Paintball

This article is about the sport. For the balls filled with paint, see Paintball equipment § Paintballs.

Paintball
A person playing paintball
Paintball player in action
First playedJune 27, 1981 Henniker, New Hampshire, United States[1]
ClubsTeams range from Pro Divisions to local and low division teams
Characteristics
ContactNo
Team membersVaries depending on format. 5 per team in Xball.
Mixed-sexYes
TypeExtreme, team sport, indoor, outdoor
EquipmentPaintball mask, Paintball marker, Compressed air or CO2 canister, paintballs, hopper
VenueVaries between outdoor (fields or woods) and indoor
A player in the middle of a popular style of paintball known as "woodsball"

Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy air weapons called paintball markers that are powered by compressed air or carbon dioxide and were originally designed for remotely marking trees and cattle.[2]

The game was invented in June 1981 in New Hampshire by Hayes Noel, a Wall Street stock trader, and Charles Gaines, an outdoorsman and writer.[3] A debate arose between them about whether a city-dweller had the instinct to survive in the woods against a man who had spent his youth hunting, fishing, and building cabins. The two men chanced upon an advertisement for a paint gun in a farm catalogue and were inspired to use it to settle their argument with 10 other men all in individual competition, eventually creating the sport of paintball.[4]

The sport is played for recreation and is also played at a formal sporting level with organized competition that involves major tournaments, professional teams, and players.[5] Games can be played on indoor or outdoor fields of varying sizes. A playing field may have natural or artificial terrain which players use for tactical cover. Game types and goals vary, but include capture the flag, elimination, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from minutes to hours, or even days in "scenario play".

The legality of the sport and use of paintball markers varies among countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are required to wear protective masks, use barrel-blocking safety equipment, and strictly enforce safe game rules.

  1. ^ Adams R (March 11, 2016). "The complete history of paintball". Paintball Awards. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Paintballnest (March 6, 2024). "3 History of Paintball". Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  3. ^ "Paintball History > First Paintball Game". nicolpawn.ca. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  4. ^ Slater D (August 15, 2014). "Who Made That Paintball?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  5. ^ Brown D (September 9, 2009). "Push to legalise paintball". The Mercury. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2014.