Paintball is a sport that has been around for quite a while, since the 80s, but has just recently gained immense popularity.

Ultimately the goal is to take nice, round gelatin balls, like the ones pictured on the left, and make them look like the one pictured on the right - preferably on your opponent!

 

A lot is involved for the die-hard paintballer, so I leave that for another story, or you can research it yourself. There are, however, some things you must be aware of, should you choose to play. It is very important that you have the correct safety gear. The primary item, in this case, is a set of goggles. Don’t get something that just covers your eyes. Doing so leaves your face - ears, nose and mouth exposed. If you really want to eat paintballs, do it off of the field, please! For the guys of the sport (yes, ladies do play and enjoy paintball, too!), you might consider a little added protection.

A barrel bag, or condom, is also needed, and should be over the end of the barrel at all times when your are not on the field. The standard barrel plug that comes with many paintball guns should be replaced with bags, due to the fact that a misfire of the marker can eject the plug, effectively making it, and the paintballs behind it, a deadly projectile. Paintball guns can and do misfire from things as simple as a little moisture in the electronic grip, if it’s electronic. Play it safe. Many fields don’t allow anything else, anyway.

Now that you have most of the basic safety requirements out of the way (the rest will be drilled into your head on the field - trust me), you need a gun, or marker, and the propellant - typically CO2 or high pressure air (HPA). Propane is also used on a few markers, so watch out smokers! Get these items and it’s time to hone your aiming skills or get painted! Take some time to learn about the dangers of both markers and propellants. Yes, that means read the safety guides. Keeping things safe keeps them fun. CO2 bottles, for example, have been known to unscrew from the valve. Under that kind of pressure it can and will cause injury or death. Ever see Mythbusters?

Er… okay, wrong episode, but you did see that the reaction of a rapidly released gas was somewhat violent, didn’t you?

Does It Hurt?
Well, only if you get hit! But you find that many wear the welts like a badge of honor. Not all hits will hurt, either. But this is why safety gear is mandatory. Paintballs travel at a velocity of about 280-300 feet per second (fps). Yeah, it’s fast and will sting.

How Should I Get Started?
If you’ve never played before it is recommended that you go to a field and rent the equipment to find out if you like the sport, and what works for you. It’s not for everyone! Different locations have fields with different reputations. Ask around. Some places have liberal rules (good or bad), safety-oriented refs (good), paint that glazes a field (bad). Some fields are wooded or speedball, or both, and others may be indoors while others are outside. The majority are outside fields. Or play at (not in) a friends house with borrowed equipment to try it out.

Now that you have your gear and can mind some common safety rules - and pay attention to others, and you know what your shooting and what to make your opponent look like, you now know the basics of Paintball. We’ll call this Piantball 101… Class dismissed! (updates later)