Paintball is a recreational sport that requires teamwork and communication. The game is played by tagging opponents with “capsules” that contain non-toxic water-soluble dye and feature a gelatin outer shell that breaks upon impact to mark players. Players use a marker/gun (which also acts as a loader) to fire these capsules at other players or target objects to eliminate them. The game is typically played on outdoor playing fields and indoor arenas. It is often compared to the childhood game of capture the flag and it is popular for birthday parties, team building events and stag dos.
Players wear protective gear including masks, gloves and goggles. The markers/guns are usually made from metal with a resevoir to hold extra paintballs and some type of pressurized gas to propel them. A player is considered hit if a paintball breaks on them and leaves a solid mark of a specified minimum size (usually nickel or quarter-sized) anywhere on their body or equipment. Some variations of the game do not count hits to a gun or pod pack, require multiple hits on arms or legs or do not allow the use of a marker for purposes other than shooting an opponent.
Direct paintball impacts can leave welts, bruises and, in extreme cases, break the skin and cause bleeding. To decrease these risks, some commercial venues enforce a minimum distance (typically around 4.5 metres or 15 ft) within which players cannot shoot an opponent.