Paintball is a recreational and competitive sport with many variations.
Paintball first began to gain popularity both nationally and internationally in the 1980s and early 1990s. As the game increased its profile around the world, multiple variations of play began to surface, containing different scenarios and objectives.
Woodsball
Woodsball is paintball played in a natural setting, normally the woods, with large boundaries. It can be played using the traditional team elimination game or a scenario game such as a mock rescue mission or Capture the Flag.
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag is one of the most popular paintball games, and was played when paintball was first created in 1981. The basic objective of this game is to retrieve the opposing team's flag, located in a designated spot on the course, and return it to your team base without getting hit. A common strategy is to assign roles to team members, such as attackers, scouts and flag guarders.
Speedball
Speedball, also known as X-ball, is played on a set-up course and can take place either indoors or outdoors. It uses similar rules to Woodsball but is a much faster-paced game. Speedball is the most common type of game in professional tournaments around the world.
Manhunt
Manhunt can be played either indoors or outdoors, but usually works best in larger outdoor areas. A player is designated as "the hunted" as the rest are designated as hunters. The hunted player is usually supplied with a small paintball pistol, while the hunters may use any gun they like. The hunted player must reach a designated area within a given time frame without being hit in order to win the game.
Scenario
Scenario paintball uses a storyline or unique situation to guide the game. Some of the most common scenario games are "Rambo," in which one player is given an automatic weapon and everyone else, usually armed with weaker guns, tries to eliminate that one player; "Protect the President," in which a team must protect one designated player en route to a predetermined spot as the other team attempts to eliminate that player; and "Hostage Rescue," in which players are divided into terrorists, hostages and rescuers who must seek out and safely retrieve the hostages from the terrorists.
Tags: Capture Flag, around world, Capture Flag Capture, either indoors, either indoors outdoors, eliminate that
