PaintSplat

Paintball Glossary

PaintSplat Crew — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:03:17 +0000

There’s a lot of paintball terminology to remember, so here’s a quick rundown of the most commonly used paintball terms so you can know your Safety from your Squeegee!

Air – Commonly refers to the gas which operates paintball markers. Can be CO2, HPA or Nitrogen.
Anti-Fog Spray – Spray which helps to reduce fogging on goggle lenses
Barrel – Cylindrical metal tube which forms part of the marker, and guides the direction of the paintball.
Barrel Sock – A Barrel blocking device which consists of a cloth bag for the end of the barrel, and a strap to fix it securely to the paintball marker. Vital piece of paintball gear. Also known as a barrel condom.
Bunker – An solid object on the paintball field that a player uses for cover.
Capture the Flag – Most common and basic paintball game which involves retrieving a flag from the opposition.
Cock – Firing lever in a paintball marker which can be raised to be released by the trigger.
Cocking your Marker – Raising the cock of your marker in order to make it ready for firing
Calibre – The diameter measurement of a paintball. Paintballs are nominally .68 calibre, or 0.68 inches in diameter
CO2 – Carbon Dioxide; a non-flammable compressed gas used to power markers.
Chronograph – An instrument used to measure the velocity of a paintball leaving a paintball marker.
Elbow – Small plastic tube connecting the hopper to the paintball marker
Elimination – Being removed from the game, usually through being marked.
Facemask/Goggles – Vital piece of paintball gear consisting of reinforced lenses which protect your eyes and face (if a facemask) from paintball fire.
Flag Hang – Capturing the flag during a paintball game and actually hanging it in the designated area.
Flag Pull – Removing the flag from where it was hanging.
Flag Station – Area used as a starting point for the teams at the beginning of a paintball game and/or the area the flag is kept.
Fog – The condensation that collects on the inside of a goggle lens, especially in humid conditions.
FPS – Feet per second. The measurement unit for a paintball’s velocity. 300 fps is the maximum velocity a paintball may travel safely.
Gas Canister/Bottle – A container which holds the Air that is used to fire paintball markers.
Hopper – Plastic container which is mounted on top of a paintball marker to hold paintballs. Can usually hold 140 – 200 paintballs.
HPA or Compressed Air – High pressure compressed air (3000 to 4500 psi) is usually used in tournament paintball. Specialised high-pressure tanks and regulators are needed to decrease the output pressure to what the markers can handle.
Mark – Describes the act of being hit by a paintball, and also the paint mark itself.
Marker – The compressed air powered guns used to fire paintballs. Abbreviation of Paintball Marker.
Paintball Gun – Refers to a Paintball Marker.
A Paintball – The ammo fired from a marker during a paintball game: A small spherical gelatine-based capsule, filled with a non-toxic and water-soluble liquid.
Pod – A plastic tube used to hold extra paintballs in-game. Usually held in an Ammo/Pod Belt.
PSI – Pounds Per Square Inch. A measurement of pressure, specifically used in reference to Air.
Safety – A device that prevents the marker from being fired accidentally. Abbreviation for Safety Lock.
Snap shooting – Describes the act of darting out from cover, firing a few paintballs, and then darting back.
Squeegee – A long, rubber device used to clean out paintballs that have burst in the barrel of a paintball marker during game play.
Speedball – A fast paintball game played on open fields with little natural cover, and uniform bunkers. Most common game for tournament play.
Spray – Paint spray that lands on a player after the paintball has burst elsewhere. Does not count as a hit.
Trigger – The device on your marker, which when pressed, fires a paintball. Pressing the trigger releases a spring or catch and so sets off a mechanism, which fires a paintball
Woodsball – A paintball game with lots of natural cover, usually played in woodland areas.

How to play paintball safely

PaintSplat Crew — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:28 +0000

Paintball is a safe sport – as long as you keep to the rules! Stick to the following, and you’ll have a great time!

NEVER take off your paintball mask in field. Put it on BEFORE you enter the field and don’t take it off until you have exited. Even if you’ve just been in eliminated or have paint in your eye, there are no grounds for removing it. If you want to see when you leave the field, keep your mask ON.

Don’t shoot any animals wandering around – it’s not clever!

Don’t shoot vehicles in the car park, it’s not funny and could take out someone’s eye!

Make sure your mask is free of damages. Even when you’re hiring them out – check them. You don’t want to risk losing an eye.

Make sure your marker is set to under 280FPS (Feet per second).

Keep your barrel sock on at all times. Even if your safety’s on or you don’t think there’s any more paintballs in the hopper. There are no excuses.

Don’t act like a fool by waving your marker around and pointing it in people’s faces when they haven’t got their mask on. It’s not funny, clever and will result in you being sent off the premises.

Make sure you know what is going on in the game, don’t shoot people at close range, know the field’s rules, and keep a light and helpful attitude!

Never look down the barrel. Even with your mask on. Get staff to remove the barrel if there’s a problem and make sure the air supply is disconnected.

Look before you fire your paintball marker. You want to know what you are shooting before you pull the trigger. Take a second, aim and then shoot.

Aim your marker down when you’re not playing. Always consider your marker loaded. Otherwise, you may accidentally shoot yourself or another player at close range.

A Brief History of Paintball

PaintSplat Crew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:13 +0000

Paintball is a relatively new sport, less than 30 years old! Let’s check out how it all began…

Paintball started in 1981, by Charles Gaines, Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsy. The three men regularly debated the origin of a person’s survival ability between themselves. This continued for many years until they thought of a solution.

Inspired by stories about hunting buffalo, the three men adapted a type of agricultural paint marker for the game. Originally designed to help ranchers mark cattle from a distance, and also used by forestry professionals to mark trees, these guns were made by the Nelson Paint Company, and had been manufactured since the 1950s.

The first paintball game was played in June 1981 in New Hampshire and had 12 players. Playing a version of today’s “Last Man Standing”, each player started at a different location on a 100-acre field and tried to capture a flag from each of the 4 flag stations located around the field. The first player who accomplished this without getting shot would win the game.

Paintball quickly caught on with articles in Time and People, and soon dedicated paintball markers were being made. Different versions of the original paintball game began to be played, leading to the game we know today. Now it’s a great sport, playable by almost anyone worldwide.

Why is Paintball popular?

PaintSplat Crew — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:13:24 +0000

It may be new to Jamaica, but Paintball has become a hugely popular game worldwide and that popularity only continues to grow. Why has this extreme sport gained such a following in recent years? Let’s find out.

Paintball is open to anyone! – All players are equal in paintball games– it’s one of the only sports where men and women can equally compete against each other. Experience is the only edge.
You don’t need to be super strong! – Fitness can help but playing paintball doesn’t require super-strength and there are many positions, like sniper, that focus on accuracy and tactics rather than rushing about!
There’s no physical contact allowed! – Obviously being hit with a paintball’s may sting, but paintballing is not regarded as “rough”. There have been few injuries as a result of paintball games, usually occurring when safety rules have been broken.
Even newbies can play! – It’s pretty easy to grasp the basics on your first time. Even if it’s your first paintball game, you can still hit people who’ve been playing for years!
You get to be a kid again! Paintball can take you back to childhood with paintball games reminiscent of playing hide and seek in the playground – with markers!
It’s exciting! – There’s a perceived sense of risk and danger, giving paintball players a great adrenaline rush! It’s like playing out computer game fantasies in reality!
There are lots of fun toys!– Playing paintball means you get to use paintball markers, masks, ammo belts, body protection and much much more. With companies like Tippmann and Spyder developing new gadgets for paintball all the time, the number available continues to grow. Paintball gear not only lets you play a safe game, but it’s also pretty cool…

Defence and Offence

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:00:33 +0000

In order to work together properly as a team, there has to be some kind of strategy. For the most part, your team will be divided into two general categories – offence and defence. However, there may be different roles within these categories that players may be assigned.

Offence

Lead group: The most experienced group that go ahead to aggressively locate and flush out the enemy. However, in paintball fields that say your offence should stay in one group, sending the newbies ahead might be better – otherwise you may use your best players in an ambush!

Defence

Flag Defenders:Stationed in the immediate area of the flag, and stay in the same position pretty much during the entire paintball game unless they have to chase the stolen flag.

Forward defenders:Should move forward at the beginning to a point downfield then lie in wait to take out approaching opposition. Forward defenders may eventually become either attackers or flag defenders during the paintball game, depending on the circumstances.

How to work as a team in paintball

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:56:33 +0000

Teamwork is essential when playing paintball if you want to take the game to a new level. Strategy, tactics and advanced formations only work when the team does!

There are some key things you can do to work better as a team:

Listen to your team leader – Designate a team leader, and listen to them! Your team leader has information about all the players and is better able to make decisions than you might be from your vantage point.
Communicate with each other – Your team will probably be divided into smaller groups so pay attention to those close to you and let them know what you see. The more information you have during the game, the more successful you‘ll be.
Split into smaller groups – it’s much easier to communicate in a small unit, which can focus on covering a smaller area of the pitch. Splitting into attack and defence units will help you push forward.
Cover your team members – watch your team closely for weaknesses. When you can, reposition yourself so you can help your teammate out with cover.
See what went wrong – Between games, do a quick evaluation – what went wrong? How could you improve? What’s the plan for the next game?

All About Goggles – tips and tricks for fogging

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:54:12 +0000

The most important piece of equipment in a paintball gun is not your marker – it’s your eye protection. You must wear your googles at all times when the game is in progress.

Even when you’re out of the game, that is no reason whatsoever to remove them. You can still be shot inadvertently when exiting the field.

Markers fire paintballs from 240 – 340 feet per second. Hitting hit in the eye with a paintball is the equivalent of a sledgehammer hitting a grape!

Fogging is no excuse to remove your goggles. Even if you are shot because fogged goggles meant couldn’t see, at least you’ll be able to see with both eyes once you’ve left the field!

Fogging happens when water condenses on the inside of your lens. It’s caused when hot, moist air from your breath and your face is trapped between your eyes and the lens. You can’t wipe it from the outside and it’s completely unsafe to take your goggles off during play. One thing you can do during play is to keep moving. Fresh air cycling through your goggles and whisking sweat-moist air away will disperse much of the fog. Also, wear a sweatband or bandana on your head. This will keep the sweat from pouring down your face which contributes to fogging.

Using your ears – listening instead of looking

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:53:24 +0000

You know when you haven’t got an idea as to what’s going on so pop your head out from behind your bunker for a sneaky look, only to get a face full of paint? That may be avoided – if you stopped firing for a second and listen.

Listening to the pace, direction and frequency of fire could give you a clue as to where the opposition is – and what their next move will be.

Don’t fear the paintballs! The constant thud of paintballs may sound scary but every paintball that hits your bunker is one that is no longer a threat to you.
Listen to what side of the bunker they are hitting with paintballs, so you can snapshoot from the opposite side.
Don’t go by the sound of their marker, go by the sound of impact! It takes a second for paintballs to reach you so there’s still paint around when the shooting stops.
Listen for rounds of heavy fire. People usually use heavy fire to cover their movements – so watch out for opponents who have moved nearby.
Listen for growing noise – you will be able to hear if the thumps are getting louder, which means the opponent is getting nearer!
Silence can be deadly. If there’s a sudden change in rhythm, there’s bound to be a good reason. Your opponent may be charging you or reloading, giving you the chance to hit them.
Listen out for multiple opponents hitting your bunker – there has to be a good reason for suppressing you so aim to find out why!

How to Win Capture the Flag

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:50:22 +0000

This article is for all those who come to PaintSplat and end up shooting all their friends without even thinking about the flag! Here’s a few tips and tricks to bear in mind next time you’re on the field.

Move! When the ref blows the whistle, get to cover! And don’t waste time shooting people on your way!
Keep your team spread out! It makes it far harder for your opposition to move around your flank and take out half your team.
Travel in pairs if you can. It makes moving much easier when your partner is covering you.
Move down the sides of the course instead of the middle; it gives you a much better angle when trying to take people out.
Fire heavily at the opposition (and make sure your as many of your teammates do too) when moving for the flag. It’s a huge advantage if the opposing team is unaware of who has the flag and where that person is once it has been removed.
When you capture the flag, only run towards the base as fast as possible (although don’t keep to a straight line) if there are only a few opponents left.
If there’s a huge opposition left when you capture the flag, make sure your teammates cover your run back to base – or pass the flag to one of them!
Decide what to do in case the opposition reaches the flag first. If it’s a small course a center third of your team should fire on the enemy positions while the other two thirds charge down the flanks. If it’s a large course then it’s likely that a team member located on the flanks of the field can snipe the runner if they make a break for it.
Break cover and start shooting if an opponent has the flag and is running towards their base. Better the loss of half of your team than the loss of the game.
If you find yourself cornered, launch yourself quickly and unexpectedly from cover to cover, firing as you go. This will hopefully shock the opposition and still give you a winning chance.
Make sure your team has the whole field covered. If you get flanked, you’ve given the game away.
If you’re being covered, it may be better to move without checking where the opposition is. This will make it more difficult for the opponent to guess your location.
Communicate! If your team is works together to coordinate their movements then a win will be secured. Hand signals are best – as it can get difficult to hear in the heat of a game.
Never give up, even if you’re the last remaining member of your team you can still win. Stealthy movements and sniping can still win you the game.
Firing when you move just slows you down. Don’t make it easy for the opposition and get to cover quickly!
Remember, you can also win by elimination. If the flag is too well defended, concentrate on taking out the team!
When playing against new players, be bold. They are often scared to come out and fire. Use this to your advantage to get around them.
Don’t just move for movement’s sake. You’ll end up far from your teammates or shot down.
Think before going it alone – Running and shooting on your own is going to get you shot in the first minutes of the game!
Don’t be scared of getting hit! Keep moving – a shot will only hurt for a few seconds!

What clothes should I wear?

PaintSplat Crew — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:45:45 +0000

This article covers the best gear to wear for a great paintball experience.

Pants: Jeans aren’t as good as you’d think. Ideal pants should be roomy, but without any extra material that could get in the way. Try running in them beforehand to check for chafing and restriction. Make sure the fabric will withstand the grass, turf and sliding around that comes with playing.

Top: Try and pick a top that suits the way you play. Paintball jerseys are popular as are camouflage. With your top, make sure it doesn’t hang off you but has enough room to let in air. Camouflage tops tend to have more pockets so you can carry extra equipment easily. Don’t give in to the temptation of keeping loose paintballs in the pockets – dirt may damage them and a huge mess will be made if you’re hit!

Padding: Proper padding is essential for safe play. For men an athletic cup would help, and chest protection for women. Knee and shin guards, elbow pads and neck protection are also worth investing in. Kneepads in particular enable you to get into tricky positions, crawl and dive with lower risk of injury.

Footwear: Combat boots are great for playing in the summer. Sneakers are good for less rugged fields. Make sure your footwear is durable above anything – the amount of slipping, running and crawling that happens in the course of a day is likely to test their durability to the limit!

Accessories: Ammo belts are great for holding all your extra paintballs, while paintball gloves give your hands that extra protection. Try a neck protector or bandana around your neck for those places your mask doesn’t cover!