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Simplified and standardised naming conventions. Adopted YEAR Event Name for tournaments and Team Name (Country paintball team) for competitive teams. Clarified naming for national teams, people, equipment, organisations and fields. Consolidated disambiguation, redirects and renaming guidance.
 
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'''WikiPaintball naming conventions''' establish consistent rules for naming articles about paintball teams, players, tournaments, organisations, manufacturers, equipment, fields and other subjects.
'''WikiPaintball naming conventions''' establish consistent article titles for paintball teams, tournaments, players, organisations, equipment, fields and other subjects.


The purpose of these conventions is to make articles easy to find, prevent duplication and ensure that different subjects with identical or similar names can be distinguished.
Articles should use clear, accurate and recognisable names supported by reliable sources.
 
Article titles should be accurate, concise, recognisable and supported by reliable sources.


== General principles ==
== General principles ==


All WikiPaintball articles should follow these principles:
* Use the official or most commonly documented name.
 
* Preserve original spelling, capitalisation and branding.
* '''Use the established name.''' Prefer the official name or the name most commonly used in contemporary paintball publications, tournament records and other reliable sources.
* Use British English except in official names.
* '''Keep titles concise.''' Do not add unnecessary descriptions, locations or dates.
* Avoid unnecessary words and abbreviations.
* '''Use British English.''' Apply British spelling consistently, except when reproducing official names.
* Check for existing articles before creating new ones.
* '''Preserve proper names.''' Retain genuine brand names, team names, abbreviations and distinctive spellings.
* Use consistent titles for related articles.
* '''Avoid invented names.''' Do not create unofficial names to make article titles more descriptive or consistent.
* Do not invent names, dates or historical relationships.
* '''Avoid ambiguity.''' Where multiple subjects have the same name, use qualifying information to distinguish them.
* '''Prefer historical accuracy.''' Use names appropriate to the documented identity of a team, organisation or product.
* '''Use redirects.''' Alternative names, common abbreviations and previous names should generally redirect to the relevant article when they identify the same subject unambiguously.


Article titles should not contain unnecessary words such as "paintball", "team", "company" or "tournament" unless these are part of the established name or required to distinguish otherwise ambiguous subjects.
== Naming formats ==


== Paintball teams ==
=== Tournaments and events ===


=== Standard team names ===
Individual tournaments use:


Paintball teams should normally use their established names without additional qualifiers.
* '''YEAR Event Name'''


Examples:
Examples:
* [[1997 Paintball World Cup]]
* [[2001 International Amateur Open]]
* [[2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup]]


* [[Perth Crisis]]
For multiple events within one year, include the round, event number or location where necessary.
* [[San Diego Dynasty]]
* [[Russian Legion]]
* [[New York Xtreme]]
* [[Team Insane]]
 
Do not routinely add "(paintball team)" or the team's country to otherwise unambiguous names.


=== Teams with geographic names ===
Tournament series and leagues use their established names without a year.
 
When a team's established name includes a city, region or country, retain that name.


Examples:
Examples:
* [[Paintball World Cup]]
* [[Millennium Series]]
* [[Central Premier Paintball Series]]


* [[Perth Crisis]]
A season spanning multiple years may include both years in its title.
* [[Art Chaos Moscow]]
* [[San Diego Dynasty]]


Do not add a second geographic qualifier unless necessary to distinguish two different subjects.
=== Paintball teams ===


Geographic words should not be removed from official names merely to shorten article titles.
The standard format for competitive teams is:


=== Multiple teams with the same name ===
* '''Team Name (Country paintball team)'''


When two or more unrelated paintball teams have the same established name, each should receive a qualified article title.
Examples of the format:
* Team Insane (New Zealand paintball team)
* Black Reign (Australia paintball team)


The unqualified name should become a disambiguation page.
Use the team's documented country of association, not the nationality of individual players.


Use the following format where appropriate:
Where multiple unrelated teams share a name within the same country, use a more specific location:


* Team Name (Country paintball team)
* Team Name (City paintball team)
* Team Name (City paintball team)
* Team Name (Region paintball team)
* Team Name (Region paintball team)


For example, if unrelated teams named Chaos were documented in New Zealand and Australia, their titles would be:
Preserve geographic names that form part of an established team name, such as [[San Diego Dynasty]].
 
* Chaos (New Zealand paintball team)
* Chaos (Australia paintball team)
 
These are examples of the naming format, not assertions about the existence of particular teams.
 
Use country names rather than nationality adjectives in geographic qualifiers.
 
If multiple teams with the same name existed in one country, use more specific locations where these can be established.
 
If location alone does not distinguish them, a documented period of activity may be added, for example:
 
* Team Name (Auckland paintball team, 1990s)
* Team Name (Auckland paintball team, 2010s)
 
Periods must be supported by evidence. Do not invent founding dates or assume when a team ceased operating.
 
=== Equal treatment of identical names ===
 
No unrelated team automatically receives priority because it was more successful, operated earlier, was better known or had an article created first.
 
When two unrelated teams share an identical name, both should receive qualified titles and the unqualified title should serve as a disambiguation page.
 
Existing articles should be renamed where necessary.
 
=== Team name changes ===
 
A team that changes its name should generally retain a single article if reliable evidence establishes that it remained the same team.
 
The article should normally use the most recent established name, with former names explained in the history section.
 
Previous names should redirect to the article where they unambiguously identify the same team.
 
However, shared players, sponsors, management, venues or equipment do not automatically establish continuity between two teams.
 
Where two organisations are historically distinct, they should have separate articles.
 
=== Secondary and affiliated teams ===
 
Secondary squads, development teams and affiliated teams may use names containing terms such as:
 
* II
* 2
* B
* Academy
* Kids
* Factory
* Division-specific designations
 
These should be preserved when they form part of the documented team name.


A secondary squad should receive a separate article only where sufficient independent information exists to justify one.
A documented team name change should normally be covered in one article, with redirects from former names. Do not combine unrelated teams or assume continuity from shared players.
 
Do not assume that two similarly named teams are affiliated without supporting evidence.


=== National teams ===
=== National teams ===


National representative teams should generally use the format:
Use:


* Country national paintball team
* '''Country national paintball team'''
 
For example:


Example:
* [[Malta national paintball team]]
* [[Malta national paintball team]]


Where men's, women's, junior or other representative squads require separate articles, use consistent and sufficiently descriptive titles.
Specify men's, women's, junior or other squads when separate articles are required.


== Players and other individuals ==
=== People ===


Articles about individuals should generally use their full, commonly documented names.
Use the person's established full name.


Examples:
Examples:
* [[Oliver Lang]]
* [[Dave Youngblood]]


* Firstname Surname
Add a description only when necessary to distinguish people with identical names:
* Firstname Surname (paintball player)


Use "(paintball player)" or another appropriate description only where necessary to distinguish individuals with identical names.
* Name (paintball player)


Nicknames and alternative spellings may be created as redirects where the identity is unambiguous.
=== Manufacturers and organisations ===


Do not automatically use a player's nickname as the article title unless it is demonstrably their primary established name in paintball.
Use the established company, brand or organisation name.
 
== Manufacturers and brands ==
 
Manufacturers, distributors and paintball brands should use their established company or brand names.


Examples:
Examples:
 
* [[Smart Parts]]
* [[Brass Eagle]]
* [[Brass Eagle]]
* [[Smart Parts]]
* [[United Paintball Federation]]
* [[Worr Game Products]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[Kingman]]
* [[Dye Precision]]
 
Retain distinctive brand spelling and capitalisation where appropriate.


Where a manufacturer has traded under several names, use the most appropriate established name and document verified changes in the article.
Use geographic qualifiers when necessary. Common abbreviations should redirect to the main article.


Do not merge historically separate businesses merely because they share ownership, personnel, products or branding.
=== Equipment ===


== Paintball equipment ==
Use the established product name, normally including the manufacturer or brand.
 
Equipment articles should generally use the manufacturer or brand name followed by the model name.


Examples:
Examples:
* [[Smart Parts Shocker]]
* [[Smart Parts Shocker]]
* [[Kingman Spyder]]
* [[Worr Game Products Autococker]]
* [[Worr Game Products Autococker]]
* [[Kingman Spyder]]


Where the model name is distinctive and unambiguous, a shorter title may be appropriate.
Separate models or generations may have their own articles when sufficient information exists.
 
=== Paintball fields ===


Different generations or substantially different models may receive separate articles when there is sufficient verified information.
Use the established field or venue name.


Alternative model names, abbreviations and common spellings should redirect to the appropriate article when unambiguous.
Add a location when necessary to distinguish businesses with identical names.


== Tournaments and leagues ==
Format:
* Field Name
* Field Name (City)


=== Tournament series ===
=== General subjects ===


Recurring tournament series should use their established competition names.
Use short, descriptive titles, normally in the singular.


Examples:
Examples:
* [[Speedball]]
* [[Woodsball]]
* [[Magazine-fed paintball]]


* [[Millennium Series]]
Historical overview articles may use titles such as [[History of paintball in New Zealand]].
* [[Paintball World Cup]]


Where an event has changed names, distinguish documented continuity from the creation of a separate competition.
== Disambiguation and redirects ==


=== Individual tournament events ===
When multiple unrelated subjects share a name, create a [[Category:Disambiguation pages|disambiguation page]] at the unqualified title.


Articles covering a particular year's event should normally include the year.
For example, [[Black Reign]] distinguishes unrelated teams using that name.


The preferred format is:
Only include documented subjects. Never assume that similarly named teams are connected.


* Tournament Name Year
Redirects may be created for:
 
* Previous names where continuity is verified.
For example:
* Common abbreviations and nicknames.
 
* Alternative spellings.
* Paintball World Cup 2005
* Former article titles.
 
Where a competition has multiple events in the same year, include the established event number or location as necessary.
 
Use consistent naming throughout an event series.


Do not create annual event articles unless there is sufficient verified information to support them.
Ambiguous names should lead to disambiguation pages rather than one unrelated subject.


== Paintball fields and venues ==
See [[Help:Redirects]].


Paintball fields should use their established venue or business names.
== Renaming articles ==


Where two unrelated fields share a name, add a geographic qualifier.
Existing articles should be brought into line with these conventions as they are reviewed.


Examples of the format:
Before renaming:
# Check the correct name and existing articles.
# Use MediaWiki's Move function to preserve edit history.
# Retain useful redirects.
# Check internal links, disambiguation pages and categories.


* Field Name (Auckland)
Do not create duplicate articles simply to change a title.
* Field Name (London)
 
A field moving to a different location does not necessarily become a different business.
 
Likewise, separate businesses using the same location should not automatically be combined into one article.
 
Document verified changes of name, location and ownership where relevant.
 
== Organisations and associations ==
 
Paintball associations, federations and governing bodies should generally use their official full names.
 
Common abbreviations should redirect to the full article where unambiguous.
 
Use geographic qualifiers where multiple organisations have identical or confusingly similar names.
 
Do not assume that a newer organisation is the legal or organisational successor to an older body without evidence.
 
== Disambiguation pages ==
 
A disambiguation page helps readers distinguish between multiple subjects that share the same name.
 
Create a disambiguation page when two or more documented WikiPaintball subjects could reasonably be known by the same name.
 
The unqualified title should normally contain a short explanation and links to the relevant articles.
 
An illustrative example:
 
<pre>
'''Chaos''' may refer to several paintball teams:
 
* [[Chaos (New Zealand paintball team)]], a team from New Zealand.
* [[Chaos (Australia paintball team)]], a team from Australia.
 
[[Category:Disambiguation pages]]
</pre>
 
Only include verified subjects in published disambiguation pages.
 
Disambiguation pages should not contain detailed team histories, tournament results or speculative connections.
 
When a disambiguation page exists, links from other articles should point directly to the intended subject.
 
For example:
 
<nowiki>[[Chaos (New Zealand paintball team)|Chaos]]</nowiki>
 
This displays the name "Chaos" while linking to the correct article.
 
== Redirects ==
 
Redirects allow readers to find articles through alternative names.
 
Appropriate redirects include:
 
* Former team or business names, where continuity is established.
* Common abbreviations.
* Documented nicknames.
* Alternative spellings.
* Common variations in capitalisation or punctuation.
* Established alternative equipment names.
 
A redirect should point to a single identifiable subject.
 
Do not redirect an ambiguous name to one of several unrelated teams or organisations.
 
Where a name could refer to multiple subjects, create a disambiguation page instead.
 
For further guidance, see [[Help:Redirects]].


== Categories ==
== Categories ==


Article categories should describe the actual subject rather than reproduce the article title.
Use existing WikiPaintball category names wherever possible.
 
For example, a team named "Chaos (New Zealand paintball team)" would still belong in:
 
<nowiki>[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]</nowiki>
 
Categories should use the established WikiPaintball category structure wherever possible.
 
Avoid creating duplicate categories with slightly different names.
 
Country and regional categories should reflect documented geographic associations.
 
== Renaming existing articles ==
 
WikiPaintball's naming conventions apply to both new and existing articles.
 
However, existing articles do not need to be renamed immediately.
 
'''Existing titles should be corrected gradually as articles are reviewed, expanded or otherwise edited.'''
 
When an existing article has an incorrect or inconsistent title:
 
# Confirm the appropriate title using available evidence.
# Search for existing articles, redirects and similarly named subjects.
# Check whether the proposed title is already in use.
# Use MediaWiki's Move function where available to preserve the page's editing history.
# Retain an appropriate redirect from the former title.
# Update internal links where necessary.
# Check for double redirects and incorrect disambiguation links.
# Review the article's categories.
 
Avoid creating a new page by copying the contents of an existing article when the intention is simply to rename it.
 
Do not make unnecessary title changes solely for minor stylistic preferences.
 
== Choosing a title for a new article ==
 
Before creating a new WikiPaintball article:
 
# Search WikiPaintball for the proposed name and common variations.
# Check whether the subject already has an article under another name.
# Identify the subject's established name using reliable sources.
# Check for other paintball subjects with the same or similar names.
# Use the shortest accurate and unambiguous title.
# Add a geographic or descriptive qualifier only when necessary.
# Create appropriate redirects where useful.
# Link to existing articles using their correct titles.
 
If reliable sources do not establish whether two similarly named subjects are the same organisation, do not merge them or invent a relationship.


Where the correct title remains uncertain, contributors should discuss the issue before making potentially confusing changes.
Article titles and category names need not follow identical formats.


== Exceptions and editorial judgement ==
For example, a country-qualified team article belongs in its appropriate national team category.


These conventions are intended to ensure consistency, not force every subject into a rigid naming formula.
Avoid duplicate or unnecessarily specific categories.


Exceptions may be appropriate where an established name is unusually structured or where strict application would produce an inaccurate or confusing title.
== Exceptions ==


Any exception should be based on clear evidence and should remain consistent with WikiPaintball's broader editorial standards.
Documented official names take priority where strict application of a format would be inaccurate or confusing.


'''The guiding principle is to use the shortest accurate name that clearly identifies the documented subject.'''
The aim is consistent naming without sacrificing historical accuracy.


== See also ==
== See also ==
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* [[Help:Editing WikiPaintball]]
* [[Help:Editing WikiPaintball]]
* [[Help:Redirects]]
* [[Help:Redirects]]
* [[WikiPaintball]]
* [[WikiPaintball:Editorial standards]]
 
== External links ==
 
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Moving_a_page MediaWiki: Moving a page]


[[Category:WikiPaintball help]]
[[Category:WikiPaintball help]]

Latest revision as of 15:23, 28 October 2026

WikiPaintball naming conventions establish consistent article titles for paintball teams, tournaments, players, organisations, equipment, fields and other subjects.

Articles should use clear, accurate and recognisable names supported by reliable sources.

General principles

  • Use the official or most commonly documented name.
  • Preserve original spelling, capitalisation and branding.
  • Use British English except in official names.
  • Avoid unnecessary words and abbreviations.
  • Check for existing articles before creating new ones.
  • Use consistent titles for related articles.
  • Do not invent names, dates or historical relationships.

Naming formats

Tournaments and events

Individual tournaments use:

  • YEAR Event Name

Examples:

For multiple events within one year, include the round, event number or location where necessary.

Tournament series and leagues use their established names without a year.

Examples:

A season spanning multiple years may include both years in its title.

Paintball teams

The standard format for competitive teams is:

  • Team Name (Country paintball team)

Examples of the format:

  • Team Insane (New Zealand paintball team)
  • Black Reign (Australia paintball team)

Use the team's documented country of association, not the nationality of individual players.

Where multiple unrelated teams share a name within the same country, use a more specific location:

  • Team Name (City paintball team)
  • Team Name (Region paintball team)

Preserve geographic names that form part of an established team name, such as San Diego Dynasty.

A documented team name change should normally be covered in one article, with redirects from former names. Do not combine unrelated teams or assume continuity from shared players.

National teams

Use:

  • Country national paintball team

Example:

Specify men's, women's, junior or other squads when separate articles are required.

People

Use the person's established full name.

Examples:

Add a description only when necessary to distinguish people with identical names:

  • Name (paintball player)

Manufacturers and organisations

Use the established company, brand or organisation name.

Examples:

Use geographic qualifiers when necessary. Common abbreviations should redirect to the main article.

Equipment

Use the established product name, normally including the manufacturer or brand.

Examples:

Separate models or generations may have their own articles when sufficient information exists.

Paintball fields

Use the established field or venue name.

Add a location when necessary to distinguish businesses with identical names.

Format:

  • Field Name
  • Field Name (City)

General subjects

Use short, descriptive titles, normally in the singular.

Examples:

Historical overview articles may use titles such as History of paintball in New Zealand.

Disambiguation and redirects

When multiple unrelated subjects share a name, create a at the unqualified title.

For example, Black Reign distinguishes unrelated teams using that name.

Only include documented subjects. Never assume that similarly named teams are connected.

Redirects may be created for:

  • Previous names where continuity is verified.
  • Common abbreviations and nicknames.
  • Alternative spellings.
  • Former article titles.

Ambiguous names should lead to disambiguation pages rather than one unrelated subject.

See Help:Redirects.

Renaming articles

Existing articles should be brought into line with these conventions as they are reviewed.

Before renaming:

  1. Check the correct name and existing articles.
  2. Use MediaWiki's Move function to preserve edit history.
  3. Retain useful redirects.
  4. Check internal links, disambiguation pages and categories.

Do not create duplicate articles simply to change a title.

Categories

Use existing WikiPaintball category names wherever possible.

Article titles and category names need not follow identical formats.

For example, a country-qualified team article belongs in its appropriate national team category.

Avoid duplicate or unnecessarily specific categories.

Exceptions

Documented official names take priority where strict application of a format would be inaccurate or confusing.

The aim is consistent naming without sacrificing historical accuracy.

See also

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