Playing It Safe with Paintball Rules
The concept of a paintball, a thin-skinned, round capsule filled with colored liquid, was first developed in the United States to mark trees designated for logging. Paintball guns expelled the paintballs at high speeds, causing the capsules to break on impact. Naturally, it did not take long for paintball guns, or paintball markers, to be used for something else. Paintball as a sport started in the 1980s as a survival game, pitting players against nature and each other with nothing more than a compass, a map and a paintball gun. Modern paintball rules are more or less a combination of Tag, Hide and Seek, and Capture the Flag, childhood games twisted with paramilitary elements. In both competitive tournaments and friendly outings, paintball rules are very specific, and ultimately strive to create the safest environment possible.
Rules of Battle
Paintball rules enforce the use of a referee in every match. This referee enforces all other paintball rules on the field, and alone has the power to decide who is or is not hit. A player is considered out of the game if he or she is hit by a paintball and it breaks; if it does not break, the player is not out. The player should immediately leave the game if he or she is hit, but the referee has the ultimate authority to call for a paint check if it appears players are being less than honest. However, if a player is struck by a paintball but it does not break, that player is not out, unless he or she leaves voluntarily. If two or more players are hit simultaneous, the referee will check for paint and eliminate all necessary parties.
Paintball rules state that any game will last for a predetermined length of time, usually between 30 and 60 minutes. Each team will have a designated captain, who is responsible for relaying any rules and instructions to the rest of his or her teammates. The captains of both teams will accompany the referee during the final tally of points. According to paintball rules, a game will not start until both captains have notified the referee, who will blow a whistle to commence play. Each game will have a set of boundaries, and every player and referee must be aware of these boundaries before the game begins. Players caught outside of the boundaries are ejected, and non-players who wander onto the playing field are removed from the premises.
Aside from general play paintball rules, there are numerous safety rules and precautions that are often more important than competitive guidelines. Most venues will insist players wear long sleeves and long pants for protection, along with goggles and standard headgear. Players are not allowed to physically touch each other, and there are strict regulations on how close players can be to one another when shooting. If players signal for an emergency or surrender, they are not to be shot, nor is the referee to be shot, and eliminated players can never shoot while leaving the game. These particular paintball rules hope to ensure that players and referees are always protected, and are never unfairly caught off-guard.
