Paintball Safety Rules For All

Just like any other sport, paintball can become risky if the players do not respect some basic safety regulations. The most basic rule is always wear a mask and especially do not remove it in the dead zone if the dead zone is within the range of the field. Another important rule is never play paintball if you are under the influence of illegal drugs, prescription medicine and/or alcohol.

In paintball, blind firing is prohibited so never fire if you do not know what you are firing at. Blind firing usually leads to accidently shoot players who are leaving the field, referees and so on. A close-range shot is in most cases more painful in comparison to shots made from a greater distance that is why it is customary to offer surrender to any opposing player within 20ft.

Regarding velocity, keep them under 280 feet per second (FPS). The gun speeds can be timed by using a paintball chronograph which should be carefully monitored. A regular paintball that travels at the speed of 280 FPS can cause small bruises while above 280 FPS paintballs can cause severe welts as well as broken skin.

When masks are not worn, all of the paintball guns must be blocked with a barrel plug or a barrel sock. Safeties are good and should be used but in most cases they fail or they are not properly used. The golden rule of paintball is common sense as most of the problems can be avoided by using common sense:

1. Do not shoot private property;
2. Do not shoot out of a moving vehicle;
3. Do not look down the barrel of a loaded gun;
4. Do not shoot yourself;
5. Never improvise.

With the risk of repeating, never remove your mask until the game is over. 99% of the injuries occur for this reason that is why it is imperative to keep the mask on at all times during the game. To sum up all of the rules:

Paintball Gun:
1. At all times, handle the paintball gun as if it is loaded;
2. Never shoot a player who is within the 20ft range;
3. Keep the velocity under 280 FPS;
4. Use a barrel sleeve or plug while not in play;
5. Never look down a barrel.

Equipment:
1. Wear the facemask at all times;
2. Only professional air smith should tamper with any modifications to your air-delivery system;
3. Wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible;
4. Never modify a rental equipment;

Participating:
1. Do not verbally abuse other players;
2. Any player without a mask should not be shot;
3. When another player is within a 15ft range you should give a verbal command to surrender;
4. No blind shooting;

As you can see, these are not hard to follow rules and with basic common sense, unfortunate accidents can be avoided and will allow paintball players to have a lot of fun playing safe. Keep it safe and have the time of your life!

About Author: Dan S. is the owner of www.paintballskirmish.co.uk/venue/crawley/home.html where fans of this sport can learn about paintball Sussex and more.