Ultimate Arena Paintball League

The Ultimate Arena Paintball League (UAPL) was a United States three-player paintball competition associated with the television programme Ultimate Arena Paintball. Developed by promoter Milt Call and television producer Duke Ellinger, the project combined an open-entry competition with the professional World Paintball League (WPL) and televised tournaments filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1][2]

History

Development and television debut

The arena concept developed from the Ultimate Madness three-player indoor tournament, promoted by Milt Call and Paul “PGP” Bollenbach. Call subsequently worked with Duke Ellinger, president of Paintball Television Productions, to develop a television programme around the format.[1]

Ultimate Arena Paintball began airing on Superstation WGN in April 2005. Its initial programmes introduced viewers to paintball, its equipment and terminology before the planned transition to league competition.[1]

Contemporary television-industry reporting also identified the programme as part of WGN's programming plans and described its professional competition as the 24-team World Paintball League.[3]

Las Vegas competition

By January 2006, WARPIG reported that six tournaments had been held at the Sports Center of Las Vegas. The competition was filmed in high definition, and Call and Ellinger had established an editing facility to produce the programmes.[2]

The regular league competition's 2006 television premiere was announced for 7 January at 18:00 Eastern Time on WGN. This followed the programme's earlier broadcasts in 2005.[2]

UAPL and World Paintball League

The May 2005 announcement distinguished two related competitions:[1]

World Paintball League (WPL): the professional competition, comprising 24 teams divided into three conferences of eight.
Ultimate Arena Paintball League (UAPL): an open-entry feeder competition intended to provide a route into the professional WPL.

The announced WPL structure provided for the leading two teams from each conference and two wildcard teams to reach the season finals. It also proposed replacing the bottom two teams in each conference with leading UAPL teams.[1]

These arrangements described the announced competition structure; they should be distinguished from individually verified promotion, relegation or championship results.

Later reporting also used UAPL more broadly when discussing the televised tournament project.[2]

Playing format

The competition used three-player teams and a centre flag inside a portable, fully netted arena containing inflatable bunkers. Netting extended over the playing area, allowing the arena to be used indoors or outdoors.[1]

The format emphasised short games and elimination-bracket competition, with successful teams appearing repeatedly as they advanced.[1]

Television production

WARPIG's January 2006 report described the professional WPL as the principal focus of the television coverage. Its teams included players familiar from NPPL, PSP and NXL competition.[2]

According to Call's account in that report, WGN carried the programme as advertising-supported programming rather than requiring its producers to purchase the airtime. New Saturday episodes and Sunday repeat broadcasts were announced for the first half of 2006.[2]

Contemporary newspaper television listings independently document Ultimate Arena Paintball in WGN's schedule during 2006.[4]

References