What is paintball?

From its humble beginnings in 1981, Paintball has experienced phenomenal growth. It is now played worldwide in almost 40 countries by an estimated 10 million people. Paintball is a character building sport - players learn the importance of teamwork and gain self confidence while developing leadership abilities. Paintball is like a living chess game - rather than speed and strength, paintball requires strategy and imagination. Although there are many formats, the typical game consists of two teams and runs for about 10 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the field and the number of players. Along with the primary objective of the variation of the game, you generally try to eliminate opposing players by tagging them with a paintball expelled from a special gas powered marker.

A paintball is a round, thin skinned gelatin capsule with colored liquid inside that is not really paint but vegetable food coloring. Paintballs look similar to bath oil beads and the fill is made of non toxic, biodegradable components such as sorbitol (a sweetener) and glycol (a wax). Paintball is an environmentally safe sport as the paintballs biodegrade naturally in a matter of days.

Is it dangerous?

U.S. statistics claim you are more likely to suffer an injury from a round of golf or an evening bowling then you are from a hectic day of paintball. You can't stop people from tripping over their own feet; quality goggles with head protection and strict safety standards are mandatory. All paintball markers are chronographed at 280 fps or less. There is also a surrender rule so that players need not be shot at point blank range.

Does it hurt?

Novice players are frequently afraid of the impact of a paintball. As long as you don't have any exposed skin it doesn't hurt much. If you're running around in the buff and get shot you can expect it to sting a bit. By the end of the day you will probably be sore and exhausted but the experience will have been worth it.