Paintball

Paintball is a competitive team sport and recreational activity in which players use compressed-gas-powered devices, known as paintball markers, to fire paint-filled projectiles at opponents. Players are generally eliminated when struck by a paintball that breaks and leaves a visible mark, although elimination rules vary between formats.

Paintball originated in the United States in 1981 and developed from a woodland survival game into an international sport encompassing recreational play, organised tournaments and professional competition.[1][2]

The principal forms include woodsball, speedball, scenario paintball, pump paintball and magazine-fed paintball. Competitive paintball is played in national and international leagues, with organised world championships for national teams.[3]

History

Origins

Paintball developed from an idea discussed during the late 1970s by American writer Charles Gaines and stockbroker Hayes Noel, who debated whether wilderness survival skills or urban experience would provide an advantage in an outdoor competition.

The pair subsequently experimented with paint-marking pistols originally developed for forestry and agricultural use.

Together with Bob Gurnsey, they organised a larger game using the Nelspot 007, a CO2-powered marking pistol sold by the Nelson Paint Company.[1]

The first recorded organised paintball game took place on 27 June 1981 in Henniker, New Hampshire, United States.

Twelve participants competed across approximately 100 acres of woodland in a game called The Survival Game.

Players attempted to collect coloured flags from four stations while avoiding elimination by opponents.

The winner was Ritchie White, a New Hampshire forester, who collected the required flags without firing his marker.[1]

The event was subsequently documented by participant Robert F. Jones for Sports Illustrated, helping introduce the activity to a wider audience.

National Survival Game

Following the 1981 event, Gurnsey, Gaines and Noel developed the activity commercially under the name National Survival Game (NSG).

The business marketed equipment, rules and opportunities to participate in organised games.

Commercial playing fields began opening during 1982, while independent companies entered the emerging equipment market.

Among the earliest was Pursuit Marketing Inc. (PMI), established by Jeffrey Perlmutter and David Freeman in 1982.[2]

The first National Survival Game Championship was held in New Hampshire in 1983.

The tournament featured teams from the United States and Canada and was won by the Unknown Rebels, a team from Ontario.[4]

Paintball subsequently expanded beyond North America, with organised play developing in Europe, Australia and other regions during the 1980s.

Development of equipment

Early paintball markers were derived from agricultural marking equipment and used manually operated mechanisms, CO2 cartridges and limited ammunition capacities.

During the 1980s, manufacturers introduced purpose-built markers, gravity-fed loaders and improvements to firing mechanisms.

The development of semi-automatic markers increased firing rates and changed how paintball was played.

During the 1990s, electronic markers became increasingly common in tournament competition.

Notable designs included the Automag, Autococker, Shocker and Angel.

The development of electronic firing systems, compressed-air equipment and high-capacity loaders contributed to the emergence of modern competitive paintball.

Development of speedball

Paintball was initially played predominantly in woodland environments.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, smaller tournament fields using artificial obstacles became increasingly popular.

SC Village in California dates its early speedball exhibitions to 1989, when it introduced a compact arena incorporating constructed bunkers and central scoring objectives.[5]

The development of Hyperball during the mid-1990s introduced tournament fields constructed from large plastic pipes.

Inflatable bunker systems subsequently became standard at many professional tournaments, allowing organisers to create repeatable field layouts with improved spectator visibility.

Professional competition

The National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) emerged during the early 1990s as a national tournament organisation in the United States.

Its original competitions primarily used a 10-man format.[6]

The Millennium Series, established in 1999, became a major European tournament circuit.

In 2001, American tournament promoters established Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP), which subsequently separated from the NPPL.

From 2003, the NPPL operated its seven-man Super 7 World Series, while PSP developed X-Ball and other timed tournament formats.[7]

The National Xball League (NXL) became the principal American professional tournament circuit following the end of PSP's national programme in 2015.

Professional and divisional competitions continue to operate in North America, Europe and other regions.

Gameplay

Paintball games are played by individuals or teams on designated playing fields.

The objective depends on the format and may involve eliminating opponents, capturing flags, reaching designated locations or completing scenario-specific tasks.

Players use paintball markers to fire spherical projectiles containing a coloured marking substance.

In conventional elimination rules, a player struck by a paintball that breaks and leaves a mark is eliminated from the game or point.

Depending on the rules, players may be required to leave the field immediately or return to a designated starting area before resuming play.

Games are supervised by referees or field marshals responsible for enforcing rules, checking eliminations and maintaining safety.

Playing formats

Woodsball

Woodsball is played in natural environments, usually woodland or mixed terrain.

Fields may include trees, uneven ground, artificial structures and constructed defensive positions.

Woodsball is closely associated with the sport's earliest form and remains a common recreational format.

Speedball

Speedball is played on comparatively compact fields using artificial bunkers.

Modern competitive speedball commonly uses inflatable obstacles arranged in symmetrical layouts.

Games emphasise movement, teamwork, communication and coordinated attacking and defensive play.

Tournament formats commonly feature three, five or seven players per team, depending on the league and competition rules.

X-Ball

X-Ball is a competitive format featuring timed matches in which teams can score multiple points.

Players compete across repeated starts, with teams attempting to eliminate their opponents and complete the scoring objective.

Modern professional competition is commonly associated with five-player X-Ball formats.

Scenario paintball

Scenario paintball involves games organised around a narrative, mission or series of objectives.

Events may involve large numbers of participants, extended playing periods and multiple teams or factions.

Scenario games frequently incorporate historical, fictional or military-inspired themes.

Pump and stock-class paintball

Pump paintball uses markers requiring a manual pumping action between shots.

Stock-class paintball is a more restrictive variation, traditionally associated with limited ammunition capacity, horizontal feed tubes and 12-gram CO2 cartridges.[8]

Both formats emphasise limited ammunition and deliberate shooting.

Magazine-fed paintball

Magazine-fed paintball, commonly abbreviated as magfed, uses markers that feed paintballs from detachable magazines rather than conventional gravity-fed loaders.

The format is particularly associated with recreational and scenario paintball, although dedicated magazine-fed competitions also exist.

Equipment

Paintball markers

A paintball marker is a device designed to propel paintballs using compressed gas.

Markers may be manually operated, mechanical semi-automatic or electronically controlled.

Common operating systems include pump-action mechanisms, pneumatic spool valves and ram-driven poppet valves.

Paintball markers are subject to equipment standards, including ASTM F2272, which establishes performance and testing requirements.[9]

Paintballs

Paintballs are spherical projectiles consisting of a breakable shell containing a marking substance.

The standard tournament calibre is approximately .68 inches, although smaller calibres are also used.

Modern recreational and tournament paintballs generally use gelatin-based shells and water-soluble fills.

ASTM F1979 establishes technical and testing requirements for paintball projectiles.[10]

Gas systems

Paintball markers are powered by compressed gas, commonly high-pressure air (HPA) or carbon dioxide (CO2).

CO2 was widely used during the sport's early development, while compressed-air systems became increasingly common as electronic and high-performance markers developed.

Protective equipment

Players wear protective goggles and masks specifically designed for paintball.

Additional equipment may include padded clothing, gloves, chest protectors and protective padding.

Players commonly carry spare paintballs in plastic containers known as pods, secured in harnesses worn around the waist.

Safety

Paintball involves the use of projectiles travelling at speeds sufficient to cause injury if appropriate precautions are not followed.

Playing fields establish rules covering protective equipment, marker velocity, firing restrictions and safe handling.

Players are required to wear approved paintball eye and face protection in designated playing areas.

ASTM F1776 establishes performance specifications for protective devices intended for paintball.[11]

Markers are generally checked using a chronograph to ensure that their projectile velocity does not exceed the field or tournament limit.

Barrel-blocking devices are used to prevent unintended paintballs from leaving the barrel outside designated playing areas.

ASTM F1777 provides standards for paintball field operation, including minimum safety requirements and operational procedures.[12]

International organisation

Paintball is played recreationally and competitively in countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

The sport includes national leagues, professional tournament circuits and international competitions.

The United Paintball Federation (UPBF) provides an international framework for national federations and organises the UPBF Paintball World Championship.

Its continental structure includes the European Paintball Federation (EPBF), Asia-Pacific Paintball Federation, North Central American Paintball Federation and other regional organisations.[3]

The 2026 UPBF World Championship was held in Dreux, France, with 25 countries represented across men's, women's, veterans', under-19 and under-16 competitions.[13]

Paintball culture and media

Paintball has developed a community of recreational players, tournament teams, collectors, technicians, manufacturers and event organisers.

Specialist publications, including Action Pursuit Games, Paintball Sports International, Paintball 2Xtremes and Paintball Games International, documented the sport's development.

Online communities and archival websites such as WARPIG, M.CarterBrown, VintageRex and Bacci Paintball have preserved historical tournament results, technical information, photographs and material relating to discontinued equipment.

References

The Survival Game: The Story of the First Recorded Paintball Match. WBUR, Taylor Quimby, 20 July 2018. Interviews with surviving participants in the 1981 game.
Rec.sport.paintball FAQ and Guidelines. WARPIG. Historical development of recreational paintball, equipment and the National Survival Game.
Paintball Is a Sport. United Paintball Federation. Historical timeline and international competition structure.
Three Rivers Paintball Festival: IAO Goes Retro. WARPIG, Dawn Mills, June 2006. Historical account of the 1983 National Survival Game Championship.
SC Village Invents Speedball. SC Village. Historical account of its 1989 speedball exhibitions.
NPPL League and Promoters Split. WARPIG, Bill Mills, March 2002. History of the NPPL and development of national professional competition.
NPPL Huntington Beach 2003. WARPIG, February 2003. Contemporary report on the introduction of the Super 7 World Series.
Stock Class Paintball. WARPIG. Historical stock-class equipment definitions and recreational rules.
ASTM F2272-26: Standard Specification for Paintball Markers. ASTM International, 2026.
ASTM F1979-17(2025): Standard Specification for Projectiles Used in the Sport of Paintball. ASTM International, 2025.
ASTM F1776-26: Standard Specification for Eye, Face, and Head Protective Devices for Paintball Sports. ASTM International, 2026.
ASTM F1777-19(2023): Standard Practice for Paintball Game Site Operation. ASTM International, 2023.
World Championship 2026: The Story of Dreux. United Paintball Federation, 11 September 2026. Official championship report.

External links