Paintball began in 1981 with 12 competitors playing capture the flag with air-powered pistols. Since then, the game has exploded into a multimillion-dollar sport with amateur and professional tournaments around the world offering cash purses and prizes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Tournaments are sponsored by companies such as Budweiser and Pepsi-Cola. Paintball surpassed snowboarding as the fastest growing sport in 2002 with 6.9 million participants.
Combine the game of capture the flag with chess, mix in hide 'n' seek, and add a large dose of adrenaline. Paintball is challenging and fast-paced. As few as two on up to hundreds can play. The basic game has two teams, each with its own flag station and matching arm bands. Each team starts at its own flag station. A starting signal is given and each team tries to reach the other team's station, grab the flag and race back to its own flag station. When a player gets tagged --hit by a paintball-- he/she is out of the game.
The paintballs break open upon impact, and generally cause very little pain. What pain is experienced is more of a stinging sensation, from the paintball's impact against the skin or through clothing, and usually lasts only a few seconds. The closer you are to the muzzle of the marker, the higher the velocity of the paintball when it hits you. So in summary, the closer you are to the player shooting you, the more pain you will experience. You should expect to walk off the field with a few welts and some of them may turn to bruises. There are three places that you should protect to minimize the pain felt - the fingers, neck, & groin.
Paintball is one of the safest sports around as long as you wear the required safety gear and ensure all markers are chronographed to 300 fps or less. The majority of injuries are self inflicted rather than by paintballs, i.e. sprained ankles, bumps, bruises, scratches, scrapes.
Prices vary by field. The average field in the United States will cost approximately $15 to $25+ for a 1 day rental, which includes a mask, marker, hopper, tank, and some paintballs. Extra paintballs are usually 10 cents or less each and are usually sold in quantities of 50 or 100. Better markers and masks are usually available for an additional cost.
A beginner should expect to use 100-200 paintballs for the first few days playing. If you decide to purchase your own equipment, here are some prices you can expect to pay. Entry-level semi-automatic marker - $50 to $150, Goggles - $20 to $100, CO2 tanks - $15 to $45, Hoppers - $5 to $120.
The answer is no. If you have access to the equipment, you can simply get together and shoot at each other. If you don't have access to the equipment, most all fields now have "open play". You can come out at a scheduled time, rent their equipment, and play against others who have showed up.
For the first few games you should play on a well organized field. Size is not the best way to judge the field. The things to watch for are the number of referees on the field for each game and the explanation of the rules. The rules of safety and specific rules for the field/game should be clearly stated by a referee before anyone steps foot on the field of play. There should be a sufficient number of referees for the number of players, one referee cannot handle a field with fifty players.
If these conditions are not met, you should seriously consider finding a better field suited more for beginners. Your first experience paintballing can be made or broken depending on the field you play at. Many a player has become frustrated because of the lack of explanation of the rules, lack of sufficient referees on the field, or unevenness of each teams experience level. A good field will make sure that none of these things happen.
Make sure that your first experience paintballing is not your last, by doing a little research first.
Not really, but it will help. As with all strenuous exercise, participants should stretch and warm up before playing. Players should gauge their play to their level of fitness. All players in poor physical condition or with physically limiting conditions should consult a physician before playing. Proper footwear is important. Some players find that lightweight canvas topped Army boots or leather work boots protect feet and ankles in the woods. While others prefer the support that sneakers give, as paintball does involve running. Personal preferences vary, but footwear should not be overlooked.
Food dyes (pigments), the same as those in candies, ice cream, bubblegum, etc. and polyethylene glycol (not to be confused with anti-freeze). The liquid fill in a paintball is non-toxic and non-caustic, water-soluble and made of biodegradable or naturally occurring ingredients. The liquid fill is encased in a thin gelatin shell.
Store paintballs between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in not more than 50 percent relative humidity. Humidity and moisture make paintballs "swell up". Both the gelatin shell and the paintball's fill are moisture-sensitive and will absorb moisture and begin to swell. Once they swell, they'll never be the same again. Since you cannot take the moisture back out, it is very important to keep paintballs in moisture-barrier bags or containers such as freezer bags or pods with tight fitting caps. DO NOT store paint in the refrigerator.
