This is a Frequently Asked Questions pertaining especially to new players in the sport of paintball.

I am going to try to cover most concerns and common questions... but if you have anything else to ask that's not listed, use my contact info at the bottom to get ahold of me and I'll do my best to answer your question. Now for the questions.

What is paintball?
Paintball is a sport that invovles firing gelatin capsules filled with a water-based paint pneumatically from a kind of air-rifle called a marker. These capsules are used to mark players during a short round of a type of game. Once a player is "hit", he alerts everyone to the fact that he is now "out" verbally and physically and exits the field.

Is paintball safe?
Suprisingly, paintball is one of the safest sports in the world! It's injury rate is lower than that of bowling and any other contact sport (based on yearly averages). Unlike other sports such as football and soccer, paintball is not a contact sport. If physical contact is made in any un-accidental way, the player making the harmful contact is ejected from the game, if not the field. Now, in order for paintball to be safe, protective devices must be used properly. Two such items are the barrel plug and the mask. The barrel plug is placed (more like jammed) into the end of the barrel before any mask is removed to ensure that any paintballs fired with the barrel plug in place will not exit the marker. The mask is to be worn anytime the barrels are unplugged, protecting the eyes, face, ears, and neck. The lenses on the masks WILL NOT break under normal conditions, although they need to be inspected if they are hit. Finally, there is a speed limit to how fast a paintball can travel. The US limit is 300 feet per second (fps), but most fields keep it under that.

Does it hurt?
Well... this is a tough question to answer. Not wanting to provide those susceptible to mild pain with false information, i can only answer with: somewhat. Take a rubber band and snap yourself with it, that is about what getting hit with a paintball will feel like. Not too bad if you ask me. Sometimes close shots will leave welts or bruises, but they will clear up within 2 days. We will discuss later the importance of LOOSE CLOTHES. If you hover your shirt away from your skin and snap a rubberband. The shirt will break the paint and you will almost not even notice. Now place the shirt tightly around your arm and do it. OUCH you felt that. So think BAGGY.

Okay, you mentioned games, so what types of games are there?
This variable usually depends on the field you are playing at. Most fields, however, offer most of these game types:
  Elimination- Basically, whichever team loses all their players first loses.
  Capture the Flag- There is usually a flag in the center of the field. Whichever team removes the flag and carries it back to their starting area wins, although there are variations on this game.
  SpeedBall- A smaller Symmetrical field with equal bunkers on both side. Designed for 3vs3, 5vs5, 7vs7.. team play, more stratagy and team based since there is no side advantage on the field.
Most Paintball fields takes place in a wooded area with "bunkers" made of wood or other large commercial recycled items.
  Airball- Another Type is AirBall, Which the field is usualy nice and mantained(like a golfcourse, football, or baseball field) with varioussize and shaped Inflatable Bunkers.Used in more recent Professional Paintball games. Usually Airball fields are netted for bystander safety with seating for spectators. This is the Fastpaced Best man win game, where you team needs to watch your back.

What should I wear?
Most professional players, or just experienced players wear Paintball jerseys and pants. These clothing items are Loose and baggy, have multilayer netted material which wisk away sweat and keep you cool. Pants have thicker padded areas and most have a kevlar based side for sliding, while protecting your skin. However, you don't need these if you are just starting in the sport. If its summer, throw on some loose baggy pants and a long sleeve baggy t-shirt with a short sleeve t-shirt of underneath of it for inbetween games. Color is not an issue. CAMOFLAUGE is not a requirment since most feilds will be painted hundreds of colors and you will look like an unpainted tree. If it's cool outside or winter, wear a loose sweatshirt or light baggy jacket with a t-shirt underneath, long pants (perhaps long johns) and thin gloves hard to shoot with thickgloves. You can wear a hat if you wish to protect you from the sun and cover the area on the back of your head where the mask does not protect. Shoes, you just need a good track shoe. Cleats or mountain boots are overkill. you need something that is light fast and has good traction on dirt type fields.