Paintballing Principles - A Universal Guide

Beware the Opinion:

This is an OPINION piece, obviously not paintballing 'law', but it is something I stand behind 100%. You're welcome to challenge me on any of the points I mention in this article but you will not change my mind.

The Ten Commandments:

Okay, I don't really have ten items to rattle off for you, but I have a few and it's my hope that after reading this, you will take these points, which you likely already follow to some extent in your paintballing endeavors, more seriously.

Safety First:

Before anything else, we need to emphasize the importance of safety to the sport. Over the years the sport has made countless advancements in marker technology, but we've also learned how important it is to protect ourselves while playing, practicing, even doing routine marker maintenance. Everyone's at least HEARD of someone who decided to tweak the rules to their liking, and wound up causing injury to themselves or someone else because they thought, for some reason or other, that the rules did not apply to them... DON'T BE 'THAT GUY'.

Don't figure you can beat the odds, don't assume that no harm will come from your infringing upon the rules. Treat every breach of safety as a Murphy's Law situation wherein whatever CAN go wrong, WILL go wrong.

One of the main concerns people have about paintball is that it is an inherently dangerous sport, and many parents feel that their kids are going to get grievously injured if allowed to play. We know this isn't true, and in fact, paintball has one of the lowest injury rates of any sport around the globe, with about 45 recorded injuries per 100,000 participants each year, but people outside of the paintball community only see the worst when it comes to our sport. We need to change that.

A Fair Shake:

Wipers, overshooters, we've all encountered them, and we're never happy when we see it. 'Honour calls' are a big part of the game to me, honour calls being moments where there isn't a referee present to call you out, or to punish you in the event that you break the rules. In these instances you are confronted with a choice... You can obey the rules and call yourself out if hit, or you can choose to skirt the field's rules whether that means wiping, overshooting someone intentionally, or any other sort of dishonourable play.

"But Noob, I only overshot him because he was wiping!" I've heard this sentiment a lot, but I can't express how much I disagree with trying to justify it. Can you prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person IS indeed wiping? Good! Get a ref over there and prove it. It's not your job to be judge, jury and executioner out there folks, that's what referees are for.

When I was at the PRZ season opener this year, my team was given a spawnpoint that handicapped us, and our team was disadvantaged simply by the composition of the team itself (we had fewer established teams playing on our side, which the field claimed was even because we had the same number of players overall). It was an unfair situation, we were disadvantaged and fighting an uphill battle, but that didn't give us license to disobey field rules. I saw players wiping off hits claiming it was "evening the playing field". I saw people on the other team peppered and heard my teammates justify it with statements like "well they've been wiping and overshooting us, so they deserve it!"

Don't be a part of the vicious on-field cycle folks, playing a fair game prevents giving the other side ANY reason to conduct themselves as anything less than honourable.

Rise of the Noobs:

This one definitely hits close to home.

For most of us, not a game goes by where we don't run into new players on the field. They might be renters, or possibly noobies who've just bought their first kit and are trying to get into the sport in a more committed way. Regardless, new players are what keep the sport alive, and ensure that it'll be around for decades to come.

All too often though, my fellow noobs are targeted and abused by veteran players, or judged FAR too harshly by the rest of the community. These are players who may not fully understand the unwritten codes of conduct that so many paintballers play and live by. They might be anxious and overshoot you because they panicked as you rushed them. Whatever the case, we need to adopt an attitude of tolerance and mentorship with new players, and do what we can to educate them about the sport, how it's played, and what is expected of everyone when they set foot on a field.

Personally I try to bring new people into the sport whenever possible. It's a mission of mine to inspire at least one person each year to give paintball a shot. I may not succeed every year, but that sure doesn't mean I'll stop trying, and neither should you. It's a lot easier to change someone's mind if they can experience something for themselves rather than just be told about it.

Paintball Philanthropy:

This is something I've seen occurring more and more since I first got into the sport in April of 2013, and I'm extremely happy to have been a part of a few charity efforts now.

Last year my heart was warmed by the outpour of support for Camp Trillium, and I was again made proud of the paintball community with the turnout for the Brantford SPCA benefit, "Claws for a Cause". Both events helped to improve paintball's image while doing a great service to two, very worthy charitable foundations.

This kind of thing is EXACTLY what the sport needs in order to distance ourselves from the mental images of idiotic teenagers and young adults shooting each other, or shooting up their neighbourhoods looking to cause harm and havoc rather than helping and healing. Charity work that applies to groups OUTSIDE of the sport instantly changes the perspectives of many, and leaves an indelible, positive mark on paintball's record.

The Wrap-Up:

If we can focus on these goals, and act as a united community against the people who break them, everyone wins. We get to enjoy a more pleasurable paintballing experience, the sport will see increased player numbers, and the global community will come to see us as a legitimate sporting community rather than just another niche interest group.

It's each and every one of our responsibilities to follow the rules and play fair, that's expected of us. However, the things are aren't obligations are what define us as a community. No one NEEDS to give to charity, no one is required to recruit and support new players, but by doing so we improve the sport as well as the world around us... And shouldn't that be the real goal at the end of the day?

Just something to think about.

As always everyone, stay calm and throw paint! And be sure to enjoy your Labour Day (Canadian readers)

Joshua J. Taylor - The Noob Baller