Paintball is one of the world’s most exciting outdoor participation sports. It’s a game for men and women of all ages, careers, lifestyles and abilities that requires a keen sense of strategy, communication and determination to win. The sport’s rapid growth has been fueled by technological advancements that have improved the speed and accuracy of the paintball marker (the gun used to shoot the paintballs).
A player on a team is called a “marker” and must wear a mask to protect their face, ears and eyes from being hit by other players’ battery-powered markers as they advance through the game field. The game field is a natural or artificial playing area with varying terrain and obstacles that serve as tactical cover for the marksmen. Depending on the type of game being played, goals can range from elimination to territory control or capturing specific objects hidden within the play area.
During a game, each marker fires a brightly colored biodegradable dye filled gelatin capsule that breaks open upon impact with an opponent. A player is marked when a paintball enters their body and leaves a visible, albeit small, mark (often called a “splatter”). A player is out of the game when they are hit a specified number of times. The number of hits required to be eliminated varies among games and playing fields, but all games are played under the supervision of referees who enforce safety and game play rules.