Paintball is an extreme sport that involves teams or individuals competing to eliminate opponents by hitting them with paint-filled pellets fired from a compressed gas powered gun called a marker. Players wear protective clothing that includes a jersey and pants designed to protect them from both incidental contact with rocks and hard ground, and the impact of close-range hits. Tournament paintball players often use equipment such as barrel covers, hoppers, and hard-shelled armor that allows them free range of movement while reducing the incidence of “hits.”
A player gets a hit when a paintball leaves a solid mark of at least a specified minimum size (often nickel or quarter-sized) on their body or their equipment. Some variants of the game only count a hit if the paintball marks a distinct portion of a player’s body, while others require that a player receives significant splatter or hits from multiple locations on their body.
Before any games begin participants will receive a safety briefing. This is important as marshals will be there to ensure all rules are followed and players understand their responsibilities and what is expected of them when entering the game zone.
During the game players must remember to listen for their enemies, use their senses and play smart, you never know what your opposition will do so keeping an eye and an ear open is essential. Effective communication is also vital as this will enable teammates to inform each other of their location without giving away their own. Other strategies include flanking, runner tactics, and leap-frogging.