Paintball Anyone?

People who love to play war games will surely enjoy the game of Paintball. This game which has been around for more than 20 years involves a lot of running, crawling and shooting that makes a person feel as though it is the real thing.

The only thing difference is that instead of using live ammunition to kill the opponent, paint in the form of balls exits the weapon and hits the opponent. The bullet used for each shot is a .68 caliber gelatin capsule. It comes in various colors so both teams can distinguish the shots fired from the other.

Anyone who is hit in any part of the body is automatically out of the game. There are other ways that the team can win. Both teams are given one flag and the team who captures the enemy flag wins.

In another game, a single flag is positioned in the center of the field. Whoever is able to capture it wins the match. The other way of winning would be to eliminate all the players of the opposing team.

The game can be played either on a small scale or large scale. Small scale can be the size of a basketball court with barrels and other obstructions to give cover for the player. This is usually called recreational. Each team should have five to ten players in order to play.

When there is game that could involve more than a hundred participants, this is called a scenario. The largest ever recorded scenario was in 2005 on 700 acres of land and with 3000 participants.

This growing sport has a regulating body that sanctions such events. Competitions that are held by various leagues are called tournaments. Teams can comprise from 3 to 10 players each. Rules during such events vary so people should check before joining the match.

Since safety is the primary concern of this game, players are required to wear protective gear at all times. These consist of a helmet, chest pad, gloves, and knee and elbow pads. The guns maximum firing speed is 300 feet per second.    

Paintball is ranked as the third most popular extreme game in the world. It is also considered a safe sport with only a few reported minor injuries. This will continue as long as the players abide by the rules.  Those who are interested can sign up at their local club and join in the fun.