1996 NPPL season
The 1996 NPPL season was the fourth season of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL). Its completed United States tournaments comprised Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the New York Cup and World Cup. New York replaced the cancelled European Cup originally planned for Britain.[1][2][3][4]
The All Americans are recorded as the professional 10-player season champions by Paintball Win Count and as professional five-player season champions in historical reporting. Chicago Aftershock won the professional 10-player World Cup.[5][6][7]
Calendar
[edit]The following table identifies the completed United States events. Exact dates are included where established by the cited contemporary records.[1][2][3][4]
| Event | Dates established here | Venue or location |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Open | — | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Pittsburgh Open | — | Urban Assault, near McDonald, Pennsylvania |
| Chicago Open | 26–30 June 1996 | Badlandz, Illinois |
| New York Cup | — | Survival New York, Plattekill, New York |
| World Cup | 23–27 October 1996 | Paintball World, Kissimmee, Florida |
The dashes indicate that exact dates have not been established from the sources used here.
New York Cup and NPPL affiliation
[edit]Tim Tighe's contemporary report described the New York Cup as part of the NPPL circuit. It stated that Jerry Braun arranged the tournament at short notice following cancellation of the European Cup, the league's planned British event.[1]
ClassicScores instead files the New York Cup under independent events. The contemporary report provides direct evidence for including it in the NPPL season overview.[1][2]
The three-day New York tournament attracted 28 teams and used large woodland fields at Survival New York. Image won professional 10-player competition with 63 final-round points, ahead of GBD on 48. OBR won amateur 10-player with three maximum-scoring final-round games and 300 points.[1]
Professional event results
[edit]The following winners are recorded in contemporary reporting, ClassicScores and historical summaries.[1][2][3][5][6][7]
| Event | Professional 10-player winner | Professional five-player winner |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Open | All Americans | All Americans |
| Pittsburgh Open | Ironmen | Image |
| Chicago Open | Ironmen | All Americans |
| New York Cup | Image | All Americans |
| World Cup | Chicago Aftershock | All Americans |
The Ironmen's Pittsburgh victory came with 224 final-round points, five ahead of Aftershock. Image won professional five-player with 142 points, ahead of Rage on 124.[3]
Selected amateur results
[edit]The following amateur victories are documented in ClassicScores, contemporary Pittsburgh and New York reporting, and WARPIG's World Cup results.[1][2][3][7]
| Event | Amateur 10-player winner | Amateur five-player winner |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Open | Enemy | — |
| Pittsburgh Open | Fusion | Nobodys |
| New York Cup | OBR | Lockout |
| World Cup | All Americans, amateur entry | — |
These are selected verified results rather than a complete amateur season table. Highlanders also won Pittsburgh's novice five-player competition.[2]
Season championships
[edit]Paintball Win Count identifies the All Americans as the 1996 professional 10-player series champions. The historical chronology “81 Moments that Shaped Paintball” separately records their professional five-player series title.[5][6]
| Competition | Documented season champion |
|---|---|
| Professional 10-player | All Americans |
| Professional five-player | All Americans |
These season titles were separate from the World Cup tournament championships.
World Cup
[edit]Aftershock won professional 10-player World Cup with 237 points, ahead of Bad Company on 230, Washington Reign on 221 and Rage on 215.[7]
The All Americans' amateur entry won amateur 10-player with 222 final-round points. WARPIG distinguished that entry from the organisation's professional team.[7]
References
[edit]- Tim Tighe, “In New York? It's Gotta Be Big!”, Paintball Sports, December 1996, pp. 28–38. Contemporary report documenting the European Cup cancellation, New York's NPPL affiliation and 10-player results.
- ClassicScores – 1996 Las Vegas Open and Pittsburgh Open under NPPL; New York Cup under Independent Events.
- “Upwardly Mobile: The NPPL Pittsburgh Open”, Paintball Games International, July 1996, pp. 34–37 and 40. Contemporary tournament report and final-round results.
- NPPL “Tournament Series Information” advertisement, Paintball Games International, July 1996, p. 49. Advertised Chicago and World Cup dates; “Calendar of Events”, Paintball Sports, August 1996, identifies Badlandz as the Chicago venue.
- Paintball Win Count – NPPL 10 Man, 1996 event and professional series-champion index.
- “History of Paintball”, reproduced on Automags.org from “81 Moments that Shaped Paintball”, Paintball 2Xtremes, June 2005. Entry 53 records the All Americans' five-player victories and 1996 series championship.
- WARPIG – 1996 NPPL World Cup, Sunday coverage, 27 October 1996. Professional and amateur 10-player results.