Paintball is a game in which opposing teams try to tag each other with paintballs expelled from a special airgun called a “paintgun.” Games are played on specially designed fields and generally run from 20 to 45 minutes, with players taking breaks between to check their equipment, get more paintballs or just share the thrills of victory (and the usually funny agonies of defeat).
Players wear protective gear, including goggles, masks, chest protectors, gloves and socks. They may also use a hat or bandana to protect their forehead from hits and to stop sweat running down into the face shield. Players are encouraged to communicate with their team members and have each other’s backs; the more coordinated a team is, the more likely they are to win.
Before a game begins marshals will give all participants a safety briefing and then lead them into their game zone. Players are advised to listen carefully so that they can follow the rules of their game zone and know what to expect from their opponents.
A player is hit if a paintball leaves a solid mark of a specified minimum size (often nickel or quarter-sized) on their equipment or person. Hits count on a person’s body, equipment or both, although some variations of the game do not count hits on the arm or legs or require multiple hits on the body to be considered valid.
The first commercial paintball field opened in 1982 and the sport quickly grew in popularity as people wanted to play at a safe, organized location. Players would organize into teams and play various scenarios such as “Capture the Flag”.