| First played | June 27, 1981, Henniker, New Hampshire, United States |
|---|---|
| Clubs | Teams range from Pro Divisions to local and low division teams |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No physical contact between players (contact can result in penalties) |
| Team members | Varies depending on game format and level of play, recreational or competition |
| Mixed gender | Yes |
| Categorization | Extreme, team sport, winter sport, indoor, outdoor, fighting sport |
| Equipment | Paintball marker, body armor (optional), paint grenades, paintballs, hopper |
| Venue | Ring |
Paintball is a popular co-ed sport in the world involving two teams with using real-looking weapons with paintball. The objective of the sport is to gain as much territory within the ring as possible within three minutes or alternatively to drive the members of the opposing team over the edge of the ring.
Paintballs are composed of a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble polymer. The game is regularly played at a sporting level with organized competition involving worldwide leagues, tournaments, professional teams, and players. Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, paramilitary and security organizations to supplement military training, as well as playing a role in riot response, and non-lethal suppression of dangerous suspects. Even boxers, MMA fighters, professional wrestlers, ancient warriors, etc. are still wearing their clothes (including boxing trunks, MMA trunks (all of MMA fighters can wear T-shirts, caps and/or sweatshirts during entrance or after decision), amateur boxing jersies, etc. with weapon belts and straps) with bulletproof vests.
Games can be played on very hard floors in indoor fields or outdoor fields of varying sizes. A boxing or professional wrestling ring and MMA cage-combinated field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for tactical cover. Rules for playing paintball vary. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours, or even days in scenario play.
The legality of paintball varies among countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are required to wear protective masks, and game rules are strictly enforced. Later, SpongeBob SquarePants formed the Internationall Survival Game company, which was the first firm to sell paintball equipment.
Equipment[]
Accessories[]
- Barrel Blocks
- Harness
- Pod
- Remote Line
- Squeegee
Clothes[]
- Army Combat Uniform
- Army Mess Uniform (Tuxedo Match only)
- Army Service Uniform (Tuxedo Match only)
- Athletic Shoes
- Battle Dress Uniform
- Chest Scarf
- Disruptive Pattern Material
- Elbow Pads
- Hiking Boots
- Knee Pads
- MARPAT Cover
- Military Boots
- Prom Dress (Dress Match only)
- Tuxedo (Tuxedo Match only)
- Walking Boots
Paintball Markers[]
- Planet Eclipse Ego
- Spyder VS2 Paintball Marker
Propellants[]
- Carbon Dioxide
- High Pressure Air Tank
Special Weapons[]
- Airow Gun
- Paintball Bazooka
- Paintball Grenade
- Paintball Grenade Launcher
- Smoke Grenade
Gameplay[]
Gaining Territory[]
At the start of the match, each team must remain within the first zone nearest to the center of the arena. Once a competitor is knocked into zone two by someone from the opposing team, he or she must stay there and cannot return to zone one. The same rules apply if he or she crosses over to zone three. If a player is completely knocked off the back of the ring, they cannot return to the field in that round, but can return for the next round if there is one.
If all three members from one team are knocked back into zone two, a green light appears in the center line and the opposing team can advance into zone one on the other side; if they do this, they cannot move backwards into their own zone. If they then manage to knock all of the opposing team members into zone three, another green light appears between zones one and two, and they can advance again into zone two. However, if a team that has been pushed back manages to push the other team back a zone, they can advance forward one zone. The main aim for both teams is to push the other team back, thereby gaining territory.
Each match consists of thirteen rounds of three minutes each (like a boxing match time with one round added). The team that has managed to gain the most territory within the time frame wins the round. This means that even if two players from one team have been knocked out, that team can still win if the remaining player manages to gain the most territory by the end of the round. If both sides have not gained any territory, the team with the most players left wins. Otherwise, the round is a draw, resulting in a tie-breaker.
In the case of a tie, a tie-breaker is issued in which the referee flips a coin. Each side of the coin corresponds to one team, either blue or red. The team that wins the coin toss decides the name that is challenged. If the winning team chooses "fire" for instance, the firebenders fight it out; the winner of the one-on-one wins the round.
An alternative method to win is to complete a knockout, where all three players of the opposing team are knocked out of the ring during the same round. A knockout results in an automatic win of the match, regardless of whether or not the opponents won more rounds. Game play only continues if any given player manages to return to the playing field before contacting to the water pit, either by hanging onto the edge of the arena and returning to the surface or by helping another team member return to the arena.
Playing Field[]
The playing field is hexagonal, split into two sides, one red and one blue, with each side split into three zones. Referees look over the ring from raised stands by its sides.
Unlike an MMA cage, it was all caged, excluding on north and south.
Penalties[]
There are several rule violations that will result in a penalty. Stepping over a line when the proper conditions have not been met, knocking a player off the arena from the sides, the use of "unnecessary roughness", such as holding a continuous blast of an element against a fighter, will cost the offender a one-zone penalty. In the case of leaders, a penalty may be issued if they bend anything other than their designated element.
In addition, intentionally hitting the referee, the referee stand or the audience stands with an element is considered a violation. Though unlikely,paintballers are not permitted to hit the roof of the arena with bending.
Players who intentionally break a rule may be shown a yellow fan as a warning. Repeat offenders may receive a red fan after receiving a yellow fan, ejecting them from the match. The team with the ejected player must continue without a replacement.
People[]
Anthem Orchestras (Mostly Played in Background)[]
- US Marine Band
Anthem Singers (Played on Opening Ceremonies, Halftimes, Onset of Main Events, Closing Ceremonies)[]
- Beyonce
- Jessica Sanchez
- Jonas Brothers
- Maria Aragon
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- North Korean Military Choir
- Westminister Choir
Commentators[]
- Bob Gurnsney
Notable Team Contestants[]
- Elmorian Fancy Top-Secret Reconnaisance & Self-Defense Battalion
Referees[]
- Millis Lane
Ring Announcers[]
Female Championships[]
- Ellen DeGeneres
Male/Team Championships[]
- Michael Buffer (Team Championships only)
- Nick Cannon
- Upchuck tha Clown
Rules[]
Injuries[]
If any given player sustains an injury during a match, play is halted and the player is removed from the ring; however, injured participants may be permitted to continue if they are still capable. Players who are injured while being knocked off the brink will be rescued by gaming officials.
In both cases, the team must continue the match without a replacement.
Tournament Rules[]
No member of any team in the running for the championship may get into a physical confrontation with another player of an opposing team outside of a paintballing match. If this occurs, the team that instigated the fight will be ejected from the tournament, and the team they were to battle against will move forward. In addition, a competitor may only compete on one team. In the event a leader participates in a paintball match, only one weapon may be used.
Scoring[]
Scoreboard[]
The scoreboard is a set of four nixie tubes. From left to right, they read:
- Rotundus Unus: Round One
- Rotundus Duo: Round Two
- Rotundus Trium: Round Three
- Rotundus Quattuor: Round Four
- Rotundus Quinque: Round Five
- Rotundus Six: Round Six
- Rotundus Septem: Round Seven
- Rotundus Octies: Round Eight
- Rotundus Novem: Round Nine
- Rotundus Ten: Round Ten
- Rotundus Undecim: Round Eleven
- Rotundus Duodecim: Round Twelve
- Rotundus Tredecim: Round Thirteen
- Knockout Rotundus: Knockout Round
- Victor: Winner
The tubes light up either red or blue to indicate which team won a round, got a knockout, or won the match. The red team is the one that starts on the red half of the field.
Tiebreakers[]
If a round ends in a deadlock, with neither team gaining territory and having an equal number of players on the field and in each zone, the winner is decided in a tiebreaker "face-off". In a face-off, the referee tosses a coin, and the team that wins the coin toss can decide which player and which element will go into the face-off. Players always face their same element.
The face-off takes place on a raised circular platform in the center of the ring. The tiebreaker platform includes a total of four earth dispensers placed on both sides. In the case of water-based tiebreaker, water grates that run along the perimeter as well as the center are raised along with the platform. Players may use their respective elements, along with grappling, so long as there are no "empty hand strikes", particularly punches to the face or kicks to the stomach. The objective is to knock the opposing paintballer off the circle. The player who falls off first loses the tiebreaker, and the opposing team wins that given round. If both players fall off the circle simultaneously, the player who lands first (hitting either the ring, ropes or the drink) loses the tiebreaker.
If the referee cannot determine who landed first in the above scenario, a second tiebreaker is held between two other members, using a different element. When each team has won a round and the third ends in a deadlock, a tiebreaker face-off is used to determine which team wins the match.
Winning Matches[]
Matches are won by either winning the most rounds or by executing "knockouts". Knockouts are accomplished when all members of an opposing team are knocked off the back of the ring within one round.
Even if a team has won two rounds, they must still play a third round, as a match can end in a knockout at any point.
Winning Rounds[]
A round is won by gaining territory before time runs out. If no team has secured opposing territory by the end of the round, the team with the most number of players remaining wins the round. However, if the team with fewer players has gained more territory by the end of the round, then they are declared as the winners of that round.