Paintball player

Paintball team

Two paintball players

Paintball is a game in which participants use compressed-gas (either CO₂ or air) powered guns to launch paintballs—marble-sized gelatin capsules containing a washable dye—at other participants. Among the most common of the many variations of the game is a version of capture the flag, in which two teams of players attempt to seize each others' banner without being struck by a paintball. Another common game is total elimination, in which one team wins when all members of the opposing team are eliminated by being struck by a paintball.

The first paintball game was played in New Hampshire in 1981 by Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, and Charles Gaines, who used guns (also called "markers") built to tag cattle or trees. The first tournament with a cash prize was held in 1983.

The terms paintball marker and paintball gun are interchangable. However, the term marker is generally preferred due to negative connotations attached to the word 'gun'.

Paintball games

Location/Fields

Speedball

Speedball is much faster and competetive than its brother woodsball. It is usually played on a much smaller field roughly the size of two tennis courts. Many speedball fields use inflatable bunkers and are generally sized for teams of three to ten. Since the opposing teams are much closer together, there is a lot of movement and a lot of "bunkering", or running up to an opposing player's bunker and eliminating them from a close distance. Speedball is usually considered to be more teamwork oriented than woodsball due to the structure of the game. Also the markers are generally much faster, smaller, lighter and more expensive than woodsball markers.

Due to the highly competitive team based rule enforced action, speedball is the perfect basis for tournaments, and many leagues exist, including the NPPL, PSP, XBall, PLP and more.

Woodsball

Woodsball is the oldest and most common style of paintball played. Most woodsball fields are large enough to hold dozens of players on each team and sometimes have some pre-made bunkers along with the natural cover. Woodsball games are generally longer in duration than other formats, and rely on entirely different tactics. Whereas speed and rate of fire are key elements in a speedball game, woodsball relies much more on concealment, large-scale maneuvers, and patience.

Scenario

Scenario paintball games are often larger-scale re-enactments of historical battles involving hundreds of people, such as the Battle of Normandy, or modern day scenarios such as storming a building and rescuing hostages. Scenario games can last hours or sometimes days, and bigger games often have player re-insertions at set intervals. The most common field for scenario games is Skirmish Paintball in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania which holds several scenario games every year, including The Battle of Stalingrad and the aforementioned Battle of Normandy (also called D-Day) which increases in size every year and continues to be the largest scenario game in the world.

Gauntlet

Gauntlet, like Duel, is one-on-one; however, it does not have the same restrictions on ammunition, and players generally start on opposing ends of the designated play area (similar to most team games). Gauntlet games have become more popular as a quick filler in larger play scenarios, for instance, between players awaiting re-insertion into a scenario game.

Tournament

History

Tournament Paintball has been a part of paintball from nearly the beginning; however, the modern tournament has developed in earnest within the past 15 years. Tournaments, while once held in the traditional woodsball fields, have quickly made the transition to speedball fields, generally utilizing inflatable bunkers. The most widely-used bunkers are made by Sup'Air. These bunkers are easy to inflate, deflate, and move about the field in order to change field configurations between matches or tournament stages.

Format

The most common tournament formats are with teams of either three, five, seven, or ten players per team, with two teams per field per game. The object of the game is to pull and hang the flag (usually placed in the center of the field) on your opponent's starting bunker or base. Points are given per game: Eliminations are worth a certain amount, as is pulling the flag, and finally, hanging the flag. Depending on the format, a perfect score includes eliminating all opponents, pulling the flag from its original position and hanging the flag.

Organizations

Current professional and semi-professional leagues, such as the NXL (National X-Ball League), NPPL (National Professional Paintball League), PSP (Paintball Sports Promotions], NCPA (National Collegiate Paintball Association), CFOA (Carolina Field Owners Association) and the NEPL (New England Paintball League], regularly hold high-class, well-organized events. These aren't the only leagues, however, as most regions in both the USA and the globe have leagues. The Millennium Series, the former European X-Ball League, the Centurio Circuit, the XSPL, and many more leagues exist and draw large amounts of teams and fans. Tournament is played by the same rules as normal paintball, but in a competitive environment. There is a set number of people on each team (commonly three, five or seven), and modern tournament play is primarily speedball. Due to the competitive nature, most tournament players use high-end markers capable of higher rates of fire. The major leagues are National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), Paintball Sports Promotions™ (PSP), X-Ball and Millennium. The leagues consist of a whole circuit of paintball tournaments; however, smaller regional and locally-sponsored tournaments are very common.

X-Ball

X-Ball is a faster, more aggressive tournament format designed to give paintball an extreme turn. It was created by Richmond Italia and has its own sports league, the National X-Ball League (NXL). Teams of up to eighteen players field up to five players at a time, scoring a point each time they take the center flag to the opposing side of the field. The team with more points at the end of the match wins, with final scores like, 10-5, 20-18 or 15-2. Recently, the NXL world championships were broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Games

Capture the Flag

The classic schoolyard game, with a paintball twist. Teams start on opposing sides and attempt to acquire the opponents' flag while protecting their own. Victory is achieved by being the first team to hang the opponents' flag on the designated location at or near their own starting location.

In tournament play, a team successfully eliminating all opposing players, losing none of their own players and successfully hanging the opponents flag within the alotted game time is said to have "maxed" the other team (that is, they have achieved the maximum points possible in the game).

Center Flag

Similar to the above, except there is only one flag hung at the center of the field - both teams are trying to acquire the flag and hang it on the designated location at the opposing team's base.

Elimination

Teams play until one team is entirely eliminated.

Paintball Equipment

Markers

for the full article please see Paintball marker
A Paintball marker is the primary device used in the game of paintball to mark an opposing player. An expanding gas (usually CO₂, N₂ or Air) forces a paintball through a barrel at a muzzle velocity of approximately 300ft/s (100m/s). This velocity is sufficient for most paintballs to break upon impact, but not fast enough to cause tissue damage beyond mild bruising. Nearly every commercial field has, and strictly enforces, a rule limiting the muzzle velocity of a paintball at or below 300ft/s. Always wear proper eye and face protection when around a paintball marker! Being hit in an eye by a paintball can result in permanent blindness or vision impairment! Again, nearly every commercial field has, and strictly enforces, a rule requiring certified eye and face protection while on the field.

A marker consists of four main components. These are:

• Body
• Hopper
• Tank
• Barrel

The vast majority of modern paintball markers have the previous components. There is, however, a strong following of Stock paintball players who use markers with a purposefully low rate of fire and ammo capacity.

Propellants

Carbon dioxide

Because CO₂ becomes a liquid when compressed, it must expand to a gas in order to be used by the paintball gun. This expansion is not adiabatic and requires energy, causing the tank to cool as heat is used to expand the liquid CO₂ into gas. Eventually, under sustained fire, and especially in cold weather, the tank can become so cold that ice crystals form on it. If the CO₂ bottle does not have an anti-siphon tube fitted, or is shaken while firing, the liquid CO₂ may enter the gun. The liquid CO₂ then passes through the gun instead of the tank, evaporating and causing the gun to freeze. This results in large clouds of CO₂ vapour ejected from the gun upon firing, caused by the liquid CO₂ evaporating in/around the barrel. This is known as “drawing liquid”. This can and will cause damage to internal seals and O-Rings, which will put the gun out of commission for some time while it warms back up. *Warning* Never leave a CO₂ container in sunlight. The heat will cause the gas to expand to a dangerous level and can easily blow out the valve holding the gas in the tank.

High Pressure Air or N₂

When HPA is compressed, it remains a gas. When it expands, it also cools the tank, but at a far lower rate than liquid CO₂ because it does not have to transition from liquid to gas. Therefore it is viewed as a superior source of propulsion. However, because these propellants are stored at up to 4500 lb/in² (thirty-one MPa) while liquid CO₂ is stored at 1200 lb/in² (eight MPa), tanks for nitrogen and HPA are more expensive, and are usually wrapped in carbon fiber to withstand the greater pressure. The tanks for themselves can either be filled with pure N₂ or compressed air, which is 79% N₂. These air sources have traditionally been used primarily by people who play often and have tournament-grade markers; however, they are becoming more popular among casual players.

Comparison

Nitrogen is generally prefered over carbon dioxide for a few reasons. Nitrogen will not liquify and leak into the gun, while if the CO₂ tank doesn't have an anti-siphon installed, liquid CO₂ will leak into the gun, causing damage to O-rings. The solenoids on electronic markers are particularly sensistive to this, and thus many manufacturers will specify to use only nitrogen or HPA with their electronic markers. Nitrogen generally has a more consistent shot than CO₂. This is because when the playing area is warm, the CO₂ will expand more rapidly from the liquid form, causing the gun to fire at a higher velocity. But when the temperature is lower, the expansion occurs more slowly, causing a decrease in the velocity of the shot. The effect of temperature on HPA or nitrogen, on the other hand, is negligible. However, CO₂ tanks are significantly cheaper than nitrogen tanks. The CO₂ tanks traditionally cost slightly less to be filled, than the nitrogen tanks at approximately three to four US dollars.

Masks

A safety device coving the eyes and face of a player. Players are required to wear masks while playing paintball. These completely cover not only the eyes, but also the mouth, ears and nostrils of a person. Some masks even feature throat guards. The lenses are made of a strong plastic designed to stop paintballs travelling around or under 300ft/s (~100m/s). It should be noted, however, that the lenses are not designed to withstand impacts of paintballs travelling at vastly greater speeds.

Double-layered 'thermal' lenses are also available. These lenses are much less prone to fogging.

Paintballs

Paintballs, also called simply Paint, are spherical gelatin capsules containing primarily polyethylene glycol and dye. Early paintballs were filled with indelible oil-based paint, but modern paintballs should easily wash out of most clothing.

While paintballs and paintball markers are described as .68 calibur, in reality paint varies in size. The vast majority of paintballs are larger than .68 calibur and may, in fact meet or exceed .69 caliber. In addition, paintballs are very sensitive to heat and moisture. A hot or humid day may result in paint swelling or becoming misshapen. Care should be taken to keep paintballs out of the sun and away from moisture. An insulated cooler works well for this on the field.

Common accessories

Drop forward

Attached to the bottom of the gun, drop forwards essentially help mount the air tank into a more conveniant and more comfortable position, allowing the tank itself to be used as a stock. They may also offer an on/off switch mechanism which is an added safety feature. These have becoming increasingly popular and are practically standard on many modern guns.

Remote line

A remote line is a cable or tube hooked up from the gun to the tank, which allows the user more freedom of movement while handling the gun. They may get caught in trees and shrub, and if hit, is considered an out. A technique to avoid such issues with remotes is to thread the line into your sleeve and down your shirt to the tank. Remote lines are not frequently used by tournament players.

Pod

Pods are simply rigid tubular plastic containers which hold paintballs. A normal pod holds about 140 paintballs; however, smaller sizes are available. Standard pods use a plastic top and a spring to open them quickly and with less effort. There are variations - for example, Dye Lock Lid pods which use a simple locking mechanism to ensure they won't open accidentally, and are covered in small plastic bumps to ensure better grip. Some pods are made of or lined with a refrigerating material in order to protect paintballs from the heat, which often melts the paintballs to the point where they are unusable.

Harness

Harnesses hold pods full of paintballs. Most hoppers hold around 140 paintballs. Many markers are capable of emptying a 140 round hopper in less than 10 seconds of sustained fire. In woodsball, and especialy in scenario paintball, a player may be away from their reloading supplies for an extended period of time. A harness with pods allows a player to have a portable supply of paint, without weighing down their gun with an enormous hopper. Many harnesses also have a pouch to hold the tank when using a remote setup. These harnesses are usually labled with a +1 (e.g. A harness capable of carrying four pods and a tank would be labelled 4+1).

Harnesses for Speedball or Tourney ball tend to consist of a bellyband with hoops in the back for the pods. Harnesses for Woodsball may follow a more military look with pockets for maps, radios, and hydration pouches. The players in the above pictures are using the Speedball type harness.

Squeegee

Squeegees are used to clean out debris from the barrel and breach, often a broken paintball. Most squeegees are a hinge-mounted rubber disc on the end of a plastic rod of sufficient length to reach the full length of the barrel. The rubber washer end is inserted sideways into the barrel, pushed to the bottom and subsequently withdrawn with the rubber disc rotated ninety degrees (so that the disc now touches the inner circumference of the barrel).

For paintball markers with an open breech or removable bolt, a "cable squeegee" may be used - a cable squeegee is a rubber disc is mounted perpendicularly on the end of the cable. The non-rubber-disc end (the "pull end") is inserted through the breech (or through the back once the bolt is removed, whichever is appropriate) and pushed fully in such that the pull end extends out the front of the barrel. The squeegee is then drawn through the gun by pulling on the pull end.

A " Battle Swab " is used commonly in speedball for extremely quick cleaning; a double ended stick with soft absorbent fur is shoved down the length of the barrel to remove any performance hindering paint or shell. The swab often has a bendable rubber section in the middle so that it can be folded over and stored in a pocket.

Regardless of the design, as the squeegee is withdrawn, the barrel is perfunctorily cleaned to allow continued use of the marker. A more thorough cleaning is recommended when time allows.

Barrel covers/condoms/socks

A safety device comprised of a cloth or neoprene pouch placed over the opening of the barrel and attached to the marker via a cord. These are to be used whenever you are not on a field. They prevent an accidentially discharged paintball from leaving the barrel and causing injury. Forgetting to replace it after leaving a game and entering a safe zone will usually get you a warning. Repeated infractions will usually result in being ejected from the field.

Barrel socks (formerly condoms, but the name has changed for the sake of younger players) are usually preferred over barrel plugs because of the reduced possibility of discharging the safety equipment from the marker. When using a barrel plug, only one shot is necessary to displace the plug allowing following shots to escape.

Equipment Maintenance

Paint to barrel matching

Paintballs generally change shape or size during different temperatures and humidities. If a paintball is larger than the barrel, it will break inside and cause horrible accuracy until it is cleaned. Because of these reasons, most professional paintball players (such as Dynasty, Naughty Dogs, Infamous, etc.) use a very large bore barrel (.693-.696) regardless of the size of the paintball. Many people claim that accuracy increases if the paintball is the same size as the barrel, but there is no hard evidence to back up this claim. Paintballs are generally made out of gelatin and filled with water soluble dye. They also have seams where the gelatin is melted together. Note: Don't pick up paint off the ground and put it in a gun; these loads are generally swollen or dirty and will break in the gun, then you're out of action until you clean it. Also, never leave your paint in a car, not even the trunk. This causes expansion due to the heat. A good trick to maintain paint quality is to leave it in the airtight bag in which it is sold; this keeps out moisture. Then place it inside a cooler. This keeps it at a good temperature. And as a final note, some people believe that frozen paintballs shoot better, but this is unproven and dangerous.

Marker maintenance

A well-maintained paintball marker will last longer and be more reliable. A paintball marker should be disassembled and checked for problems routinely. For example, it is not uncommon for the O-Ring to break, or for paintballs to break inside the barrel. The latter problem can be solved temporarily when the player is "in the field" by using a pipe-cleaner-like tool referred to as a squeegee. However, it is important to disassemble the marker after the game and properly clean out any affected parts with water. After cleaning the marker, it should be lubricated with commercially available paintball lubricant. Do not use firearm oils or lubes; these are petroleum-based and will dissolve the internal O-rings and fittings. The player should then ensure that the marker is unloaded before firing several shots to blow out any remaining paint and dry out the interior. Occasionally, more serious problems such as broken parts will occur. In this case, the player should not attempt to provide his/her own replacement part, but should contact the manufacturer of the marker for an official new part.

Mask maintenance

An inevitable part of playing paintball frequently is a shot to the mask. If the lens becomes covered in paint, it is important that the player not simply wipe the paint off, because doing so will cause debris to scratch the lens. The player should leave the field and when s/he gets a chance, clean off the lens using water and a towel or a piece of cloth. It is very important that the player does not use products such as Windex or other glass cleaners, including spectacle cleaners. Doing so could potential damage the anti-fog treatments, or more importantly, the intergrity of the lens, thereby putting the user at risk. A neat trick is to buy a cheap small spray bottle and spray water onto the lens rather than pouring it on. Use only a clean cloth on the mask; paper towels will scratch the lenses. Anti-fog spray is also available, which coats the lens in a temporary fog-resistant film. It is suggested that lenses be replaced every season.

Types of players

Players usually fall into two categories: recreational and tournament players. Tournament may invest in excess of two thousand U.S. dollars in paintball gear. They also attend tournaments in teams consisting of three to ten people. The most common tournament team game is "Speedball", where players play on an enclosed field with one or more flags and take cover inflated obstacles known as bunkers. A top of the line paintball marker can cost anywhere from $700 to $1,500 or more (USD) brand-new. In comparison an entry-level recreational marker can be purchased for US$80 to US$300.

There are many types of recreational players, ("rec ballers"). Many, if not most, play games in commercially licensed and insured paintball fields. These playing fields are typically the most regulated, with specific rules and referees.

Still other paintballers use private property to play. Usually permission is given by the property owner. Games on private property generally offer more freedom for players to develop their own rules and style of play. Playing on private property is arguably less safe than playing on regulated fields. Liability can become a serious problem if proper safety precautions are not taken on private property.

Common rules of play

When playing at a field for the first time, be sure to check up on the field rules. Variations of the following rules are in effect at most fields.

Picking targets

Do not shoot at people who have already been tagged, referees, or anyone who is not wearing a paintball mask. Avoid friendly fire in team games by knowing who is on your team, usually distinguished by a colored armband in less-organized games.

How to know if you are marked/hit/tagged

Generally if you are marked (hit) anywhere on your body or on anything you are carrying (marker, hopper, pods) and the paintball broke upon impact, you have been marked. If you believe the paintball broke before impact, or if you cannot see the area to confirm a hit, then you should call for a paint check (by yelling "paint check"). A referee will come over and make a judgment call. You can still be a target while you are calling for a paint check, so stay alert.

Announcing that you have been hit

If you have been legally hit, you announce it (by yelling "Hit", "Dead", or "Out" - confirm which is appropriate at the venue at which you are playing) and raise your hand and/or marker above your head. You then proceed to a specified location (known as the "dead box") for the marked (hit) players, with your marker still above your head. If you bring your marker down or take too long getting off the field, players may think you are still in the game and may fire at you. Note: Once you declare yourself hit, you are out, even if you discover afterward that you were not hit (ex. the paintball didn't break).

The X foot/meter surrender rule

Some fields require that if you are within X feet (or meters) of an unaware opponent, you must demand their surrender (by yelling "Surrender!") before you may open fire. If your opponent complies (verbally, see above or by raising their hand or marker), they are considered marked and are out of the match. However, if they attempt any hostile action (such as turning to fire at you) then you may fire at will.

In almost all tournament play, there is no surrender rule. If you catch an opponent off guard, you are free to fire at him. Moves such as a 'run through', where a player sprints down the field shooting as many of the opposing team as he can, have developed over time and are now very important plays.

Dead Man Walking

While this is a legal move on most fields, it is a move that can gain many enemies for the day. The act of "dead man walking" means that a person that has not been shot stands up from his/her bunker and begins to walk down the field in a manner as if he/she was out. The catch is that the player has never called him/herself out or plugged the gun. The player will then "backdoor" the opposing team. While legal, it's offensive to many players.

Other fields regard a "dead man walking" as calling oneself out. The player is out for the game, exactly the same as having been shot.

Safety

Safety while playing paintball is strictly enforced. This means players must wear only paintball-specific goggles and facemasks at all times while playing, even if they are out. Under no circumstances should you remove your mask while on a live field!

If you find your mask is covered with paint, sweat, or dirt, and you cannot see well enough to safely get off the field, stand with both hands in the air and yell for assistance. A ref or another player will lead you to a safe area.

If your mask falls off during a game, drop to your knees and cover your eyes with your arm or hands while yelling "Blind man" over and over again. This is the universal term for an on-field emergency. Players will come running to help. Do not be surprised if you are pushed down or otherwise covered by players and/or refs. If you hear "Blind man" called during a game, repeat the call to get the word out while putting your marker in a safe state (on the ground, put a barrel plug in...), and look for the emergency. Obviously assist if you can.

General strategies and advice

These general strategies are designed to be used in friendly play where the players are not professional paintballers. Keep in mind that these strategies work best when the other player is not an expert paintballer.

Basic shooting

A paintball marker essentially fires a projectile around roughly 100 m/s (300 ft/s). Because the barrel is usually smooth-bore and the paint is not a solid gel slug, getting any amount of consistent accuracy from a gun is fairly difficult and takes not only tuned equipment, but honed skill. As such, a common technique is to use a marker to 'pin' your enemy, an act which entails shooting quickly and steadily at his/her position. This encourages him/her to hide behind their cover completely, giving you the opportunity to advance without fear of being shot. Ultimately, this brings you close enough to get an accurate shot and eliminate your opponent. To fire for best effect fire 2-4 rounds 'aiming' (really just pointing, as with a shotgun) at the desired target. If you don't hit them, you should be able to establish the direction your shots are drifting (the rounds should be relatively consistent in their inaccuracy). You can then simply compensate for the natural inaccuracy and "walk" your fire toward your opponent. If your opponent is hiding behind a large, hard object (tree, rock, etc), it is sensible to err on the side of shooting wide of the object (and the opponent), and walk the fire *toward* the opponent, as opposed to splattering the cover object with paint, alerting the opponent to your attempts at shooting them (use the silence of the missing rounds passing wide to your advantage).

Cover

Utilizing cover is one of the most important aspects of paintballing. "Cover" can be anything from a tree, to a bunker, to a steep embankment. Different fields have different kinds of uses for cover. Every form of cover provides basic protection, but in woodsball, cover is often used for concealment and camoflauge. Such stealth is a far rarer luxury in speedball fields where objects can only be used for very short amounts of time and only for basic protection.

"Cover" can also mean laying down suppressive fire in order to aid teammates. Both speedball and woodsball require the use of covering tactics in order to achieve victory. In order to advance and attack a position, players need to have as few enemies shooting at them as possible. To make this happen, other team members can fire at the enemy while the attackers make their move. If the covering fire was successful, the enemy will have been supressed, making the attack easier.

Flanking

Flanking is a very important tactical maneuver in paintballing, as it negates the effects of cover. Essentially, it entails one 'flank', or side of the field, being overrun by another team. This allows them to attack their opponents from the side, preventing them from taking effective cover and most likely eliminating the team. It is usually difficult to repel a dedicated flank charge, provided it is done quickly and skillfully. It is best to alert your team to a flanking maneuver while withholding the information from the opposing team. This can be done by telling your teammates of the intention to flank before the game begins. Be alert. This tactic can easily result in failure as well. Cooperation by teammates in essential. They can assist by providing heavy covering fire or providing a distraction that forces the opposing team to turn their attention away from the flanker.

Snapshooting

One trick all professionals and some amateurs try to learn is called 'Snap Shooting'. This is basic in theory, complex in practice; the idea is to be able to step out of a bunker, shoot paint at someone, and duck back into your bunker without getting shot. For more information on snap shooting, read this article at paintball.com

Other tactics

In general, just about any small squad infantry tactic can be adapted and put to use in recreational paintball situations. Specialopspaintball.com is a great site that demonstrates many different formes of tactics for woodsball games.

A brief note

Tournament (Speedball) Paintball plays very differently than recreational paintball. Tactics and strategies can be accessed through DVD's such as Dynasty Dysected.

Paintball-like alternatives

• Airsoft is a sport similar to Paintball, but uses a different type of projectile and gun.

External links

Marker brands

• Air Gun Designs
• Bob Long
• Component Concepts, Inc.
• Dragun
• Dye
• Eclipse
• Indian Creek Designs - See also: Indian Creek Designs
• Kingman Group
• Palmer's Pursuit
• Sheridan (unofficial site - Sheridan is a out-of-production brand)
• Smart Parts
• Tippmann - See also: Tippmann
• WDP
• Worr Games Products

Leagues

• National XBall League
• NPPL US National Tournament League
• PSP US National Tournament League
• NCPA - National College and High School Association and League
• Centurio Circuit - Eastern European paintball league
• New England Paintball League
• The NatWest Southern Paintball League - UK
• UK Paintball Sports Federation
• UK Paintball Association (PA)
• FACE FULL - First Worldwide Paintball Magazine
• UMass Amherst Paintball Club
• Drake University Paintball Club

Misc

• Facefull - Paintball magazine
• Extreme Paintball Connecticut One of the longest running paintball fields in the northeast United States, Waterbury CT.
• Much more information can be found at Warpig (World and Regional Paintball Information Guide), an old and fairly unbiased site for paintballers.
• Automag Owners' - One of the more popular Internet Paintball chat sites; AO was originally formed as the official forum for AirGun Designs, though it has expanded into much, much more.
• PbNation.com - The largest internet paintball forum. Over 120,000 paintball players discussing every imaginable aspect of the game.
• Paintball Ratings and Competitions International Paintball product review and news magazine.
• Paintball 2Xtremes General Paintball magazine.
• Paintball Games International - International Paintball magazine.
• PBReview - Field and equipment reviews, by players, for players. Another large forum with over 100,000 paintball players discussing every imaginable aspect of the game.
• Online Paintball Museum
• History of Paintball
• Multilingual Paintball Wiki
• Paintball Gun Maintenance
• A-5 Owners Group - An independant and informal web forum and archives for Tippmann owners
• A new form of joining recreational paintball with competition (portuguese site)
• WikiPB - A quickly growing paintball wiki.
• [1]-An excellent site in which you can buy paintball gear for great low prices. With a free membership, you can also edit your own player web page, earn free stuff...