Editing European Classic Paintball League

The '''European Classic Paintball League''' ('''ECPL''') is a tournament [[paintball]] league holding classic ten-player events in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. It was publicly announced in January 2020, with its first event documented at Warped Sports in Cosford in September that year.[1][2][3]

== History ==

=== Launch and first event, 2020 ===

A launch announcement published by Truternology by Nicky T on 17 January 2020 introduced the ECPL as a series of ten-player classic tournaments using mechanical-marker or 5.5-balls-per-second rules across hyperball, woodland and mound fields. It advertised events at Skirmish Nottingham, Warped Cosford and Mayhem Essex.[1]

The announced programme differed from the events subsequently held. An organiser retrospective identifies September at Warped in Cosford as the league's only event of 2020, with Open competition on Saturday and Pro on Sunday. Mayhem Tigers' own account identifies their Open victory at the first event on 19 September 2020.[2][3]

=== Documented competition before 2024 ===

The [[2023 Skirmish Shield]] opened the 2023 season on 19 March at Skirmish Pro Training Centre. The organiser's report records nine teams playing ten-player classic paintball, with an additional 100 series points available for the fastest game of the day.[4][5]

=== Seasons, 2024–2026 ===

The [[2024 European Classic Paintball League|2024 season]] consisted of the Skirmish Shield, Grand Central Classic, Warped Classic Cup and British ICPL, all held in the United Kingdom. Sandbaggers won Pro with 388 points and Warped Tactical won Amateur with 396. A contemporary Just Paintball report of the British ICPL recorded the season's conclusion and Sandbaggers receiving championship rings.[6][7]

The [[2025 European Classic Paintball League|2025 season]] included the same four British events and GCO The Awakening at PaintballFabrik in Simmern, Germany. Rushers won Pro with 396 points and UK Redskins won Amateur with 392. The best four event scores counted towards each team's season total.[8][9]

The official [[2026 European Classic Paintball League|2026 championship]] calendar lists four numbered rounds at Nottingham Skirmish, Warped, CPPS and Mayhem. Its published standings combine teams labelled Pro and Amateur in one ranking order. Rushers finished first with 394 points, The Expendables second with 318 and Corruption third with 300.[10][11][12][13]

== Competition format ==

ECPL's documented formats include classic ten-player competition on different field types. Its launch announcement specified mechanical-marker or 5.5-balls-per-second rules. A later league feature describes woodland, hyperball and mound fields among the settings used.[1][14]

The classification and scoring systems have varied. The 2020 event used Open and Pro divisions; the 2024 and 2025 season tables list separate Pro and Amateur championships. The 2026 table publishes a combined ranking with tier labels. Individual event scores are distinct from the ranking points used in season standings.[2][6][8][10]

== Selected season results ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Season !! Published classification !! First place !! Points
|-
| [[2024 European Classic Paintball League|2024]] || Pro || Sandbaggers || 388
|-
| 2024 || Amateur || Warped Tactical || 396
|-
| [[2025 European Classic Paintball League|2025]] || Pro || Rushers || 396
|-
| 2025 || Amateur || UK Redskins || 392
|-
| [[2026 European Classic Paintball League|2026]] || Combined ECPL ranking || Rushers || 394
|}

The table covers the verified published season standings for 2024–2026.[6][8][10]

== Season articles ==

* [[2024 European Classic Paintball League]]
* [[2025 European Classic Paintball League]]
* [[2026 European Classic Paintball League]]

== See also ==

* [[International Classic Paintball League]]
* [[Central Premier Paintball Series]]
* [[Paintball in the United Kingdom]]

== References ==

# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCnsAsaN8sM Truternology by Nicky T, “European Classic Paintball League | ECPL 2020”, YouTube, 17 January 2020] — launch announcement, advertised calendar and format.
# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBIZEK9UsTs Truternology by Nicky T, “2020 ECPL | Classic Paintball | Warped Weekend Highlight Reel”, YouTube, 24 October 2021] — retrospective identifying the only 2020 event and its Open/Pro schedule.
# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUK2mKxN3X4 Mayhem Tigers, first-event Open-division account, YouTube, 29 January 2021] — victory at Warped Sports, Cosford, on 19 September 2020.
# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7dbxoXy6jI Truternology by Nicky T, “2023 Skirmish Shield | ECPL | 10-Man Classic Paintball”, YouTube, 8 April 2023] — playing date and venue.
# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0K8YE40vbg Truternology by Nicky T, “2023 Skirmish Shield | 10-man Classic Paintball | ECPL”, YouTube, 21 April 2023] — organiser report of participation and fastest-game bonus.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/555/seasonRankings/2024 “2024 Season Rankings: European Classic Paintball League”, PBLeagues].
# [https://www.justpaintball.co.uk/blogs/news/2024-british-icpl-mayhem-ecpl “2024 British ICPL | Mayhem ECPL”, Just Paintball, 8 August 2024].
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/555/seasonRankings/2025 “2025 Season Rankings: European Classic Paintball League”, PBLeagues] — standings and best-four scoring rule.
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/9040/info “2025 GCO The Awakening”, PBLeagues] — German venue and season calendar.
# [https://www.okpb.co.uk/cpps/rest/results?leagueid=2 ECPL official results feed, 2026 section] — combined rankings and points.
# [https://www.okpb.co.uk/cpps/rest/events?leagueid=2 ECPL official event calendar, 2026].
# [https://www.justpaintball.co.uk/pages/events “Events”, Just Paintball, 2026 calendar] — Nottingham Skirmish, Warped and Mayhem events.
# [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqIj1hjJqDI Jinxys Adventures, “Rushers Paintball Team ECPL At The CPPS”, YouTube, 2 August 2026] — Round 3 at CPPS.
# [https://www.justpaintball.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-the-ecpl “What is the ECPL?”, Just Paintball, 23 April 2025].

== External links ==

* [https://ecpl.ukpl.co.uk/ Official ECPL website and results].
* [https://www.facebook.com/TheECPL Official ECPL Facebook page].
* [https://pbleagues.com/leagues/555 PBLeagues event archive].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCnsAsaN8sM January 2020 launch announcement].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBIZEK9UsTs September 2020 Warped event footage].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5QdbBqq0Jg 2024 British ICPL: Onemanmedia coverage].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11csbzcXbaw 2025 Skirmish Shield: Onemanmedia coverage].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqIj1hjJqDI 2026 Round 3: Rushers at CPPS].
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4dgAAc3KRY 2026 Round 4: Mayhem footage].

[[Category:Paintball leagues]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Paintball in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Paintball in Europe]]