New Zealand Paintball Players Association (NZPPA)

The New Zealand Paintball Players Association (NZPPA) was a New Zealand sporting association concerned with the development, promotion, safety and regulation of paintball. The organisation represented the interests of paintball players and worked to establish communication between the paintball community, commercial operators and government authorities.

The NZPPA was associated with efforts to improve the legal and regulatory environment for paintball, develop consistent tournament standards and promote the growth of the sport.

A New Zealand Paintball Players Association was incorporated in December 1992, with its subsequent dissolution recorded in the New Zealand Gazette in December 2000.[1][2] A later phase of NZPPA activity began in 2001, with Martin Dannefaerd identifying himself as one of the people responsible for establishing the association during that period.[3]

The association was publicly identified as a source of information about paintball safety in the New Zealand Police Arms Code. The 2013 edition of that publication referred readers to the NZPPA and described the voluntary safety practices used by commercial paintball operators.[4]

People associated with the NZPPA included Dannefaerd and Rob Maddox, who served as secretary during the early 2000s.

History

Early association, 1992–2000

The name New Zealand Paintball Players Association appears in New Zealand incorporated-society records dating to 1992.

A historical company and society register identifies New Zealand Paintball Players Association (Incorporated) as registered on 10 December 1992, under registration number 557494.[1]

The recorded address was in Christchurch.

The registration demonstrates that attempts to establish a formal organisation representing paintball players in New Zealand predated the original National Paintball League, which began competition in 1997.

The original association's founders, membership, constitution and activities during the 1990s have not been established from surviving contemporary paintball publications.

Dissolution in 2000

On 14 December 2000, the New Zealand Gazette published a notice concerning the dissolution of incorporated societies under section 28(1) of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

The notice listed New Zealand Paintball Players Association (Incorporated), registration number 557494, among societies dissolved with effect from 7 December 2000.[2]

The notice stated that the organisations concerned were no longer carrying on their operations.

This establishes the legal dissolution of the association registered under that number.

The surviving records do not explain its internal circumstances or whether individual members continued informal activities after dissolution.

Reorganisation in 2001

A subsequent phase of NZPPA activity began in 2001.

Martin Dannefaerd, a New Zealand paintball player and organiser, identifies himself in his professional history as a founder of the NZPPA in August 2001.[3]

Dannefaerd describes the organisation as having been formed by a small group of players and paintball industry participants.

Its stated aims were to encourage grassroots participation in paintball as a sport and to provide a channel for communication between the paintball community and government agencies.

These agencies included New Zealand Police, Customs and other authorities whose decisions affected paintball equipment and commercial operations.

Dannefaerd's account records his involvement from August 2001 to October 2010.

The relationship between this phase of the association and the organisation dissolved in December 2000 has not been established.

The available evidence does not conclusively show whether the earlier society was reinstated, a new society was incorporated, or a group adopted the existing organisational name.

Activities during the early 2000s

During the early 2000s, the NZPPA was active in discussions concerning paintball regulation, tournament organisation and the development of the sport.

Its activities were described in contemporary articles published by Paintball.co.nz, an early New Zealand paintball information website.

These included an interview with NZPPA president Martin Dannefaerd in 2003 and an article by former association secretary Rob Maddox in February 2004.[5]

The articles discussed the challenges facing paintball players, the role of the association and the importance of developing recognised organisational structures.

They also described efforts to improve communication between players, commercial operators and regulatory authorities.

Objectives

The NZPPA's documented objectives encompassed several areas of paintball activity.

Grassroots participation

The association sought to support the growth of recreational and competitive paintball in New Zealand.

Dannefaerd described grassroots development as a central objective of the organisation established in 2001.[3]

This included encouraging participation, improving access to information and supporting the development of local playing communities.

The NZPPA's approach recognised that organised paintball involved both players participating in recreational games and teams competing in tournaments.

Representation

The association aimed to provide a collective means of communicating with government agencies and other institutions.

Individual players and commercial operators could have limited influence when responding separately to proposed regulatory changes.

A national organisation could provide authorities with a point of contact for information about paintball equipment, sporting practices and safety arrangements.

The NZPPA's relationship with public authorities was particularly relevant because paintball markers were regulated as airguns under New Zealand firearms legislation.

Tournament standards

The NZPPA was involved in efforts to develop more consistent rules and procedures for organised tournament paintball.

Tournament organisers in New Zealand had historically used a variety of rule sets, including adaptations of Australian and North American paintball regulations.

The association's activities included discussion of common competition standards, event administration and refereeing.

Sporting recognition

The NZPPA also pursued recognition of paintball as an organised sport.

This included consideration of requirements for formal sporting organisations and the development of a representative structure that could interact with national sporting institutions.

Rob Maddox's 2004 account referred to efforts involving Sport and Recreation New Zealand.[5]

The surviving article provides evidence that recognition was an association objective. It does not independently establish that the NZPPA ultimately obtained recognition or government funding.

Paintball regulation

Arms Act

Paintball markers were regulated under New Zealand's firearms legislation, principally the Arms Act 1983 and associated regulations.

Paintball equipment was generally treated as airguns.

Although designed for use in recreational and competitive sport, paintball markers were therefore subject to rules governing the possession, importation and use of airguns.

The NZPPA sought to represent the interests of players and commercial operators in discussions concerning the interpretation and administration of those rules.

Relationship with New Zealand Police

Communication with New Zealand Police was an important part of the association's regulatory role.

The Police administered the Arms Act and had responsibilities relating to firearms licensing, airguns and the importation of regulated equipment.

Paintball's defining activity involved participants deliberately firing paint-filled projectiles at one another under controlled conditions.

This distinguished the sport from conventional target shooting.

The need to explain organised paintball and its safety procedures to the authorities created a role for an organisation representing the sport.

Recognition in the Arms Code

The New Zealand Police Arms Code, a firearms safety manual, included a section explaining paintball airguns.

The 2013 edition described commercial paintball fields as places where organised games and competitions were held.

It also stated that operators followed a voluntary safety code.[4]

The publication directed readers seeking additional information to the New Zealand Paintball Players Association Incorporated.

The manual listed the association's website as paintball.org.nz.

A contact address using the domain paintball.gen.nz also appeared in the publication.

The 2013 edition was based on an earlier revision of the Arms Code, and its inclusion of the NZPPA does not independently prove the association remained legally incorporated in 2013.

Nevertheless, the official publication documents the association's recognition as a source of information on paintball safety and field practices.

Importation of paintball markers

The importation of paintball equipment was an area of concern for New Zealand players and suppliers.

Different paintball markers incorporated different firing mechanisms and external configurations, potentially affecting their treatment under firearms legislation.

Questions involving semi-automatic markers, electronic firing systems and marker appearance created uncertainty for some players and businesses.

The NZPPA's activities included communication about the regulatory treatment and importation of paintball equipment.

Maddox's February 2004 article discussed the association's involvement in matters affecting marker ownership and imports.[5]

The article represents his account of the association's activities rather than an official decision by New Zealand Police or Customs.

Changes to legislation

The association operated during a period when paintball equipment technology was changing.

Tournament markers increasingly incorporated electronic triggers, adjustable firing modes and compressed-air systems.

The distinction between sporting paintball markers and other regulated airguns was therefore relevant to the community.

NZPPA members sought to ensure that authorities had information about the practical use of paintball equipment and the safety arrangements associated with organised games.

The surviving association material does not establish that the NZPPA was solely responsible for any particular legislative amendment.

Compressed-air equipment

Development of high-pressure air

Compressed-air systems became increasingly common in tournament paintball during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Earlier paintball equipment primarily used carbon dioxide.

Tournament players subsequently adopted high-pressure air systems, commonly operating with cylinders rated to 3,000 psi or 4,500 psi.

The introduction of these systems created questions about equipment certification, periodic testing and the operation of filling stations.

Cylinder testing and certification

Compressed-gas cylinders used for paintball were subject to New Zealand requirements concerning pressure equipment.

Players and commercial operators required access to appropriately tested cylinders and safe filling facilities.

The NZPPA became involved in discussions about these requirements.

In his 2004 article, Rob Maddox described association activity relating to compressed-air cylinder testing and certification.[5]

His account referred to engagement with occupational safety authorities.

These issues were important because uncertainty over cylinder acceptance and certification could restrict the equipment available to tournament players.

The historical record does not establish that the association independently set legal testing standards or had statutory authority to approve cylinders.

Its documented role was one of advocacy, communication and efforts to clarify requirements.

Tournament paintball

Development of competition standards

The NZPPA was involved in efforts to establish consistent rules for competitive paintball.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, New Zealand tournament organisers commonly relied on rule sets derived from the Australian Paintball Players League and North American competitions.

Individual tournament organisers sometimes adapted those rules to local conditions.

The resulting differences could create uncertainty for travelling teams and referees.

The association sought to encourage more consistent competition practices and procedures.

NZPPA Series

Rob Maddox's February 2004 article referred to the NZPPA Series as part of the association's involvement in organised tournament paintball.[5]

The series was intended to encourage participation in competition across different regions.

Interregional tournament activity was important because many New Zealand teams were based around particular commercial fields and had limited opportunities to play against opponents outside their local area.

The NZPPA Series was part of broader efforts to support structured competitive paintball.

The surviving material does not yet provide a complete calendar, final standings or list of participating teams for the series.

Refereeing and event administration

Consistent refereeing had been identified as an important issue in New Zealand tournament paintball before the NZPPA's activities.

The original National Paintball League, established in 1997, had included improved refereeing standards among its objectives.

The NZPPA's discussions of tournament standards formed part of continued efforts to develop reliable competition administration.

These activities included consideration of rules, player conduct and the organisation of sanctioned events.

The association should not be confused with the earlier NPL, which operated a separate competition structure.

Officials and associated individuals

Martin Dannefaerd

Martin Dannefaerd was associated with the formation and leadership of the NZPPA during the early 2000s.

His professional history identifies him as a founder of the association's 2001 phase and describes its original objectives.[3]

A historical Paintball.co.nz articles index also identifies an interview with NZPPA president M. Dannefaerd published in 2003.[5]

These records establish his involvement in the organisation's leadership and public communications.

An article titled Champion & Ambassador: Martin Dannefaerd was also listed in the March 2008 issue of the international magazine Action Pursuit Games.[6]

The available bibliographic record establishes the article's title and publication details, although its complete contents have not been recovered.

Rob Maddox

Rob Maddox was a New Zealand tournament paintball player associated with the Auckland team Kamo Karzi.

He was also involved in maintaining Paintball.co.nz and the NZ Paintball Message Boards.

Maddox served as secretary of the NZPPA during the early 2000s.

In February 2004, he published an article titled What has the NZPPA done for me?.

The article identified Maddox as a former secretary who remained a member of the association.[5]

Maddox discussed the NZPPA's work on paintball regulations, compressed-air equipment, competition rules and sporting recognition.

He explained that the article reflected his personal perspective rather than an official statement from the organisation.

His account is a surviving contemporary source for the association's activities during the period.

Other members

Dannefaerd's account describes the NZPPA as having been established by a small group of paintball players and industry participants.

The complete roster of founders and committee members has not been established from the available historical records.

Online presence

Official website

The NZPPA maintained a website at paintball.org.nz.

The address appeared in the New Zealand Police Arms Code, demonstrating that it had been publicly identified as an association website.[4]

The historical site served as a point of contact for players and other parties seeking information about the organisation.

The complete original website has not been reconstructed from available indexed material.

Historical snapshots may be accessible through the Internet Archive.

Paintball.co.nz

The association received coverage through Paintball.co.nz, a separate website operated by members of New Zealand's paintball community.

The site's historical articles included material discussing the NZPPA, its leadership and its activities.

Rob Maddox contributed articles concerning the association and the regulatory environment affecting paintball.

Paintball.co.nz also operated a field directory and moderated discussion forums.

The NZPPA and Paintball.co.nz should therefore be treated as separate organisations and websites, notwithstanding their connections through individuals involved in both.

Incorporated society status

Original registration

The original New Zealand Paintball Players Association (Incorporated) was registered on 10 December 1992.

Historical records identify its registration number as 557494 and place its registered address in Christchurch.[1]

The association was legally dissolved with effect from 7 December 2000, as recorded in the New Zealand Gazette.[2]

Subsequent association

Martin Dannefaerd identifies the formation of an NZPPA organisation in August 2001.[3]

This account describes the establishment of a player and industry organisation concerned with participation and government relations.

The published information does not provide the registration number or incorporation documents for the subsequent organisation.

The relationship between the earlier registered society and the 2001 organisation therefore remains legally unconfirmed.

2008 dissolution notice

The New Zealand Gazette published another notice headed Dissolution of Incorporated Societies on 14 August 2008.

The notice included New Zealand Paintball Players Association Inc. among the societies being dissolved under section 28(1) of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.[7]

The notice did not establish the association's earlier administrative history or explain the relationship with the entity dissolved in 2000.

The appearance of the same organisational name in both notices indicates that the association's legal history involved more than the simple continuation of one uninterrupted incorporated society.

The precise process of re-establishment, reinstatement or reincorporation between the notices has not been determined.

Later references

Dannefaerd's professional history describes his involvement with the NZPPA until October 2010.[3]

The 2013 edition of the New Zealand Police Arms Code also continued to identify the association as a source of information about paintball safety.[4]

Neither of these references, by itself, establishes the organisation's legal registration status after the 2008 dissolution notice.

They do, however, document the association's continuing recognition in personal accounts and published reference material.

Relationship with other paintball organisations

National Paintball League

The original National Paintball League was established in 1997 through the efforts of Ian Southern and Dave Pellet.

It organised competition through participating commercial paintball fields, with First and Second Divisions.

The NPL's principal activities concerned tournament organisation and player development.

The NZPPA had a broader representative role, including regulatory matters affecting recreational and competitive paintball.

No organisational succession between the two bodies has been established.

New Zealand Paintball Players League

The New Zealand Paintball Players League (NZPPL) operated a tournament series during the early 2010s.

Its activities included competitions in Auckland and the Wellington region.

Despite the similarity of their names, the NZPPL and NZPPA were separate organisations.

The available records do not establish a direct organisational succession between them.

Later clubs and associations

New Zealand tournament paintball subsequently developed through organisations including the South Auckland Paintball Club and regional tournament organisers.

These organisations operated in a later competitive environment, with online event registration and international X-Ball formats.

Their activities should not automatically be treated as continuations of the NZPPA.

Historical significance

The New Zealand Paintball Players Association was an important part of efforts to establish organised representation for paintball in New Zealand.

Its documented activities addressed issues beyond tournament competition, including equipment regulation, compressed-air safety and communication with government authorities.

The association's inclusion in the New Zealand Police Arms Code provides independent evidence of its recognition as a source of information about paintball safety and commercial field practices.

Its discussions of tournament rules, player development and sporting recognition also reflect attempts to formalise competitive paintball during the early 2000s.

The historical society records reveal a more complex organisational history than previously documented, including an incorporation in 1992, dissolution in 2000, reported reorganisation in 2001 and a further dissolution notice in 2008.

Although the precise legal connections between these phases remain uncertain, the surviving publications establish the NZPPA's role in the development of paintball administration and advocacy in New Zealand.

References

New Zealand registered entities – 10 December 1992. InfoProff. Lists New Zealand Paintball Players Association (Incorporated), registration number 557494, with a Christchurch address.
Dissolution of Incorporated Societies. New Zealand Gazette, issue 166, 14 December 2000, pages 4332–4338. Includes New Zealand Paintball Players Association (Incorporated), number 557494, among societies dissolved from 7 December 2000.
Martin Dannefaerd – Professional Profile. LinkedIn. Self-reported founder of the NZPPA, August 2001–October 2010, with a description of the association's formation and objectives.
Arms Code: Firearms Safety Manual. New Zealand Police, Wellington, 2013, pages 39 and 62. Identifies the NZPPA as a source of information about paintball safety and lists paintball.org.nz.
New Zealand Paintball Online – Historical Articles Archive. Internet Archive. Historical Paintball.co.nz articles index, including a 2003 interview with NZPPA president M. Dannefaerd and Rob Maddox's February 2004 article What has the NZPPA done for me?. Individual article URLs have not been recovered.
Paintball Magazine Bibliography. Historical publication index listing Champion & Ambassador: Martin Dannefaerd, Action Pursuit Games, March 2008, page 88.
Dissolution of Incorporated Societies. New Zealand Gazette, issue 127, 14 August 2008, page 3290. Lists New Zealand Paintball Players Association Inc. among dissolved societies.

External links