Paint ball

Paintball

A player taking part in a popular style of paintball known as 'woodsball'.
First played	June 27, 1981, Henniker, New Hampshire, United States
Clubs	Teams range from Pro Divisions to local and low division teams
Characteristics
Contact	No physical contact between players (contact can result in penalties)
Team members	Varies depending on game format and level of play, recreational or competition (usually between 3- & 10-man teams)
Mixed gender	Yes
Type	Extreme, team sport, winter sport, indoor, outdoor
Equipment	Paintball mask, paintball marker, body armour (optional), paint grenades, compressed air or CO2 canister, paintballs, hopper
Venue	Varies, often fields or woods and indoor

Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with round, breakable dye-filled oil and gelatin pellets ("paintballs"), usually shot from a compressed air (nitrogen) or carbon dioxide-powered low-energy air weapon called paintball marker. The game is developed in the 1980s, initially for recreation but now is regularly played at a formal sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams, and players. Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, para-military and security organizations to supplement military training, as well as playing a role in riot response, and non-lethal suppression of dangerous suspects.

Games can be played on indoor or outdoor fields of varying sizes. A game field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for tactical cover. Game types in paintball vary, but can include capture the flag, elimination, ammunition limits, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours, or even days in scenario play.

The legality of paintball varies among countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are required to wear protective masks, use barrel blocking safety equipment, and game rules are strictly enforced.

The paintball equipment used may depend on the game type, for example: woodsball, speedball, or scenario; on how much money one is willing to spend on equipment; and personal preference. However, almost every player will utilize three basic pieces of equipment: