Paintball is one of the sports today that people play regularly. It’s a great game for teams to play. The team members will certainly have fun coming up with survival strategies to make sure they win the game.
Paintball is not one of the sports that cover or revolve around complex rules as well. However, if you are new to the sport, there are certain important things to remember and follow to ensure that you and everyone playing the game enjoys it. Knowing the basic rules and the do’s and don’ts will also ensure that no one gets hurt during the game.
Below are some of the important things to remember when playing paintball for the first time:
Remove your mask only in designated areas.
Paintballs travel at speeds of up to 280 miles per hour and as such can easily take out an eye. As much as possible, keep your mask on once the game starts and remove it only when it’s officially over or you’re out of the paintball field.
Be responsible.
Always keep your paintball gun unloaded and remove the tank when not in use. Keep guns out of the reach of small children so they don’t accidentally hurt themselves.
Never pretend you didn’t get hit.
This is generally considered the biggest offense in paintball. In a sportsmanlike spirit, always acknowledge if you are out.
During a match, you can request a paint check if you are not sure if you are dead.
The referee will then determine if you were hit or not. This will be especially helpful if you’ve been hit in the back or other hard-to-reach areas.
As a single player, always focus on three important elements: Coverage, Mobility, and Confidence.
In paintball, staying behind a tree, a bush fort, or hiding under a ditch is the best and easiest way to avoid getting hit. However, try to avoid hiding behind or under obvious or minimal cover and plan your movements so that you can move quickly from one shelter to another.
While taking cover is essential, don’t forget to move as well. Staying in one place for a long time will allow your opponents to discover your position and possibly flank you. Seasoned paintball experts recommend charging from your cover shooting all visible enemies as they are more likely to dodge than shoot accurately.
Lastly, in terms of confidence, keep in mind that not having confidence will lead to panic maneuvers that can get you hit. Being overconfident, on the other hand, can lead to exposing yourself. Paintball is a game of strategy, not luck. As such, always check your flank for possible danger and never make rash decisions if you still have time to consider your options.