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Paintball - History of Paintball

The history of paintball goes back to 12 people, Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, Charles Gaines and nine others .

War games have been around since ancient times. These war games are used to prepare an army for battle or the beginning of a surprise attack. Since people are not able to use real guns in this game, Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, Charles Gaines and nine others decided to play this game by using markers that were originally used to tag cattle and trees. It is recorded in history books that the game of paintball originated back in 1981.

Later on, markers were used to shoot paintballs at other players. The bullets used for each shot is a .68 caliber gelatin capsule which comes in various colors so that one team can distinguish the shots they fire from those of the opposition. Anyone that gets hit by a paintball is history and out of the game.

Paintball has evolved through the years and can be played in several different ways.

In one version of the game teams have one flag each and the other team must capture that flag in order to win. Another game has the same objective as the first will except there is only one flag that is situated in the center of the field and each team tries to be the first to capture it. The other way of winning (other than capturing the flag) would be to eliminate all of the players of the opposing team with paintball hits or by way of surrender.

Recreational paintball can be played on a small scale which is what has created its huge popularity. Paintball history points to the fact that in the original form it was played in a wooded area of varying sizes can be played in an area the size of a basketball court where available space is limited.

If the field of play is a very large area and there are a large number of people participating the game is called a scenario. A great event in paintball history was the largest scenario ever. This was in 2005 on a 700 acre parcel of land with 3,000 participants.

When a player who participates in a competition sanctioned by a governing body that competition is called a tournament. Generally teams are comprised of 3 to 10 players each. Rules during such events vary depending on the venue or league so people should check before entering the tournament.

For the safety of those who participate in these events, protective gear is required for each player. It consists of a helmet, chest pad, gloves, knee and elbow pads. The guns used are only allowed to fire a maximum of 300 feet per second.

Paintball is one game that is gaining ground in the sports world. According to a study done in 2005 it is ranked as the third most popular extreme game in the world. It is considered a safe sport as long as proper equipment is used and people comply with the rules. People who are interested can sign up at the local club and join in the fun.

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