A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Since its introduction in the year 1980s, paintball has become a worldwide
phenomenon. Enthusiasts have formed individual paintball teams, set up paintball
leagues and organized paintball game tournaments. Paintball is still a long way from
the popularity of older sports like basketball or football, but new paintball playing
fields and organizations are popping up all the time.

Paintball is essentially a sport in which participants uses a CO2 / Compressed air guns
called markers / emarkers to shoot paintballs (Marble-sized, .68 caliber, gelatin
capsules filled with colored polyethylene glycol "paint") at other players. It is in
essence a complex form of tag, as players struck with paintballs during the game are
eliminated.

Paintball games can be played either indoors or outdoors and take various forms.
Rules for playing paintball vary widely, with most designed to ensure that participants
enjoy the sport in a safe environment. The sport requires a significant amount of
equipment and has even developed its own slang.

DOES IT HURT?

Like all action sports (Football, Footsal, Basket-Ball, Hockey, Etc.) paintball is
potentially dangerous unless adequate protection is worn (Most importantly: eye
protection) and safety rules are understood and followed.

Most paintball guns shoot a .68 caliber paint pellet. The pellet is a thin plastic shell
filled with water soluble paint. Guns shoot the pellets at a speed of 200 to 300 Feet
Per Second (FPS). Since the paint pellets are fairly light (Only weighing a few grams
each), they have little momentum while in flight, and thus are not lethal like the heavy
lead projectiles fired from conventional firearms.

In addition to using a non-lethal projectile, paintball players *always* wear protective

full face mask goggles to protect their eyes and usually wear masks covering the rest
of their face as well.

Safety is highly stressed at all paintball fields. All paintball fields require full face
mask goggles to be worn at all times unless in designated paintball areas. Many
paintball fields also require that barrel plugs (Plastic inserts that prevent projectiles
from leaving your marker / emarker's barrel) be used while players are in certain
paintball areas. Ignoring safety is a good way to get you ejected from a paintball field.

WHAT SAFETY EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

The minimum safety equipment necessary is a full face mask goggles with ear and
throat protection.
HOW CAN I PLAY PAINTBALL SAFE?

1. Never remove your full face masks at all times when / while on the paintball field
2. Do not shoot directly any people, animals or any wildlife openly or closely
3. Do not fire your marker / emarker anywhere except on the paintball field during the
game or in the designated paintball chronograph area / shooting range
4. Inspect the lens of your full face mask goggles for cracks or signs of weakness
5. Make sure your full face mask goggles is well seated and will not come off during
the paintball game sessions
6. Make sure the velocity of your paint gun is below 300 Feet Per Second (FPS)
7. Always assume the marker / emarker is loaded; even if you know otherwise. make
sure that your fingers are always off the marker / emarker trigger
8. Lock the marker / emarker when not in use (Safety pin on)
9. Anytime you are carrying a marker / emarker in a 'safe zone' such as the parking lot
or staging area where people are not wearing full face mask goggles, you MUST have
a barrel plug in the barrel. If possible engage the safety or turn off the air supply, so
the marker / emarker will not fire accidentally
10. Know the rules of the game and abide by them
11. Do not play when very tired or hungry. Bring food or money to buy food from the
paintball operators. Most injuries occur at the end of the day when players are
exhausted
12. NEVER look down the barrel. Not even with protection. If barrel needs checking
remove from the marker /emarker and check. If the barrel cannot be removed,
disconnect all CO2 / Compress Air equipment, test fire the marker / emarker
downrange until no more air is left in the marker / emarker, clear the breech or ball
loading area, and then, carefully glance down the barrel
13. Notify the paintball field Marshall / Referee of any medical conditions or allergies

DO I NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT TO PLAY PAINTBALL?

Not really, but it will help. As with all strenuous exercise participants should stretch
and warm up before playing paintball. Since typical paintball games require quick
sprints followed by a rest having good aerobic fitness is beneficial. All players in poor
physical condition or with physically limiting conditions should consult a physician
before playing paintball for safety precautions.

Proper footwear is very important. Some players find that lightweight canvas topped
army boots or leather work boots protect feet and ankles in the woods. Other players
prefer the support that sneakers give, as paintball does involve running. Personal
preferences vary, but footwear should not be overlooked. Sports cleats are excellent
for playing in.

CAN I GET THE PAINT OUT OF MY CLOTHES?

Paint is water soluble and should wash out as normal

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

Participants must be over 18. Anyone under the influence of alcohol will not be
allowed entry to play paintball. You definitely don't need a shooters license.

WHAT TO BRING

1. Strongly recommend suitable footwear, for traction and ankle protection, runners
will do.
2. Fingerless gloves
3. A change of clothes and a towel are advisable

Professional field marshals / referees are on the fields at all times to ensure the rules
are followed, control the safety of players and to make sure everyone is having as
much fun as possible.

LIST OF COMMONLY USED TERMS IN PAINTBALL

1. APG - Action Pursuit Games Paintball Magazine

2. Barrel Socks - A bag that fits over the business end of the marker / emarker's
muzzle. It prevents projectiles from accidentally leaving the marker / emarker.
PROTECTION!
3. Bunker (noun) - An object or embankment on the paintball field that a player uses
for cover
4. Bunker (verb) - To charge a bunker and eliminate (Hopefully), at close range, any
players hiding behind it
5. Chronograph - A device used to measure the velocity (speed) of a paintball pellets
coming out of a marker / emarker barrel. The safe maximum speed of a paintball is
280 - 300 Feet Per Second (FPS)
6. CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) - Pressurized liquid propellant used to power paintball
marker / emarker
7. Hopper (Gravity / Electronic) - A larger hopper which holds paintball pellets -
feeding them into the marker / emarker through its bottom, typically holds around 150
rounds 250 rounds.
8. Hopper Agitator - An electronic device which is located at the base of the feeder.
The agitator helps insure that balls feed through the bottom of the feeder. Often used
on faster firing guns like the Intimidator, AutoMag, AutoCocker, Shocker, Angel, and
many other higher end paintball emarker
9. Safety Pin - Safety Pin enables the marker / emarker is always turn on or off of its
shooting features
10. FPS - Feet Per Second. The measurement of speed at which the paintball travels.
300FPS is the maximum velocity a paintball may travel safely Recreation play is
typically around 270FPS
11. Harness or Ammo Pack - Belt / harness system for carrying tubes of paintball
pellets (Usually at the back of the player) so a player may reload their hopper on the
field during play
12. HPA / Compress - Compressed Air High-pressure compressed air (3000PSI to
4500PSI) is usually used instead of CO2 in tournament paintball. The use of HPA
requires specialized high pressure tanks and regulators, which lower the output
pressure to what paintball guns need
13. PSI - stands for Pounds Per Square Inch and is a measurement of pressure in the
air tanks
14. Speedball - Speedball is a game played on small fields with little natural cover.
Bunkers usually consist of wooden pallets, tires or other man-made barricades.
Speedball fields are designed to allow spectators to see the action
15. Squeegee - A long device used to clean paint from the barrel of a paintball marker
/ emarker, either a pull-through or straight with many types of material used
16. Marker (Mechanical / Electronic) - A type of gun that uses in paintball.
Mechanical marker operates using mechanical mechanism and the electronic marker
also known as emarker uses 9v battery and operates faster than the mechanical
marker. An emarker can shoot up as fast as 25 - 30 paintball pellets per second
17. Full Face Mask / Goggle - A face mask specially made for paintball