Paintball is a team-based sport in which players use tactical thinking and communication to mark each other with colored dye (called “paint”) and score points by recapturing a flag or eliminating all members of the opposing team. It is a popular activity for people of all ages and lifestyles, from homemakers and high-school students to professionals and retirees. Played in over 40 countries worldwide, paintball ranges from casual weekend warriors to highly competitive leagues and professional teams.
Before stepping onto the live-fire field, each player will wear a set of protective overalls, possibly body armour and a face mask. They will also be issued a paintball gun and a hopper (the container that holds the paintballs).
During a game of paintball, a player will use their senses to look for their opponents and to listen for them sneaking around the battlefield. They will be encouraged to communicate with teammates and to use cover to their advantage, as well as to be smart about how they spend their paintballs. Conserving your paintballs is important, as it’s easy to run out and this will make the game less fun for everyone. It’s also a good idea to practice with your gun before playing, this will help you to familiarize yourself with how it fires and how quickly it reloads.
One of the most common questions asked about paintball is whether it hurts. Generally speaking it does hurt to be shot, but the extent of this depends on where you get hit and how hard you get hit. Most of the time it is only a slight sting, like an elastic band snapping on to your head.