Paintball is a team shooting game where players are armed with gun that fire spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs. The game is played on a field or other outdoor location with boundaries marked by boundary tape. Game objectives vary and can include capture the flag, elimination, ammunition limits, or defending or attacking a specific point or area. The game can last from a few minutes to hours or even days for special scenario events.
The game is regulated by various laws and safety rules in most places where it is played. Most fields require players to wear protective masks and barrel-blocking safety equipment. Some regions limit the minimum age for participation to 12 years old. Younger players are typically matched with other children and play with less-powerful rifles.
Depending on the rules of a particular paintball site, a player is considered hit if a paintball leaves a solid mark of a certain minimum size (often quarter-sized or more) on their equipment or person. Some sites and tournaments only count hits to the gun or pod pack, while others use a more liberal hitting standard that includes any solid mark on the body or gear.
Paintball is a very fast-paced sport and requires quick thinking and coordination. It is also a very physical game that can be very painful for some players. While everyone has a different pain threshold, the impact of being hit by a paintball travelling at up to 200 mph can cause bruises, scrapes and welts. To minimize this risk, players are recommended to wear long sleeved tops and tracksuit bottoms for padding.