| There is something about the game of paintball that | | | | are commonplace on the field and it can become |
| makes it fun, competitive and addicting. First introduced | | | | difficult for players to dodge these colored bullets at all |
| in the 1970s as a way to mark cattle and trees while | | | | times. The mask must remain on the face throughout |
| hunting, paintball began to evolve as a game during the | | | | the duration of the game, no exceptions. The hopper is |
| 1980s and gained even more recognition when it was | | | | what holds the paintballs and feeds them into the gun. |
| featured on the cover of a national sports magazine. | | | | There are plenty of paintball hoppers to choose from, |
| By the 1990s, this combative sport even had a slot on | | | | but overall they should hold plenty of balls, be easy to |
| national television, as there was a paintball tournament | | | | operate and have anti-jam capabilities. |
| aired on cable. Today, paintball is a sport of combat | | | | The tank is used for storing air, which pushes the balls |
| play and survival hunting, yet instead of hunting out | | | | down the barrel when it is released. The air can come |
| game, people are the target. While getting hit with a | | | | in the form of carbon dioxide or compressed air and |
| paint pellet certainly does not pose a death sentence, | | | | will need to be filled from time to time. Paintball guns |
| there is pain inflicted causing players to be highly alert, | | | | are at the heart of the equipment lineup. The gun is a |
| competitive and aware of the surroundings. | | | | symbol of the player's level of skill, competitiveness |
| This intense game is just like any other and requires | | | | and determination while on the field. Guns vary based |
| the proper gear to be worn in order to ensure safety | | | | on price and features, with regular players requiring |
| while out on the field. If playing through an organized | | | | high-end guns that operate to the fullest potential. |
| league or at a paintball field, officials make sure that all | | | | When considering which type of gun to purchase, |
| players are in the proper paintball gear; otherwise they | | | | players need to take certain factors into consideration, |
| may be disqualified from the game. There are four | | | | such as the barrel length, whether the gun uses a CO2 |
| main types of equipment that are needed in this sport: | | | | tank or CO2 cartridges and how much the player is |
| a mask, hopper, tank and gun. The gun will also require | | | | willing to spend. Many athletes opt to play with rented |
| paintballs that can be purchased in a number of colors. | | | | guns and ask other players on the field about which |
| The mask is the most important type of equipment as | | | | guns are best for competitive play. |
| it is worn to protect the face and eyes. Flying paintballs | | | | |