Suomen Paintball-liitto ry

Suomen Paintball-liitto ry (SPBL, English: Finnish Paintball Federation) is the national governing organisation for paintball in Finland. Established in 1998, the federation administers domestic tournament competitions, supports affiliated clubs and coordinates Finnish national teams competing internationally.[1][2]

SPBL is affiliated with the United Paintball Federation (UPBF) and the European Paintball Federation (EPBF). Its national competitions include the SM-liiga (Finnish Championship League) and lower divisions.[3]

The federation is based in Lahti, Finland. Its president, as listed in 2026, is Janne Haapala.[2][4]

History

Formation

Organised national paintball league competition in Finland began in 1994 with the establishment of the Suomen Paintball Liiga (Finnish Paintball League).[1]

The league was organised by Finnish tournament players seeking a regular national competition structure rather than relying solely on individual championship events.

In 1998, the Suomen Paintball-liitto was established to continue the league's activities and provide a national organisational structure for the sport.[1][5]

The federation's responsibilities expanded to include club representation, national competition administration, player licensing, refereeing and the development of recreational and competitive paintball.

A report published by Finland's National Sports Council in 2013 identified SPBL as an example of a national sporting federation operating without regular government financial assistance.[5]

The report recorded approximately 30 affiliated clubs and 300 licensed competitive players annually.

Development of national competition

The federation continued administering the Finnish Championship League and a divisional competition system.

Historical tournament records maintained by Paintball.fi document Finnish league results from 1994 onwards, including the SM-liiga and lower divisions.[6]

The competition structure has changed over time, with first, second and third divisions operating during different periods.

The federation has also supported referee training and the development of consistent competition rules.

In 2021, SPBL announced plans to provide referee training and certification alongside its national tournament programme.[7]

International affiliation

SPBL became involved in the international federation structure through the European Paintball Federation and United Paintball Federation.

Minutes from the EPBF Congress held in Barcelona on 1 February 2018 record an application for affiliation from the Finnish Paintball Federation.[8]

By February 2022, SPBL was an established member of the UPBF.

An article published by Finnish paintball journalist Kimmo Kainulainen on 21 February 2022 discussed the federation's international involvement and reported comments from its then-president, Jani Leskinen, concerning the UPBF's efforts to expand international membership.[3]

The article also included confirmation from Finnish paintball participant Miro Rainio that SPBL had already been affiliated with the UPBF for several years through its EPBF membership.

Organisation

SPBL is a registered Finnish non-profit association operating under the name Suomen Paintball-liitto ry.

Its statutes establish Lahti as its registered home and Finnish as its official language. The English name Finnish Paintball Federation is permitted for international use.[2]

Membership is open to registered associations involved in paintball that agree to follow the federation's statutes and competition regulations.

The federation is governed through an annual general meeting and an elected board.

Its responsibilities include:

Administration of national championships and divisional competitions.
Registration and licensing of competitive players.
Development of refereeing standards and training.
Support for affiliated clubs and recreational paintball.
Representation of Finnish paintball internationally.
Selection and coordination of national teams.

The federation states that it has approximately 30 affiliated clubs and 300 licensed players annually, although these figures are estimates rather than independently verified membership totals.[1]

Leadership

As of 2026, the federation's published contact information identified the following officeholders:[4]

Position	Name
President	Janne Haapala
Treasurer	Jarno Hiltunen
National team coordinators	Tero Kettu and Kai Siltala
Communications officer	Jonna Lehto
Club coordinator	Tero Kettu

Jani Leskinen was identified as federation president in February 2022.[3]

National competitions

SM-liiga

The SM-liiga is Finland's principal national tournament paintball championship.

The competition traces its history to the Finnish Paintball League established in 1994, predating the creation of SPBL.[1][6]

The championship consists of multiple tournament rounds, with teams competing for the national title.

The federation also administers the first division, with additional divisional levels operating in some seasons.

SPBL competitions use rules based on those of the National Xball League (NXL).[2]

2026 season

The 2026 SM-liiga and first division season consisted of four scheduled rounds at the following locations:[1]

Date	Location
23 May 2026	Kirkkonummi
27 June 2026	Lappeenranta
25 July 2026	Espoo
29 August 2026	Vierumäki

The events used tournament layouts associated with major international competitions, including the NXL European circuit and American professional tournaments.

Finnish national teams

SPBL coordinates Finland's participation in international paintball championships organised under the UPBF and EPBF structures.

The federation has developed national team programmes covering men's, women's, youth and veterans' competition.

During 2023, SPBL announced plans to expand national team development through dedicated women's, under-16 and under-19 programmes.[2]

2025 international championships

SPBL published the following Finnish national team placings from the 2025 European Championship:[9]

Category	Placing
Men	12th
Veterans	10th
Under-19	5th
Under-16	4th

2026 national teams

For the 2026 international championships in Dreux, France, SPBL coordinated Finnish national teams across five categories:

Men
Women
Veterans (over 40)
Under-19
Under-16

The federation published national team selections during June and July 2026.[10]

National team coaching responsibilities included Kaisa Juntunen for the women's team, Erik Nybo and Mika Laurell for the under-16 team, and Jesse Johansson for the under-19 team.

Tero Kettu and Kai Siltala were identified as the federation's national team coordinators.[9]

References

Suomen Paintball-liitto. Official website. Federation history, membership information and 2026 tournament calendar.
Suomen Paintball-liitto: Säännöt. Finnish Paintball Federation. Official statutes, governance structure, membership requirements and competition regulations.
SPBL mukana ajamassa kansainvälistä paintball-toimintaa eteenpäin. Paintball.fi, Kimmo Kainulainen, 21 February 2022. Reporting on SPBL's UPBF membership and international activities.
Suomen Paintball-liitto: Yhteystiedot. Finnish Paintball Federation. Official leadership and contact information.
Urheiluseurat kunniaan. Finnish National Sports Council, publication 2013:7, page 28. Documents the federation's establishment, membership and activities.
Suomen paintball-sarjojen sarjataulukot. Paintball.fi. Historical Finnish paintball tournament standings, including records dating to 1994.
SPBL:n sarjojen ilmoittautuminen avautunut. Paintball.fi, Kimmo Kainulainen, 15 March 2021. National league organisation and refereeing development.
Ordinary EPBF Congress, Barcelona, 1 February 2018. European Paintball Federation. Meeting minutes recording the Finnish federation's membership application.
Suomen Paintball-liitto: Maajoukkue. Finnish Paintball Federation. National team programme, coaching appointments and 2025 international results.
Suomen Paintball-liitto: Tiedotteet. Finnish Paintball Federation. National team selection announcements, June and July 2026.

External links