What Every New Player Should Know

Safety 1st

I know, what a bore! But it is a big deal, paintballs travel at nearly 200 MPH, they can hit your eye far faster than you can blink, and even with your eye closed you will probably lose it if you get hit there. Then your mom will remind you that she said “You'll put your eye out” every time she sees you for the next forty years! So unless you like making mom cry, or the pirate look is in at your school; Keep Your Goggles On!! The rule of thumb is that there should always be something between your barrel and any nearby eyeballs, either a barrel sock, or goggles. If the goggles are to big you can adjust the strap, pull the buckles apart to make the goggles tighter, if you have made the band as small as you can and you're still having problems move the band to the crown of your head, the soft spot. See if they feel better, if not ask a ref for help!

Goggle’s must be worn on the field at all times!
Fogged up, Don’t care!
Dirty, Don’t care!
Too hot, Don’t care!!
Keep your gogs on untill you are off the field!

Talk the Talk!

Learn the Lingo! We shoot markers, filled with paint, not guns filled with bullets! We play on fields not maps, maps are part of the virtual world of video games, this is the real world, sort of! Check out my glossary of Paint Ball Terms so you don’t sound like a total newb!! Learn the Lingo Here!

Talk!

Talk to you team, be a team player! Before the game find out if there is a plan and play a role. You want to go to the tower but your mates need help on the hill? Go for the hill! Listen and learn from the guys with experience. If you find some guys who act like they have played the field before ask them for a good place to go on the break (start of the game) or any tips they have on the field.

Talk Some More!

During the game tell your team mates if you see opponents, ask them what they see. If you are in a small room or fort set up an “O’clock system” before you start. If you were to say the front door is 12:00 and the back door 6:00 all the other directions fall into place. So if you are facing 12:00 and you see movement on you right side you would call out “Enemy at 3:00”. The advantage is that you can’t use right and left when everybody is facing in different directions, the clock keeps everybody on the same page. Watch "Teamwork" in Action!

Play!

One of the most common games in paintball is elimination, to win you have to eliminate (shoot) every player on the other team. That means every player on the losing team will get shot, so your ONLY chance of not getting shot is to win! Do you think your team will have a better chance of winning if you get in there and do you best? Of course they will! So if you don’t want to get shot, if you don’t want to lose, get in there and play! Don’t worry too much about getting hit, some of the best games I ever had ended with me in the dead box! You will have a lot more fun if you are in the game than if you are hiding in the back, and fun is what it’s all about.

No Fear!

I here lots of kids worried about if it will hurt when they get hit. Sadly the fact is it might, if you are shot up close, or on some places on your body, like the love handles it can sting a bit! At it’s worst a paintball can feel like getting snapped with a wet towel, and that can smart! If you are worried wear a couple of layers of baggy clothes, that will help a lot. If you do get hit bad and it stings just remember it will only hurt for a minute or so, you will be fine! If you are really worried then you might look into 50 caliber paintball. The paintballs are smaller and hurt less so it’s a perfect way for younger kids to get started!

Show Some Class!

If you get hit, go out! There is nothing as frustrating as shooting a guy that won’t go out! If you cheat you are messing up the game for everybody else. There is no shame in being hit, I have probably been hit more times than anybody on the planet, I hate it, but it happens. If you refuse to go out you may upset other players, perhaps one that can shoot 12 balls per second, and you know what they say about payback! There will be another game in a few minutes, no biggie. Head for the dead box. Don’t talk to your team, dead men tell no tales ya know! While you are out watch the more experienced players, learn from them! Stay cool, if you see the guy who shot you after the game, bump knuckles, congratulate him on a good game, this is how I meet just about everyone I play with! Don’t talk a lot of smack off field, no one likes a blow hard. Despite our best efforts we sometimes get a little lippy on the field, paintball can be intense, emotions sometimes run a bit high. If you say or do something dumb on the field, find the guy afterwards and apologize. Stay cool and above all have fun!