Paintball Tournaments: Overview of General Rules
Paintball tournaments are held as among the fast-rising games synonymous to the most popular sports in the world, and watched by millions of spectators. The big difference is paintball has no specific number of players per game. Players in each game can number from only three, five, 20, to even 1,000 depending on the size of the playing field and the sponsoring entity.
Like any other sport, entities spearheading paintball tournaments implement their own specific rules according to the size of the field, the number of players, and the type of gears used. However, players must strictly enforce within themselves the rules being established while referees continuously keep an eye on possible violations. The referees act as paintball rules enforcers and decide on due penalties as may be necessary.
General Paintball tournaments rules
One particular rule in paintball tournaments, which the American Paintball League implements, is for players to carry only a single paint gun into the tournament. Prior to each game, players are being subjected to equipment inspections, such as meeting standard specifications for paint guns in order to be allowed to enter the competition.
Some paint gun specifications include no fully-automatic paint guns allowed, that is, these are the type of guns whose cycles do not break and continuously fire whenever the trigger is held back. Also, "auto-response" triggers are prohibited from the tournament. However, there are no limitations as to the type/s of power sources a player should carry (which must be CO2 or nitrogen/air based).
Penalties of paintball tournaments rules also depend on the gravity of offenses, which range from subtraction of points to player disqualification. For those thinking you can do anything on the field, you most certainly cannot. You need to abide by the tournament rules or sit at the sidelines.
Wearing the proper gears designed for paintball tournaments is another mandatory since no one can predict how intense each game will be. In particular, wearing gears including goggles, clothing, and accessories are every player's responsibility. Otherwise, they might not be allowed to play. Some other items deemed unnecessary in the game may not be allowed such as slingshots, blowguns, and other devices that can propel paintballs, two-way radios and communication equipment, and items that can possibly be mistaken as flags.
Some prestigious paintball tournaments require players to purchase some pieces of equipment like paintgun power sources and paintball at the tournament. Violation of such rule can result to team disqualification.
Paintball is not only a game of action, but discipline and fair-play are also required to be able to taste victory.