| I can remember it in vivid detail, the first time I was | | | | included a full head helmet and mask to protect my |
| approached to go and play paintball. It was for a | | | | head and face, so when I did get hit in the head it was |
| friend's birthday, I remember being genuinely nervous | | | | just a case of wiping away the paint. Also, the centre I |
| about my personal safety playing the sport but I kept it | | | | attended did not count face and head hits as shots on |
| quiet in fear of looking like a wimp in front of my | | | | target which meant the majority of the people where |
| mates! This article will outline the fears I had, and I will | | | | not aiming for head shots, but rather for my body. |
| explore the rate of injuries compared to more | | | | If you do go paintballing and you get shot on your |
| mainstream sports to give us a better idea of the | | | | body, or any exposed parts like your hands (hint hint |
| relative safety of paintball. | | | | wear gloves!) it will hurt and you will probably bruise, |
| The first thing that got me quaking in my boots when I | | | | but this is to be expected with most sports such as |
| was asked to play paintball was simply the fact of | | | | paintball. |
| getting shot, was I going to get shot in the face, in the | | | | In my experience because of the tight regulation, if you |
| back of the head, how much would that hurt, and could | | | | play at a good paintball center then paintballing is a |
| I suffer any serious injuries If I was hit in the "wrong | | | | very safe sport. This has been confirmed by [ who |
| place". These where just a few of the questions that | | | | found that you are actually 19 times more likely to be |
| where running through my head at the time. | | | | injured playing football in comparison to paintball, so |
| I actually did get shot in the back of the head, in the | | | | serious injuries are very rare playing paintball, the key is |
| face, but what I had not realized before I actually | | | | playing in a safe environment. |
| arrived at the paintball centre I played at, was the | | | | My advice to you is to do some research, look at |
| amount and standard of the protective equipment that | | | | some websites and call some booking offices to see |
| a good paintball center will provide. In my case this | | | | what safety features a paintball operator can provide. |