each other, action between opponents is immediate and lasts the entire game. Due to the smaller field size, there are usually fewer players per team than in woodsball, commonly from three to ten players.

While speedball is presently used in tournament play far more often than woodsball, many casual recreational players also enjoy speedball outside an organized, competitive setting, especially at indoor playing facilities where a woodsball field is not an option.

Stock class

Main article: Stock paintball

Stock paintball play has specific rules regarding the configuration of the marker, restricting the technology of the markers to mechanisms available in the early 1980s. Markers used in stock class play must use a pump action to fire, can not hold more than 10 to 20 rounds of paint, must be powered by 12-gram carbon dioxide powerlets, and must hold paintballs in a linear feed tube parallel to the barrel.

A pump action paintball marker lacks an automated mechanism for moving the bolt between the firing and loading position, and instead has the bolt attached to a manual cocking mechanism. Using a pump handle attached to the cocking mechanism, the player must slide the bolt back to allow the next paintball to fall into the marker, then push the bolt (and the paintball) forward into the chamber, requiring a total of two separate movements to cycle the marker. After the bolt has been moved forward and the paintball is in the chamber, the paintball marker is ready to be fired and expel the paintball.

A 12 gram CO₂ powerlet will typically only fire 20 to 40 rounds, depending on the efficiency of the marker, before needing to be changed for a new powerlet. Because the paintballs are lined up parallel to the barrel, they will not naturally fall into the marker while it is held in a level firing position, requiring the marker to be tipped (rocked) forward or backward before being pumped (re-cocked). This complete action for loading another paintball into the chamber of a Stock Class marker is thus called "Rock & Cock".

Reusable balls

A reusable ball is a rubber substitute for a paintball. Reball is a specific product line, as is T-ball, but is often used when describing Rufus Dawg Target Balls, and other brands of reusable paintball-sized spheres. Most reusable paintballs are the same size as normal paintballs but weigh less, and do not contain a paint filling. They do not break open to leave a paint mark on players, so the lack of filling makes them practical 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 many times, they potentially have a lower cost per use. Some paintball parks have added dedicated reball fields. The primary use of reballs, as intended initially by the manufacturer, is as a practice aid for teams who wish to save money by using reusable ammunition. Other manufacturers have created similar products, such as the V-Ball, a Velcro (hence the name V-Ball) reusable paintball. Reballs are also used at a lower velocity because of their inability to break on whoever they hit. For example, a Regular paintball will normally be shot at approximately 280 ft/s, but a Reball is supposed to be used at around 250 ft/s (76 m/s).

It must be noted here that the term 'reusable balls' does not refer to paintballs that have been picked up from the ground. This 'loose paint' should not be used in a paintball marker, as groundwater or condensation might have swollen the paintball, which could cause it to jam in the barrel, or rupture and foul the internal workings of the marker.

Regular paintball are made of a gelatin shell with a food colored filling. The geletin shell is designed to break upon impact however ricochets may occur. There are many types of paintballs including two toned, high impact, and single toned

Tournament paintball

File:100 2864.jpg

A 3-man tournament team at their starting station (also known as 'the break').

Organized paintball competition is nearly as old as the sport itself, starting with regional tournaments held at National Survival Game locations in 1983 and culminating in the National Survival Game National Championship (Won by Canadian team "The Unknown Rebels" from London, Ontario).

Though tournament paintball was originally played in the woods, the rise in popularity of teams such as Team Dynasty in the late 1990s saw speedball become the standard format. The small size of speedball fields brings several advantages to competitive play. The artificial nature of bunkers allows each side of the field to be set up as a mirror image of the other, ensuring that neither team possesses a terrain advantage (as can be the case on woodsball fields). The flat, vegetation-free playing surface makes it easier for officials to see players and make the correct call and, coupled with the small field size, allows spectators to view the entire game at once. There are many type of tournament rules and regulations for speedball, ranging from the number of players (7 vs. 7, 5 vs. 5, etc.) to time limits.

Due to the largely artificial nature of speedball, camouflage is of little strategic use. Clothing with camouflage patterns, common in wooded play, has been largely replaced in tournament play by distinctively colored team uniforms similar to those found in other competitive team sports.

Types of players

Players usually fall into one of four categories: recreational, woodsball, scenario, and tournament.

The recreational class encompasses a range of levels of involvement in the sport, from occasional players (church groups, birthday parties, or bachelor parties) to more regular players who may own their own entry-level equipment but do not play in tournaments. Recreational players may play at commercial paintball parks or on private land.

According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association, of the approximately 10 million people who participate in paintball annually only about 15% (1.5 million) of them play 15 or more times per year. This 15% can be subdivided into three groups: scenario players, woodsball players and tournament players. While these three groups can differ in style of play and appearance, the most devoted members of all three groups may spend thousands of dollars per year not only on paintball equipment, but also on travel to paintball events.

Playing locations

A typical speedball field, often used for tournaments.

Most players prefer to go to commercial paintball parks, which charge for admission. These paintball parks usually feature different themed fields (e.g. woods, jungle, city, or historical battlefield), as well as a complex of speedball fields for speedball and tournament teams. Some commercial fields are indoors, allowing players to play when it is too hot, too wet, or too dark outside. Commercial fields also (but not always) provide such amenities as bathrooms, picnic areas, lockers, equipment rentals, air refills, and even food service. These fields adhere to specific safety and insurance standards and have a paid staff, including referees, whose job is to make sure players are instructed in proper play in a manner that ensures all participants' safety. In order to avoid liability, commercial fields strictly monitor paintball velocity with chronographs.

Players that find commercial fields to be too expensive or too crowded sometimes play on private land, often referred to as "renegade" play or "outlaw ball". Though less expensive and less structured than play at a commercial facility, the lack of safety protocols, instruction, and oversight means that the vast majority of injuries incurred by paintball players occur in these "renegade" games. Private landowners may also be liable for injuries sustained on their property, especially if they opt to charge fees for play.

Major scenario and tournament events may sometimes occur at other locations like fairgrounds, military bases, or stadiums, essentially turning them into temporary paintball parks. The same trained staff and insurance found at permanent commercial paintball parks can be found at these events.

Special Ops Paintball created the Game Locator in 2005 to allow paintball players to post any type of games, search for games by distance, and opt-in to games.

Paintball equipment

Main article: Paintball equipment

Paintball equipment varies depending on the type of paintball game being played and the skill level of those playing. Every player, however, requires three basic pieces of equipment:

• Mask: Absolutely necessary for players' protection.
• Complete paintball marker: Markers usually also require some sort of loader/hopper and propellant to work (CO2 or compressed air).
• Paintballs: To eliminate other players.

A full set of paintball gear may cost anywhere from under $100 to several thousand USD, depending on the equipment. Some players may invest hundreds of dollars in equipment to improve accuracy, rate of fire, weight, reliability, comfort, or aesthetics. Instead of purchasing their gear, occasional players may instead rent equipment from a paintball facility for about $10-$80 USD per day.

Strategies and tactics

Paintball, like many other games, revolves more around teamwork than it does equipment or even the skill of individual players. A well-organized team working together can defeat a team whose players are in disarray, even if individual members of the confused team have better skills and gear. Communication is key to a winning team, and often presence of mind and teamwork help to win a game.

Different game types, woodsball, speedball and scenario paintball, all have their own different strategies, although woodsball and scenario paintball share many of their strategies.

Paintball terminology

A paintball team prepares to breakout.

Due to the unique nature of paintball and paintball equipment, players have developed a large body of jargon to describe the special kinds of tactics, equipment, phenomena, and even people found in the game. While most of the terms are neologisms, many are also borrowed from gamer and military culture.
Some Terms are:

• Bunkering:To run past a player and shoot him out while running.
  
• Agg: originally an underground word used by individuals on the west coast, more specifically California. HK(hostile kids) are credited with the main streaming of this word. It is now currently used to describe how you look while you play. Certain items of clothing, when worn together are considered "Agg".
  
• Lane: To shoot a straight line down a certan part of the field to keep players from moving to and from bunkers
  
• Sweet Spot: To shoot a lane off the break in an attempt to eliminate players as they go towards their primary bunkers
  
• Snap Shoot: To quickly snap the marker in and out of a bunker while shooting
  
• Posting: aiming your marker at a bunker and waiting for the opposing player to pop out.
  

Public acceptance

While paintball has received recognition and acceptance as a safe sport and is played by over 10 million people in the United States each year, it has been attacked by some as glorifying, trivializing, or popularizing war and the use of firearms. Some paintball players in the military utilize paintball to supplement military training, and in many (but by no means all) cases, paintball games and players take on a military theme, especially regarding camouflage and terminology. Incidents of both accidental and intentional misuse of paintball markers resulting in vandalism, personal injury, harassment, assault, etc. draw controversy as well.

Paintball supporters have combated these negative perceptions in several ways. Some attempt to de-emphasize military themes, for example by using less violent terms such as "marker" instead of "gun", or by wearing colorful athletic uniforms instead of camouflage. Media coverage of tournaments, teams, and scenario events shows that mainstream paintball possesses the same general level of sportsmanship, professionalism, safety, camaraderie and constructive competition as many other sports and activities. It includes diverse members consisting of many races, nationalities, ages, creeds, ideologies, and genders. As an organized sport, it bears no pattern of drawing criminals or inciting civil disturbance. Since the sport's inception, its level of acceptance as a legitimate recreational activity among the general public has increased largely with greater exposure. It is believed by paintball's supporters that greater coverage and education of the sport will settle the controversy and lead to greater overall public acceptance.

Recent research has shown that paintball is one of the statistically safest sports to participate in, with a 0.2 chance of injury per 1000 players. Looking at sports eye injuries alone, which paintball has been vilified for, an international study has shown that modern sports to include paintball are responsible for only 8.3% of eye injuries. Furthermore, a one-year study undertaken by the Eye Emergency Department, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston has shown that most sports eye injuries are caused by basketball, baseball, hockey, and racquetball. Another analysis concluded that eye injuries incurred from paintball were usually in non-commercial settings where eye protective equipments such as masks were not required.

Some cities, such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, have banned the public possession of paintball markers along with other devices that look like real guns. The concern was prompted by gun look-alikes, such as markers, being used to threaten people and the difficulty of identifying whether a person walking with a paintball marker is actually carrying a gun.

Recently, professional players have started signing contracts and getting paid. Ex-Dynasty player, Oliver Lang, widely regarded as the best player in the world, signed a 3-year contract with the Los Angeles Ironmen for $100,000. Many players see this as the next step to the acceptance of paintball as a legitimate sport.

Paintball leagues

Main article: Paintball league

Professional, semi-professional, and divisional leagues regularly hold high-class, well-organized tournaments involving a large number of professional teams, crowds of spectators, and large cash prizes. Though most of the major leagues are based in the United States, many leagues in Europe have become powerhouses in their own right, drawing thousands of spectators at every event. Major national leagues include the National Professional Paintball League (United States), Paintball Sports Promotions (United States), NXL (United States), and the Millennium Series (Europe).

Alternatives similar to paintball

• Airsoft utilizes guns which are 1:1 replicas of real firearms, albeit firing plastic pellets, and is meant to simulate real combat, often complete with matching uniforms and gear. The cost for equipment is about the same as for paintball, but pellets and gas (if the gun is gas-powered, which not all guns are) are less expensive. 2000 high quality paintball rounds will cost from $80 to $50 while 4000 high quality Airsoft pellets cost from $20 to $10, depending on the weight (in grams.)
• Slingshot paintball is a growing alternative among many recreational paintball players because of the low cost of play and the variation involved in the game. Players attempt to shoot opponents with paintballs that are fired from slingshots rather than standard paintball markers. The rate of fire of a slingshot is far lower than a typical marker's, necessitating an adjustment in tactics. On the other hand, slingshots are nearly silent in operation, enhancing stealth. Though, slingshots can exceed 300 fps, which may cause injury. Because of this, most paintball fields ban slingshot use. If slingshots are allowed, then varieties such as "Cowboys vs. Indians" match a team using standard markers against a team equipped with slingshots are played.
• Laser Tag utilizes gun-like devices emitting invisible infra-red light and in some cases visible laser beams. Players wear sensors to detect when they have been "tagged" by other players. The many variations of this game include: arena style, which is played indoors usually in a maze-like structure and utilizing fog machines and music to establish the mood; outdoor commercial, a.k.a. This is not considered paintball but a similar variant. Laser tag is generally less popular than paintball, with fewer (and harder-to-find) arenas.
• Laser Skirmish, which is normally played with highly realistic looking guns rented at the field; and homestyle lasertag which is played in public areas using equipment purchased at retail -- normally toylike in appearance to prevent undue alarm, but in some cases modified for high realism. This is also a variant of paintball.
• Nerf Games are games that use small foam darts fired from guns which are "pumped up" by the user (as opposed to using compressed air or gas cylinders as in paintball). The name comes from the line of Nerf branded toys by Parker Brothers. Many of the same methods and strategies from paintball are employed in these recreational games.

External links

• http://www.ody.ca/~cwells/history.htm Paintball History - The Ongoing History of Paintball
• http://www.vintagerex.com - Online Paintball Museum
• http://www.canadianscenariopaintball.com Canadian Scenario Paintball Operations (Woodsball/Bushball/Scenarioball)