What Is Paintball?
--Paintball is the world's fastest growing action sport and the third largest extreme sport in the world, played by over ten million participants per year in the United States since its creation in 1981 in the woods of New Hampshire. Several people, from all walks of life, were led into the woods by Bob Gurnsey, Charles Gaines and Hayes Noel to settle a bet, with air-powered marking pistols firing balls of paint used to tag other players and eliminate them from the game.

A combination of "capture the flag," "hide-and-seek" and "cowboys-and-Indians," players on paintball teams of today use high tech airguns to fire non-toxic, biodegradable, water-based, totally-washable paintballs at one another in order to eliminate them from the game, while trying to capture one-another's flag.Games are played in the woods or on open, spectator-friendly courses called "speedball" fields, populated by large "bunkers" that block players from incoming paintballs. Games are supervised by trained referees who ensure that the game is played safely and that all rules are observed. When played at approved, insured paintball facilities, the game of paintball has been proven by insurance companies, the Protective Eye Council and the American Society of Testing and Materials to be one of the world's safest sports, thanks to the protective eye wear worn at all times during games and to the many other safety precautions adopted by the industry to ensure the safety of its players. Paintball builds positive traits in its players, including teamwork, communication and self-control, as no fighting or foul language are allowed at paintball fields at any time.

Numerous corporations utilize paintball in their training, and thousands of players from church youth groups, scout groups and birthday parties play on a weekly basis. On the national level, paintball is a multi-billion dollar industry that supports two traveling professional leagues in the United States and another in Europe. Paintball has been featured on ESPN, ESPN 2 and Spike Television since the late nineties and is played by such stars as Steven Segal, Drew Carey, William Shatner and Will Smith.

Do Paintballs Hurt?
--All paintball guns must be fired over a "Chronograph," or radar that checks the speed at which each paintball is fired. No paintball gun is allowed on the field of play until that paintball gun's velocity is adjusted to below 300 feet per second. Paintballs fly slow enough that they can be seen in flight, but rarely dodged before impact. Designed to break on impact with a player and leave a quarter-sized splat that will eliminate that player from the game, a paintball can sting when it hits exposed skin. Most paintball players choose to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants to play, as well as some form of neck protection.

Goggles provided with rental gear at paintball fields or those purchased for use by regular players must pass rigorous safety tests and only goggles and full facemasks approved by the ASTM are allowed on paintball fields. These provide complete eye, ear, face, mouth and some neck protection. While it is natural for all players to be nervous before being marked by their first paintball, once the initial shock is over with, most players no longer fear or experience significant pain when struck by an incoming paintball. Men should consider wearing an athletic protective device and some female players prefer to add a little extra padding to sensitive feminine areas.

What are the Rules?
--The basic rules of paintball are in actuality very simple. Keep your goggles on at all times, listen to what the referees say and attempt to capture the opposing team's flag before they capture yours, and stop the opposition from doing so by eliminating them from the game with a paintball. When a paintball strikes a player and breaks on him or her, that player is considered "eliminated" from that game and must immediately leave the field. Once the game ends, and most games last between five and twenty minutes, players wipe off their hits, reload their paintball guns and come back for more! If a paintball strikes a player and bounces off without leaving a mark, the player remains in the game, and splatter from paintballs breaking on nearby objects does not eliminate any player from the game.

Do I Need a Group to Play?
--While many players bring groups of friends to the field or arrive with a church group, birthday party or other organized outing, this is not necessary. Many players enjoy partaking in paintball alone, and can simply show up at the paintball field at opening time and be put onto a team with other "walk-on" players. Referees at the field will split players according to their age, experience level and equipment to ensure a level playing field.

What Do I Need to Bring?
--Wear long sleeves and long pants, and shoes that cover the ankle. The most common injury in paintball, occurring in one out of every three thousand players, is a rolled ankle due to improper footwear. Boots, hiking boots or high-topped cleats are best. Paintball gear including paintball gun, goggles and other necessary equipment is available for rent at all paintball fields, and most paintball parks offer food, water and other necessities as well. Old clothes are best, as dirt and grass stains are common after a day of play creeping, crawling, sliding and diving. Paintballs and paint wash easily out of clothing with warm water.

Can I Watch Before I Play?
--Absolutely. Most paintball fields are surrounded by paintball-proof netting that allows spectators to watch paintball from the side lines like any other sport, without goggles or any danger of being struck by a paintball.

I'm Not Very Athletic...Can I Play?
--Anyone can play paintball. While many successful players are small and fast, a person of any size, shape, age, race or sex can play the game of paintball. Half the game is the ability to out-think an opponent on the chess board that is a paintball field. Once behind goggles and a paintball gun, most players look the same, so race, sex and age disappear, leaving only the desire to play an exciting sport and have fun!

Isn't Paintball Violent?
--No way! Paintball is one of the few sports in the world in which a physical altercation of any kind, arguing with officials or even cursing can get a player suspended or removed from the premises. Paintball prides itself on its family-friendly atmosphere and reputation, and most paintball parks go out of their way to ensure a safe, clean, sportsmanlike environment.

*Reprinted with Permission of Joshua D. Silverman 2004