Sid’s Paintball

I thought I would write today about a day a couple of years ago that my friend and I played paintball. We had left in the morning to go to Otis and play at a friends house, when we arrived not many people had shown up so the guy who owned the field canceled the game. Need less to say, we were pretty bummed out. On the way back home, we passed Sea Coast Fun Park in Trenton, ME. They had a Speedball course (sort of) right in front of the park, next to the road.

We went in and talked to the guy running the field. He let us use our own paint, markers and CO2 and only charged us $10.00 each to play as long as we wanted. Now, this was a sweet deal. He also told us that if anybody else wanted to use the field, it would be OK for us to still play only if the other people did not mind playing with us.

So, my friend and I played for about 1/2 hour and then a family of tourists came up and wanrted to play. There was a father and 7 kids. The guy running the field asked the father if he would mind if we played with them, the father replied that he had no problem with this and then asked what the teams would be. The manager told him the teams would be my friend and I against the family of tourists. The father said he did not think that was fair due to the teams being 7 against 2, but he was assured that it was not a problem.

The manager set the family up with markers, masks and paint and sent them out onto the field. Then my friend and I went out after them. The manager decided he wanted to referee this game to see what would happen.

We set up on opposite ends of the field and the manager blew the whistle after we gave him the OK that we were ready. Then, it was game on. 4 of the kids went out fast. That is what happens when you do not know where to go and just stand there shooting…lol. The father was the next one to go out. My friend caught him looking around a bunker and planted a paintball right on his goggles. I assumed the father was pretty surprised by the way he reacted…ha, ha! Then there was just 2 of them left. They tried as hard as they could to hit us, but were unsuccessful due to lack of experience. Plus, they were using stock Tippman Pro-carbines and my friend and I had A5’s with response triggers and many other upgrades (that might seem sort of unfair…lol.). Well, my friend ended up getting the 6th kid out and then concentrated on the 7th. My friend kept the kid occupied while I flanked him. The poor fella never saw it coming. Even though the family was eliminated, they said they had a real good time playing, as did we.

This is not the best footage in the world, but still fun to watch…lol.

If you want to look at real life in terms of paintball, you need to keep in mind that you need to work with and trust the other people on your team and really appreciate them for being there for you even when it seems like you are alone. This definitely holds true with our daily lives. All too often it seems that we go through our days not really thinking of all the people who helped us through them.

I have friends that I work with at one of my jobs, although I have not been there that long, these people have taken me in and made me part of a group that is strong and cares for one another. If I could express in words how good it feels to look forward to going to work because these people make it great, I would. Sometimes, even when I am in a “mood”, I tend to get quiet and I do not talk to people. The great thing is, the people I work with give me the space and the time I need to get back to myself. This is why I really appreciate these people. This is why I wanted to mention them and let people know that even when it seems like you are doing things alone and have nobody, there is always somebody that is in some way helping you through your day.

This is also why I feel safe in calling these wonderful people…TRUE FRIENDS!

Rules of safety:

1. It is not allowed to wear short or t-shirt during the game. All players are required to wear long-sleeve shirts and full-length pants. Arms and legs must be fully covered during play.

2. During a game, goggles are to be worn at all times by all persons on the playing field and never removed for any reason.

3. No physical interaction whatsoever is allowed between players.

4. It is forbidden to shoot from a distance under 5 meters. The capsule leaves the barrel with an average speed of 80-100 m/sec., and this may lead to injuries. If the distance between two rival players is under 5 meters, either both players increase the distance, or the referee stops the game.

5. If a player holds his/her gun with both hands stretched out over his/her head, none is to shoot at the player. This movement is only allowed if the player is eliminated, or in a case of emergency.

6. An eliminated player cannot shoot while walking out of the field, nor is s/he to be shot at.

7. Referees are under no circumstances to be hit.

8. It is strictly forbidden to bring or consume alcohol before, during, or after the game.

Safety precautions:

1. Paint guns must have a barrel blocking device (plug) inserted in barrel at all times, except while on the playing field. In case your gun has CO2 leakage, avoid coming into contact with the gas. CO2 has a freezing temperature (-76 C°) and this may cause local chills on the skin. If your gun is leaking, put it aside and call the referee.

2. Always be prepared for your paint gun to malfunction. Bring spare parts and tools with you to the playing field. The main tools that you should have are: a pair of pliers, a set of Allen wrenches, screw drivers and a small crescent wrench.

3. Do not carry your gun from the CO2 supply hose, or the gas might leak and cause your gun to malfunction.

4. The most important thing about playing paintball is to clean your equipment after every game. It is important to have all your equipment working at its peak performance from your goggles to your paint gun. Always, after a day of paintball, break down your paint gun. Clean it completely and lubricate it before you put it away. That way it will be ready to go the next time you want to play.

5. Never leave your paintball equipment unattended between games and always lock it up during games.

This is a great video of some fast paced speedball action. Enjoy!

This is a really cool video. Very well done. Not quite the way paintball actually is, but still a great clip.

1. A minimum of one person is designated as the Referee for each Paintball game. The Referee will be the one who starts the game, stops the game for paint checks, decides the issues that may arise and who ends the game. The Referee should have a whistle for signaling the start, stopping and ending of the game. As with all games, it does not pay to contradict the decisions of the referee, decisions by referees and judges are final and unarguable.

2. A player is out of the game if he is hit by a marking pellet (paintball) and it breaks on him, this includes his clothing, gun or equipment. It doesn’t matter whether the player is shot by a opposing player or a teammate (friendly fire). When a player is marked she/he is to immediately call themselves “OUT or DEADMAN”. She/he must then hold their gun over their head, continue to call out “OUT or DEADMAN” and leave the playing field by the shortest and safest route.

3. A player is not considered out of the game if she/he is struck by a marking pellet (paintball) and it does not break. A player is not considered out of the game if she/he is struck by a splatter from a marking pellet (paintball). Splatter is considered to be the spray or fragments from a marking pellet that has broken on an object such as a tree, bush or rock etc., close to the player. If a player calls herself/himself “OUT or DEADMAN”, because they think that they have been hit by a marking pellet (paintball), she/he is immediately out of the game and must leave the playing field by the shortest and safest route. Even if the player discovers that they were not hit, after they make the call their out, and must leave the playing field at once.

4. If two or more players mark each other simultaneously, all must be eliminated. A referee will decide who is to be eliminated when two or more players are marked

5. If there is question as to whether a player has been marked, call for a “Paint Check”, that’s what the referee is for. When a Paint Check is called the game comes to a stop, all players remain where they are at until the referee clears the problem and restarts the game. Note also that during a Paint Check all players remain where they are when the Paint Check was called and by leaving that position during a Paint Check they can be called out by the referee or by a player reporting their movement to the referee.

6. Predetermine the length of the game. Most games run 30 to 60 minutes, with 45 minutes being the average. The Referee will be the one who keeps track of the time. By setting time limits you make for a more aggressive game. If no one wins, who cares, go on to the next game and try some new strategy. Have Rest periods between games. Predetermine their length and have the referee keep track of the time. The Rest Periods allow the players to refresh themselves, to talk over the game that they have just played, to reload ammunition and Co2 gas, and to clean or repair equipment.

7. If the game is a flag game, only one player is permitted to guard the flag at the station. If the guardian gets eliminated from the game, s/he leaves the flag at the point where s/he got shot.

8. A player is not allowed to move together with the barricades.

9. Whether “Dead Man Walking - DMW” is allowed or not needs to be predetermined by the teams. DMW is when a player, although not hit, walks alongside players who got shot and are walking out of the game field. This deception gives him/her the advantage to change his/her shelter or to get nearer to the rivals.

10. “Dead Man Silent” is when a player gets hit and walks out of the field. During this walk s/he is not allowed to speak to any of the players. A marked player is to walk out of the field and to report immediately to the referee for a paint check.

11. All paintballs used at the tournament must be purchased from the referee. No carry-on paintballs allowed. The game does not stop during this interaction. The referee leaves the paintballs to the player and walks away. The player runs the risk of getting hit while purchasing the paintballs.

12. Paintballs purchased cannot be reimbursed.

13. Every team has a captain. At the meeting, captains will receive any final instructions and written notice of rules. After the game, captains of both teams attend the calculation of the points done by the referee.

14. Team captains have to waive to the referee, in order for the game to begin. The referee blows the whistle and the game commences officially.

15. Set up the Boundaries of the playing field. Be sure that all players and the referee’s) understand where they’re located. The rules are: During the playing of a game, any player’s) caught outside of the boundaries is/are out of the current game and are to leave the play field area at once. Any and all shots fired from outside the Boundaries do not count. No leaving and returning to the playing field during a game. Once your outside the Boundaries your out of the game. Only the game players and the Referee(s) are allowed on the playing field during the playing of a game. If an unauthorized person enters the playing field the game is to come to an immediate stop until that person leaves the playing field. Set up the field Boundaries so that any stray flying marking pellets (paintballs) do not strike any other persons personal property, such as houses, cars, etc..

16. A team will be disqualified if any player enters or attempts to enter a playing field for a game without having signed a waiver.

The wait is finally over as the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) is pleased to answer the requests of thousands who have been begging for an event in the center of the United States.  The NPPL is pleased to announce the fourth event of the 2007 season will be held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on September 21 – 23, 2007!    While there are many factors that come into play when selecting venues, the league has been working hard on finding locations that are spread out evenly across the nation.  This season’s kick off event; held on the beach in Huntington Beach, California earlier this year was a massive success. 

The series then traveled to the opposite coast and held a huge event in Tampa, Florida in May outside of Raymond James Stadium.  Due to popular demand, the NPPL will return to the Northeast, to a venue outside of Boston, Massachusetts July 13 – 15 for Event #3 and now the league is pleased to announce a brand new venue located in the center of America’s Heartland in

Kemper Arena is located only a few minutes outside of downtown Kansas City and only ten minutes from The Country Club Plaza .

July 12, 2007 (Thursday):Team Registration and Field Walking.  Trade Show open all day.            July 13, 2007 (Friday):Preliminary games run from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm.  Trade Show open all day.            July 14, 2007 (Saturday): Preliminary games run from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm.  Pro Teams play from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.  Trade Show open all day.            July 15, 2007 (Sunday):

Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Semis and Finals for all Divisions from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm.  Trade Show open until 3:00 pm.

The address is:

Brockton Fairgrounds

I thought I would start the day writing about where you can play paintball locally.

One such place is Field 51 in Gorham, Maine. If you are looking for a scenario paintball game that will last you a lifetime, then this is definitely one place you need to check out.

(UTC -05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

All you have to do is check out their website for directions and all other information. Also, check out the pics, there is something that makes this field stand out…the Spaceship.

If you want a great day of paintball play, love to play woodsball or just want to go for a ride. Stop in and check it out. Remember to thank the owners for giving us such a great place to play.