What to expect at your first paintball competition

You will find that the tournament is much more aggressive than your usual game of recreational paintball in the woods behind your house. It suddenly matters whether each team wins or loses. Players hit much harder and faster to win the game. Your adrenaline will peak and this will also make the game feel much faster than usual. Don’t take a loss personally. Expect to lose your first few matches or until you get the feel of playing in a speedball tournament or woodsball competition setting. Try not to be too intimidated by other teams that are more experienced; you have to start somewhere. Some players may even look down on you or look like they’re better than they are because they have expensive paintball guns or matching team uniforms. These are the guys you want to compete against. A good way to get better at paintball is by playing with people who have more experience than you. You can catch movements of them and see how fast and aggressive they play; try to copy what the best teams did to win.

The point system can vary a bit depending on the tournament rules. However, on average, the point system usually revolves around a maximum of 100 points. 50 for hanging, 20 for the first person to pull the flag, 4 points for each opponent eliminated, and 2 points for each player left alive on your team. You can find out the leaderboard for your specific tournament by going to the captains meeting before the competition. The captain’s meeting is a meeting that you should not miss for any reason. This is where you’ll learn the tournament’s rules and points system, current schedule changes, and anything else important that competitors need to hear about. This is also when they will review the initial call, a very essential thing for your team to know. Don’t expect another team to take the time to catch up on what you missed.

The referees expect you to know the rules of the game before you start. They won’t tell you where your opponents are or where you’re supposed to be. Their job is to start and stop the game, give penalties, and make sure everything is fair throughout the game. Be sure to be courteous and polite to the umpires; it never hurts to be on their good side. If a bad call was made, only your team captain should bring the matter up with the referee. If there is a dispute, be courteous, professional, and state the facts. Respect the decision made by the referee.

Keep your competitive spirit, but remember… the entire competition process is for fun. Go out of your way to have a good time! Be a good sportsman but try to win with everything you have. Don’t cross the line when your competition wins. All that will come from your doing wrong is that other competitors will not like you and bridges will be burned. Enjoy your victory, but also try to be respectful of the other team.
Before you leave the event, be sure to talk to the referees, organizers, and other teams. Thank them for the work they put into the event and leave a good impression of your team. On the way home, talk to your team about what you did well and what you need to work on. Write these things down so you remember them so you can improve your weaknesses before your next competition.