Are paintball masks safe for airsoft?

Paintball is a kind of shooting game where players target opponents by hitting them with circled paint-filled capsules. These capsules are called paintballs. These paint-filled balls are throwable pills, you can purchase them in different packages from the local market and online as well. Good paintballs are the ones that can be washed easily. you can get them in different the colors from market.The game is equally popular among women and children.

Paintball
Paintball

History of paintball

This game was invented in 1981 in New Hampshire by Hayes Noel and Charles Gaines. Noel was a Wall Street Stock Trader and Charles Gaines was an outdoorsman writer. Once in a private gathering, a debate arose between them about surviving of a city dweller and a village dweller in the jungle. They were talking about the man who lives in the city and the man who hunts does fishing and builds cabins. they released an advertisement for a paintball competition to implement the debate practically. Some people joined both sides, thus teams were introduced in this game and the first competition of this game came into being.

Nature of Game

This game is played as leisure and is also played as a formal sport with an organized game that involves large competitions, competent teams, and individuals. In the playing fields of paintball, players use some area as tactical cover. In this Game, these goals and objects are included:

  • Capturing the flag
  • Elimination
  • Defending a point
  • Attacking on a point
  • Capturing Object hidden in the playing area 
A player is using her gun in-game -Photo by Rainer Eck from Pexels

Game Rules

There are two types of paintballing basic rules.

  1. General Rules
  2. Safety Rules

General Rules

These are the general laws of the game that are implemented before the game and during the game. It is important to take care of all these laws.

  1. In This game, one person is appointed as the referee. The Referee will be responsible for starting the game, stopping the game, deciding and stopping the game at paint checks, decides the problems. The referee is the only person who can start the game with a whistle. The referee uses the Whistle for signaling his all decisions. All decisions by Referee are final and undebatable.
  2. The player will be out of the game if he/she is hit by a paintball pellet. To be out in the game by this rule, the paint pellet must be torn on him.
  3. A player is not out of the game if he is struck by a marking pellet and that marking pellet is not broken.
  4. If two or more players hit each other at the same time, both players will be eliminated.
  5. If there is any confusion about whether a player has been hit or not, call for a paint check, and the referee will decide. The game will be stopped until the judge decides on that appeal.
  6. The duration of the game usually consists of 15 to 30 minutes. The referee will continue to test this time during the game. As soon as the time is over, the teams will be told. However, teams can also take a break between the game.
  7. If the game type is a flag game, only one player will be allowed to protect the flag at the station. If he is eliminated by paintballs, he will leave the flag where he was.
  8. Whether or not the DMW (Dead Man Walking) law will be allowed, the teams will decide on a predetermined consultation. DMW is when a player, although not hit, runs alongside players who got hit and are walking out of the game field. This deception gives him/her the benefits to change his/her defense or get nearer to the rivals.
  9. The DMS (Dead Man Silent) calls a player who has been marked and is going out of the playground. He will not be allowed to talk to any player while leaving the playground. He will inform the referee of the paint-check when he goes out of the field.
  10. You can only collect Paint-filled small balls in the playground. Continuous collection of paintballs will not be allowed. This is a field paint-only facility.
  11. You can not reimburse paintballs during a game.
  12. There is a captain of each team, the captain will indicate the referee to start the game, then the referee will start the game with the whistle.
  13. Measure the playground before the game begins. This is usually the same as 20,000 square feet. Remember that once the boundaries of the field are clear, now if any player was found out of these limits during the game, he would be considered out of the game. Only players and referees will be allowed to go to this particular field during the game. If an unauthorized person comes to this field during the game, the game will continue until the unauthorized person runs out. make sure to set field boundaries in a way that does not hurt people and vehicles outside the field in any way.
Paint is being used in this game as ammo

Safety Rules

These are the specific principles of the game that are created so that the players, referees, spectators, and the surrounding properties should not be harmed by the game during the game. These rules must be strictly adhered to enjoy the game.

  1. Sports participants are not allowed to wear shorts and T-shirts during the game. All players need to wear long sleeve shirts and wear full-length pants. The arms and legs should be fully covered during the game.
  2. During the game, all the participants will be wearing Googles and Masks. This safety rule is even for those who are close to the players, even if they are not in the playground. This protective principle should be strictly bound. If a player breaks this principle, he should be disqualified from that game without any warning.
  3.  If a player’s mask suddenly falls or goes down, he should lie down immediately and the referee should stop playing until he wears his mask again.
  4. during the play, no physical interaction is allowed of any kind.
  5. It is forbidden to target any player less than 10 to 15 feet distance. Remember that the capsule is at a speed of 280 when leaving the barrel, which can cause any wound if you shoot it at a distance of ten to fifteen feet. If somehow players come so close to each other, the referee should maintain this safe distance between them.
  6. If a player holds his gun with both hands on his head, the opposing team players are not allowed to shoot at it. Because this gesture is used when you have become eliminated, your ammunition is gone, or there is another emergency.
  7. An eliminated player cannot shoot when he is going out of the field and cannot be shot.
  8. No referee can be shot in any circumstance
  9. It is strictly forbidden to use any type of drug before the game or during the game.
  10. Apart from the paintball course area, you cannot take the paintball guns to public places. If they were caught, the park administration is allowed to seize paint guns.
Paintball

Equipment used in this game

Items used in any sport are very important for this game. It not only gives you a comfortable game experience but also ensures your safety during the game. Since paintball is a game in which the risk of injuries is high, its equipment is mostly made in the importance of safety measures. These common Equipment are used in paintball.

  • Marker or Paintball-guns
  • These guns are used to mark the opposite player while playing the game. 
  • Paintballs
  • These are bullets and paint-filled small balloons for a paintball gun.
  • Mask and Goggles
  • Masks and Goggles are very important to wear for the protection of your face and eyes.
  • Pods
  • Different types of pods are used for different purposes in paintballing. Commonly pods are used for Arms, wrists, and leg protection.
  • squeegee/SWAB
  • It’s a soft rubber blade used to clean the marker and other equipment while playing. 
  • Paintball Jerseys
  • Full-length Jerseys are being used in the game.  
  • Pants
  • Full-length jerseys and pants are only allowed
  • Gloves
  • Gloves are used during play to protect your hands from paint

Variations of Paintball

Paintball is played in the form of many principles and different variations. Here are some of the important types of this game.

Tournament

This is a skill-based game type where 5-person teams take place on fields and play the game. Tournaments usually hold many kinds of other events. With many teams, this type of paintball is played in the summer months in the United States. 

Speedball

Speedball is a kind of paintball. it’s played in an open area like football. Speedball is played on flat ground with minimum hurdles. This variation of Paintball is mostly played in urban areas. 

Bushballs

woodball also called a bushball. woodball is a kind of paintball, its newly introduced term in paintball variation. In this Game, Teams and players compete in the natural environment with a lot of stealth and tactics. This is a real kind of Paintball. Woodball fields are covered with trees, mounds, bushes, and berms. All these natural obstacles are an extra advantage in woodball. 

Big Games

Scenario games are also referred to as big games. In Scenario paintballs, Tasks are given to each side within the time intervals. Those tasks have to be completed within a fixed time. Then anyone among the opponents who complete the tasks in a minimum time is entitled to win in this game.

MilSim

MilSim means military Simulation. it’s a kind of paintball game where you play in a military reality. Almost all things in this game are related to the military. And the game works like a military competition. The rules and targets here are very important.

Time Trials

Time Trial is a mode of Paintball where participants move through a closed course and shoot at a succession of Targets. 

Zombie Hunt

In this kind of Paintball, Fields, players, and all game-related stuff are dressed as zombies. Dark black paints are used as ammo in this Paintball. 

Big Tournaments and Leagues

Paintball is gaining popularity throughout Europe. The following major tournaments of paintball are held in the USA and Europe. 

  • National Xball League 
  • NXL Europe
  • International Classic paintball League
  • National Collegiate Paintball Association
  • WNXL
  • 507 Paintball League
  • 5Star Series
  • Action Star Games
  • AG Paintball
  • Air Warriors Paintball League
  • Amateur Paintball Event Series

and more…

Safety Statistics

Although the injury ratio in this game is very low (45 low injuries per 100,000 per year). Researches show paintball is one of the safest sports for participants. During the game, a child’s eye was injured in Canada when he removed his mask. The game was then criticized that it is unsafe game. If you look at these figures, you will feel it is a safe game like other ordinary sports. However, some injuries and accidental events occur in every game.

Annually only 20 people were injured in paintball.

The eyes of 5 people have been injured in a year. This annual rate is much lower than football, baseball, and hockey eye injuries.

To be clear, all these accidents occur if you are not wearing safety equipment properly.

Countries Where Paintball is legal

With some important safety rules and restrictions, the Paintball is legalized in these 19 countries of the world. But before playing, you must study the relevant law.

  1. Argentina
  2. Australia
  3. Cyprus
  4. Canada
  5. Denmark
  6. Germany
  7. Ireland
  8. India
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Malaysia
  12. Thailand
  13. Turkey
  14. United Arab Emirates
  15. Bangladesh
  16. Singapore
  17. New Zealand
  18. United Kingdom
  19. United States

Paintball Benefits for Health

Paintball with great physical and mental strength is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Along with physical exercise, it helps you with the best strategy, decision-making, problems Solving, and creativity. It adds happiness to your routine and boosts your productivity. playing Paintball can increase your Self-confidence. it’s also a great outdoor activity for weight loss and overall health. Other health benefits of Paintball are:

  • Physical strength
  • Stress Relief
  • Strategy making
  • Teamwork
  • Boost metabolism
  • Improve Sleep Cycle
  • Reduce the risk of heart diseases

In this article, we understand a lot of things about paintball, from its basic definition to the rules of the game. The countries that have not been mentioned in terms of law mean there is no regular law has been formulated in these countries in this regard. Take care of the safety measures and wear the above-mentioned equipment and play the game with full joy. 

If you have a question about this game, ask in the comment section. We will be happy to answer yours.