Are you ready to head out for your first day of paintball? While the basics
of the game are simple… go out and eliminate the opposing team… there are some
basic rules and equipment orientation necessary for everyone’s safety and
fun. Every established and reputable paintball field will provide a
general safety and rules briefing prior to gameplay so this is not intended to
replace that. LISTEN TO THE FIELD STAFF’S SAFETY BRIEFING! This article
will cover some universal and common sense concepts that need to be adhered to.
Other articles will cover paintball equipment in depth but the basic paintball
equipment you need is:
- A Paintball Gun, also known as a Paintball Marker.
- A certified Paintball Mask, also known as a Paintball Goggle.
1. Your goggles go on and stay on as soon as you step on the field! No
exceptions!
The above statement cannot be over-emphasized! The game of
paintball involves a lot of projectiles flying through the air and your
goggle/ facemask combo is vitally important to keeping your peepers in place.
Your goggle and facemask combo features an industry-certified lens and a
facemask that covers the cheekbone, nose, mouth and ears. A reputable
paintball field will have plenty of signage telling you in no uncertain terms
at what point goggles must go on and stay on. Your goggles never come
off until you have exited past this point. There are no exceptions, there is no
further discussion on this point. YOUR GOGGLES STAY ON YOUR HEAD, PERIOD!
Put your goggles on well before the first game to test for fit and comfort.
If it seems uncomfortably tight then loosen the strap a little bit at a time
until it is not so tight. Now give your head a few vigorous shakes and
nods. Did the mask slip left or right, up or down? If it did, then you’ll need
to tighten it up a bit. Most masks come with chinstraps; it is highly recommended
to wear it adjust to the proper length. It doesn’t need to be snug against your
skin but enough that it won’t slip past your chin and mouth.
Once in game, leave your goggles on no matter what happens. When you get
hit and are instructed to leave the field, leave them on. If your goggles fog
up and you cannot see, never lift them up for a clear view. Do the best you can
and if you simply cannot safely continue then call yourself out, hold your
marker in the air and head off the field. If you can’t see enough to get off
the field then call for a referee, field staff or teammate to help you. They
stay on until you reach the signs telling you that you’re in a safe area and
can take them off. If you’re not sure you have reached the safe area you
always default to leaving them on. If you see a player take their goggles off,
yell at them to put them back on.
While a very rare occurrence, sometimes players fall down and their goggles
get knocked off their face, or a tree branch snags the visor and lifts them
off. If this occurs to you, immediately drop everything; cover your eyes
completely with one hand and drop to the ground, surrounding your face
with your other arm. Once on the ground start yelling for a referee or, if the
safety briefing was thorough, yell whatever the field staff instructed you to
yell (often “blindman” or “goggles”).
2. Use
your barrel blocking device!
After goggles the barrel blocking device is the next most important
piece of paintball gear. They come in two forms, a plug or a cover. A barrel
plug is simply a rubber, plastic or metal with o-rings block that
fits snugly into the muzzle end of the paintball marker. A barrel cover (also
known as barrel bags, barrel sheaths or barrel condoms) is a tough sewn sheath
of material that slips over the muzzle and is secured via a long drawstring
pulled over the far end of the marker. The purpose of the barrel blocking
device is to ensure that when in place no paintball can leave the muzzle of the
marker.
Your barrel plug or barrel cover remains on your marker at all times when
you are in a ‘goggles off’ area. The barrel blocking device is there to prevent
injury in case of an accidental marker discharge while players are in a
safe zone. The only time a barrel cover should ever come off while your marker
is pressurized is when you are on the playing field. It doesn’t matter if your
marker’s safety catch was on or if you have the muzzle pointed at the ground…
MAKE SURE YOUR BARREL BLOCKER IS ON THE MUZZLE WHEN OFF THE PLAYING FIELD!
If using a barrel
cover, make sure that it is in good condition and not frayed or tearing. When
slipped over the muzzle it needs to be snugly secured around the rear of the
marker by its retaining line or strap. If using a barrel plug, make sure that
it fits snugly and that both the plug and the barrel are clean of slippery
broken paintball fill. Ill fitted barrel plugs in a slick barrel have been
known to shoot out of a muzzle with considerable force. For that reason, barrel
covers are the preferred muzzle safety system.
3. Treat your paintball marker with respect!
You need to treat a paintball marker with respect to safety. While
paintball is a safe sport there is common sense and easy to follow procedures
that need to be adhered to.
A) Treat any paintball marker you
see as loaded! In other words, always assume that a paintball
marker will fire a paintball if the trigger is pulled. Often a player will
unload their hopper but a ball is still in the breech or the air tank is
removed but a single shot’s worth of air is retained in the regulator.
B) Watch where the muzzle is
pointed! The muzzle is the business end of a paintball gun, the
end of the barrel where the paintball comes out. Always be aware of which
direction it is pointed. The only safe direction a muzzle should be pointed,
even with a barrel blocking device in place, is down at the ground or held high
and pointed upwards. Even during the middle of a game you should be aware of
what direction your muzzle is pointed, as accidentally shooting a teammate is
downright irresponsible.
C) Keep your fingers off the trigger
until ready to shoot! Most paintball markers have a safety
catch that when engaged will prevent the marker from firing. Some do not.
Whether or not your particular marker has one and if it’s in use, you always
keep your fingers out of the trigger guard area and completely off the trigger until
ready to shoot.
D) Chronograph
your marker! A reputable paintball field will have a
chronograph, which is a device that measures the speed of the paintball. Velocity (speed which the paintball is fired)
should be set within safe limits. Follow your instruction manual for the proper
procedure to raise or lower your velocity. It is best to set it a bit lower
than the field maximum.
Occasionally a paintball breaks in the barrel or breech of the marker. When
this happens the marker will be extremely inaccurate
and is more likely to continue breaking paintballs. The easiest way to tell is,
with finger off the trigger and goggles on in the play area or target practice
range, stick your finger in the end of the barrel. If it comes out covered in
wet paint fill then you broke a ball at one point. Use a paintball squeegee to
clean the barrel.
Sometimes a paintball breaks inside the hopper. The hopper is the storage
device you pour paintballs into, that in turn feeds them to the gun. Look
inside the hopper and feel around. If it feels a bit greasy that is okay, but
if it is wet with paint fill then it needs to be thoroughly cleaned out.
If the distance your marker shoots paintballs is well shorter than everyone
else then your velocity is too low. A marker with a low velocity puts you at a
severe disadvantage because of the shorter range you can shoot your opponents
and that the paintball is more likely to bounce off instead of break when you
do hit them. If you think this is the case then go to the chronograph and recheck
your marker’s speed.
Again, these are basic universal safety procedures but are no substitute
for the paintball field’s safety orientation. An established field will usually
have other safety rules particular to their given location or game style. Pay
attention and never be afraid to ask the paintball field staff for
clarification or more information!
