Real Xtreme Paintball's Blog

Paintball Safety Tips- Gear, Speed and Sportsmanship

Paintball safety is an important consideration to anyone involved in the sport. According to statistics comparing serious injuries sustained across a number of sports, paintball is one of the safest sports you can play. This is probably a surprise to most people. As there is no direct contact between players, you are 19 times less likely to be injured playing paintball than American Football, for example. Another reason for the encouraging paintball safety statistics is that there is an important emphasis on wearing the right safety gear.

The number of injuries may well be low in comparison with other sports, but they can be severe. It is not much fun to be struck on any unprotected part of the body by a paintball travelling at 300 feet per second. We must always keep in mind the paintball safety precautions that we need to take to ensure an injury free session.

1. Wear the Right Gear

You must always wear your goggles or mask; you need to protect your eyes and ears from paintball damage.It is sensible to invest in a mask customized with ear flaps, and visor to give protection from sunlight. Ideally, the mask should cover the whole head to avoid being struck on any sensitive area.

Padded paintball suits give extra built in protection to vulnerable areas such as the neck and chest. It’s a good idea to invest in extra protective equipment like boxes and collars to increase your paintball safety.

2. Watch Your Speed

The regulated paintball speed to be observed by all players is 300 feet per second in outdoor play. All protective gear is tested up to this limit. Any ball striking the skin above this speed will greatly increase the chance of serious injury. Chronographs are worth the investment if you are playing in private fields. In indoor play, 200 feet per second is adequate for paintball safety.

3. Show Sportsmanship and Courtesy

Blind firing is when you shoot randomly without seeing a target. This is dangerous as you can’t see what you’re firing at so you risk shooting someone at point blank. Have an awareness of where you’re shooting before you fire.

You should be cautious when it comes to overshooting, although there are no rules against it. It is unnecessary to fire 10-20 consecutive shots at a person after you’ve already made a successful hit. If the rules don’t call for you to overshoot to win, avoid it as a courtesy to other players.

You can offer your opponent a chance to surrender if he is within 10-15 feet away by shouting, “Surrender.” He can walk away with his arms raised or refuse to surrender, in which case you can shoot him. It shows sportsmanship to allow your opponent the chance to walk away and improves their safety.

Paintball safety is of paramount importance to enjoying the sport. The majority of injuries happen in private fields where there is often a lower level of investment in paintball safety equipment. To avoid serious injury, you would be wise to play in regulated paintball centers and observe the pointers above.

Paintball Rules: Understanding the Basics

It is difficult to write a definitive set of paintball rules. There are many different branches of the sport and many different levels. Paintball can be played at a recreational level for a bit of fun with like-minded friends. Alternatively it can be on a more formal footing at commercial fields, or professional play at tournament level. There are the recreational options of woodsball, scenario and tactical paintball or the speedball option. However, underscoring all of these is the basic concept of the game and some established common features. Paintball rules dictate that there are two teams, divided equally. A team generally has between five to ten players, one of whom may be captain. One person is chosen as a referee. The referee oversees the game, controls the time and scoring, mediates between players and ensures the agreed rules are being followed. His decision is final and unarguable. Each team is set out onto either side of a “field”; a space with predetermined boundaries and obstacles ,depending on the type of game being played. The overall objective is for a team to reach the other side of the field to capture the flag. Most games run for an average of 45 minutes. The referee starts, and ends the game with a whistle at a prearranged time. Paintball rules specify that whichever team is first to capture the flag is the winner.Should time run out before the flag is captured, the team with the most players remaining wins. Alternatively, a point system game may be played, with different scores for different achievements. A player is eliminated if he is hit by a paintball, from either team, and it breaks on him or any part of his gear. If a paintball strikes a player without breaking, or if it first strikes a foreign object, such as a tree, and subsequently splatters the player, the player remains in the game. When a player has been marked, he must call “OUT”, hold the gun over his head and leave the field immediately. The player must not return to the field for the duration of the game. The referee can pause the game at any point for a “paint check” to clear up any uncertainties.During pause of play all players must remain in their positions. Paintball rules stipulate that only one player can guard the flag at any time. Players are not allowed to pick up barricades and move behind them, nor use mobile shields such as eliminated players leaving the field. All players must understand where the boundaries are. A player is eliminated if he moves outside the boundary and shots fired from beyond the boundaries do not count. Many paintball rules are concerned with safety. Paintball is a non-contact sport and physical interaction is not permitted. It is forbidden to fire at an eliminated player leaving the field, or at any player holding the gun above his head. It is also against the rules to shoot from a distance of under 5 meters. A paintball can travel at up to 300 feet per second and can cause serious injury if fired at close range. Players should keep a distance of 5 meters between them throughout the game. It is advisable to wear protective goggles or a mask at all times during the game. Likewise, long pants and sleeves, at the very least, should be worn for added protection during play. There are a wide variety of paintball rules depending on the type of game or level at which you are playing. Some rules have been established to keep the game moving and prevent conflict; others to increase the safety of the players. Whatever variation of rules you are playing to, it’s important that all the team players are in accord before the start of each game for maximum enjoyment and safety.

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Paintball Gear: Kit Yourself Out

Paintball Gear is a broad term covering all the paraphernalia you need to set you up in paintball. This might include: a gun, ammo, mask, clothing, safety equipment and carrying belt. For the purpose of this article, I will disregard the paintball gun and all of its attachments. Whilst it is the most important piece of “gear”, it requires a whole article to itself ( if not many). Apart from the gun, what else do you need to kit yourself out for paintball?

After the gun, the most important piece of paintball gear is the mask. The number of serious injuries may well be lower in paintball than numerous other sports, but they can be severe. It is not pleasant to be struck on the head by a paintball travelling at 300 feet per second. It is essential that you protect your eyes and ears from paintball damage.

It is sensible to wear a mask with ear flaps, and a visor to give protection from the sun. The mask should cover the whole head to avoid being struck on a sensitive area. They come in an assortment of colours and styles, but as cool as they look, safety must be your first concern with this type of paintball gear. The mask must fit securely and be comfortable.

Alternatively, You could opt for protective glasses or goggles. These do not give as much protection as the full mask, but they are better than nothing. Protective eye-wear must provide full coverage of the eye area. Regular glasses or sunglasses are not sufficient. The glasses must have side blinders to protect you from fast flying projectiles.

Keeping to the safety aspect of paintball gear, you may also want to consider a padded paintball suit. This gives extra built-in protection to vulnerable areas, such as the chest and neck. Or you may favour hard plastic body armour that can help protect your back, chest, arms and legs. Gloves, vests, boxes and collars also increase your protection on the field. Many players feel happier about playing if they know they are fully protected and can, therefore, enjoy the game more.

One of the reasons for the encouraging paintball safety statistics is that there is a strong emphasis on wearing the correct protective gear and you may not be allowed to play without it.

Although there is no requirement to dress in a certain way, your clothing choices are important. You need to wear thick clothing for added protection; short sleeves or pants do not give sufficient coverage, whatever the weather. Your clothes should be reasonably close fitting; baggy clothes increase your chance of getting hit and eliminated. You can buy clothing designed specifically for paintball, which can be effective, but whatever you choose, you need to feel comfortable and be able to move freely.

Paintballs fall loosely into the category of paintball gear. They too, like markers, merit an article to themselves (see Paintballs: Your Questions Answered ). They vary a great deal in quality, and as you would expect, they give different levels of performance. You should expect to pay more for ammo of a higher quality.

Another useful item of paintball gear is a special carrying belt for holding your paintballs. The carrying belt holds tubes that can hold 200 paintballs each.

You can find a wide variety of appropriate paintball gear in sporting goods stores, discount retailers and paintball speciality stores. There are also many different online stores offering an impressive selection of guns, ammo and protective kit for reasonable prices. Aside from the gun and ammo, your most important items of paintball gear will be concerned with safety and comfort. You must take your time to purchase wisely.

How to Play Paintball Safely 

Apart from having fun, an important consideration when you play paintball is everyone’s safety. Although paintball is one of the safest sports you can play, the safety aspect should not be taken for granted. In paintball there is an important emphasis on putting safety first; being mindful of yourself and other players. Here are some useful tips for keeping safe when you play paintball.

You should have no physical contact with another player; paintball is a non-contact sport. Keep your distance when you play paintball.

You should not shoot at an opponent within a range of five meters. A paintball can cause serious injury when fired at close range. When you play paintball it is wise to keep a distance of five meters between players at all times.

You should not shoot at a player when he is holding his gun aloft with both hands. A player in this position has either just been marked and is leaving the field or he has surrendered. Either way he is defenceless and is not a target.

You should not consume alcohol before, during or after the game as it will impair your judgement and reactions drastically. You will endanger yourself and other players when you play paintball.

You should have a plug inserted in the marker’s barrel at all times when you are off the field to avoid accidental firing. You should avoid contact with co2 if your gun has leakage as it can cause freeze burns on your skin. Never carry your marker by its co2 supply hose as this could lead to leaking gas.

You should maintain your gun and equipment thoroughly to maximise safe and effective performance. Ideally, you should strip down your gear straight after every game, then clean and lubricate it before you put it away so its ready to go the next time you play paintball.

You should never fire your marker outside of the playing boundaries or at anyone not involved in the game; including the referee!

You should never leave your gear, especially the marker, unsupervised between games. Always ensure it is locked away safely when not in use and kept out of the reach of children.

You should invest in chronographs to control the speed of your paintballs. The maximum allowed velocity required for safety when you play paintball outdoors is 300 feet per second (200 feet per second indoors).

You should avoid blind-firing; this is a dangerous practice as you can’t see what you’re firing at and you could hit someone at point blank.

You should avoid overshooting; it is unnecessary and potentially dangerous to repeatedly shoot at an opponent once you’ve marked them.

Paintball is safe if you follow all the safety precautions and are mindful of yourself and others. Don’t be complacent when you play paintball. Any sport is dangerous if you play it irresponsibly. Safety needs to be worked at to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment out of the sport.

Aside from the paintball gun, the paintball mask is the most important piece of kit you will invest in. Although the number of serious injuries in paintball is low compared with other sports, they can be severe. A paintball travelling at 300 feet per second can do a lot of damage, particularly to the sensitive head area. It is essential that you protect your eyes and ears from injury with a good quality mask.

Regular glasses, sun glasses, ski masks, safety goggles and shooting glasses are not sufficient to protect you from fast flying paintballs. You need an appropriate, purpose made paintball mask ,manufactured to strict industry regulations to withstand the speed of a paintball.

Your paintball mask needs to provide adequate protection whilst still feeling comfortable. If your mask is uncomfortable it will be a distraction and will impair your ability to play well. There should be cushioning around the outer edges of the mask to keep it in place and ensure a comfortable fit.

Your mask should fit well. Paintball is an extremely active sport. Your mask needs to fit securely to withstand many different manoeuvres. You will need to be able to run, twist, turn, dive and crawl without dislodging your mask. If you wear glasses, check that your mask will fit over them comfortably.

Another thing to consider when choosing a suitable paintball mask is your field of vision. Whilst safety must come first, You still need to have a wide, clear vision in order to play successfully. You need to have a good peripheral vision to protect you from surprise attacks from the side. You should also be able to see clearly through the gun sight without the mask getting in the way.

Ideally your mask should be anti-fog to avoid steaming up in the heat of battle. Some paintball masks have a film on them to prevent them misting over. Better still are thermal masks. These are layered masks with an air cushion between the layers to keep your vision crystal clear at all times.

Just as it is important to protect and enhance your vision, it is also crucial to protect your ears without impairing your hearing. Your paintball mask should cover the whole head to avoid you being struck on any sensitive spot. Some masks can be customized with ear flaps . Whichever mask you choose, check that you can still hear properly to prevent you being crept up on. You need to be alert and have all your senses sharp to play paintball well.

Paintball packages offer an ideal start up kit for players new to the sport and are ideal if you’re on a budget. All good packages will include a paintball mask. However, It is important not to compromise on the quality of the mask for the convenience and value of the package deal. The mask is an essential piece of equipment and must be selected wisely. If the mask is no good, it is a false economy to go for the package.

Paintball masks come in a variety of colours and styles. As cool as some look, safety must be your first concern. You would be well advised to invest in a top quality mask rather than having to continually replace cheaper versions.

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