Admin: Create sourced article on the 2002 NPPL Chicago Open, covering restored NPPL sanctioning, venue changes, seven divisions of results and significant tie-breaks; cross-check all top-four placements against ClassicScores.

2026-10-31T16:35:01Z

Create sourced article on the 2002 NPPL Chicago Open, covering restored NPPL sanctioning, venue changes, seven divisions of results and significant tie-breaks; cross-check all top-four placements against ClassicScores.

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The '''2002 NPPL Chicago Open''' was a [[paintball]] tournament held from 19 to 23 June 2002 at [[Badlandz Paintball Field]] in Crete, Illinois, United States. Produced by [[Paintball Sports Promotions]] (PSP), it featured five-player and ten-player competitions sanctioned by the [[National Professional Paintball League]] (NPPL).[1]

The [[Ironmen (Southern California)|Southern California Ironmen]] won the professional ten-player division, ahead of [[Bob Long's Ironmen]], [[Team Strange|Strange]] and [[San Diego Dynasty]].[2]

== Organisation and venue ==
The Chicago Open followed the agreement restoring NPPL sanctioning to PSP's remaining 2002 tournaments after the unsanctioned [[2002 PSP Las Vegas Open|Las Vegas Open]].[4]

Competition used constructed concept fields rather than woodland playing areas. Venue changes included revised parking arrangements, relocated registration and exhibition facilities, and improved access to the compressed-air station.[1]

Five-player competition offered Amateur, Novice and Rookie divisions, with no professional division. Referees included PRO officials and Brimstone Smoke.[1]

== Five-player results ==
Final-round totals are taken from WARPIG's contemporary scoreboard. ClassicScores records the same placements.[3][5]

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Place !! Team !! Final-round points
|-
| rowspan="4" | Amateur
| 1 || Shocktech Dumb || 208
|-
| 2 || Boston Paintball || 146
|-
| 3 || Shocktech Dumber || 118
|-
| 4 || Warped Army || 32
|-
| rowspan="4" | Novice
| 1 || [[Tippmann Effect]] || 244
|-
| 2 || Absolut || 162
|-
| 3 || Aces Wild || 132
|-
| 4 || Phalanx || 90
|-
| rowspan="4" | Rookie
| 1 || Da Boyz || 186
|-
| 2 || Templars II || 186
|-
| 3 || Total Control || 134
|-
| 4 || Demon Extreme || 56
|}

Da Boyz and Templars II finished level on points. Da Boyz won the title through the head-to-head tie-break, having defeated Templars II 96–8.[1][3]

Tippmann Effect won all three Novice final-round games, finishing 82 points ahead of Absolut. Shocktech Dumb won Amateur despite losing its game against runner-up Boston Paintball.[3]

== Ten-player results ==
Final-round totals are taken from WARPIG's contemporary scoreboard. ClassicScores records the same placements.[2][5]

{| class="wikitable"
! Division !! Place !! Team !! Final-round points
|-
| rowspan="4" | Professional
| 1 || [[Ironmen (Southern California)|Southern California Ironmen]] || 194
|-
| 2 || [[Bob Long's Ironmen]] || 125
|-
| 3 || [[Team Strange|Strange]] || 120
|-
| 4 || [[San Diego Dynasty]] || 118
|-
| rowspan="4" | Amateur
| 1 || [[Baltimore Trauma|Trauma]] || 214
|-
| 2 || Farside || 125
|-
| 3 || [[Naughty Dogs]] || 116
|-
| 4 || Warped Kids || 32
|-
| rowspan="4" | Novice
| 1 || Naughty Dogs Silver || 207
|-
| 2 || Justice || 202
|-
| 3 || Cartel || 113
|-
| 4 || Static || 36
|-
| rowspan="4" | Rookie
| 1 || Static AKA || 288
|-
| 2 || Ultra Ego || 117
|-
| 3 || Blind Aggression || 116
|-
| 4 || Team Fraction || 36
|}

=== Professional competition ===
Bob Long's Ironmen led the preliminary round with 771 points, seven ahead of the Southern California Ironmen. All Americans, Avalanche and Bad Company tied on 601 points for the final two qualifying positions. A surviving-player tie-break advanced All Americans and Bad Company, eliminating Avalanche.[1][2]

The Southern California Ironmen defeated Bob Long's Ironmen 94–12 and Dynasty 92–16 in the final round, then lost 8–96 to Strange. Their 194-point total secured first place.[2]

=== Amateur, Novice and Rookie competition ===
Trauma led both the Amateur preliminary round and semi-finals before winning the tournament. Naughty Dogs Silver won Novice by five points over Justice. Static AKA won all three Rookie final-round games.[2]

== See also ==
* [[National Professional Paintball League]]
* [[Paintball Sports Promotions]]
* [[Badlandz Paintball Field]]
* [[2001 NPPL Chicago Open]]
* [[2002 PSP Las Vegas Open]]

== References ==
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2002/chicago/index.shtml NPPL Chicago Open 2002: Contemporary tournament report]. ''WARPIG'', 19–23 June 2002.
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2002/chicago/10pre.shtml Chicago NPPL 2002: Ten-player Scoreboard]. ''WARPIG'', June 2002.
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2002/chicago/5fin.shtml Chicago NPPL 2002: Five-player Semi-final and Finals Scoreboard]. ''WARPIG'', June 2002.
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/articles/news/052202_NPPL_PSP_rejoin.shtml NPPL and PSP Get Back Together]. Bill Mills, ''WARPIG'', 22 May 2002.
# [https://www.classicscores.com/ ClassicScores historical tournament results], 2002 NPPL Chicago Open.

[[Category:National Professional Paintball League events]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United States]]
[[Category:Paintball tournament results]]
[[Category:Paintball in Illinois]]
[[Category:2000s in American paintball]]
[[Category:2002 in paintball]]

2002 NPPL Chicago Open - Revision history

Admin: Create sourced article on the 2002 NPPL Chicago Open, covering restored NPPL sanctioning, venue changes, seven divisions of results and significant tie-breaks; cross-check all top-four placements against ClassicScores.