Creative revision of MWA1

By Jordan Blair

Paintball is a both a sport and recreational activity that has been

around for about thirty- odd years. It was originally founded by the recently
deceased Rob Gurnsey. He is credited as being the father of paintball. The
idea came about from a small device that was used to shoot a ball of paint,
known as a marker to mark trees to be cut down. When you put a few men
in the woods with these, they tend to get a little childish and shoot each
other with it. Thus, the game was born. The birthday is considered June
13th, 1976 As time went on rival companies grew, the sport spread to other
countries such as Australia, Canada, and the UK. The first National Pro
tournament was held in 1983.
Over the years, the sport has had its bumps along the road. Insurance
companies breathed down field owners necks, due to the fact that the
original safety mask was only a pair of goggles. Your ears and mouth were
still exposed. The mask soon evolved to include covering the mouth. And
later on covered the ears too. Paintball guns were evolving also. Originally
they were just spring powered pistols with a tube of paint feeding into the
marker. Usually only holding about 10 balls. Now they are air powered. The
marker is set up to allow a 3000 PSI or 4500 PSI High pressure air tank to
screw onto the back of it, similar to the place the stock of a gun would be. On
the top of the gun, and feed neck would clamp around the neck of a
hopper and larger holders that holds anywhere from 200-260 paintballs.
Now a days these are battery powered to allow a faster feed rate. The guns
also shoot at a faster rate. With the old spring shooters, they barely shot
over 150 FPS, and at a rate of only a few balls per minute. With the
technology put into guns now, they can shoot up to 15 Balls per second, and
at 300 FPS, allowing a much faster paced, adrenaline filled game.
The game today is usually played with 5 players on each team, starting
at opposite ends of the field. The goal of the game is to hang the center flag
onto the other team starting gate, giving your team one point. The usual
strategy to do this, is to eliminate all players of the opposing team, and hang
the flag without opposition. Different tournament have different rules, but
they usually follow a certain set. If a ball hits you and breaks, you are out. If
a ball hits you, but bounces off without leaving paint behind, you are still
considered clean and in. being caught wiping or hit or playing on with a hit
results in a penalty. Penalties come in three ways. A minor, which usually
playing on with an un-obvious hit or talking after you have hit. A major is
from playing on with an obvious hit, arguing with the ref, or wiping a hit. A

gross penalty rarely happens, and usually is only called when a player is
violent towards a ref or another player. Physical contact between players is
prohibited, and a player can be kicked from the game all together. The
consequences of minors and majors are other players being pulled out. If I
received a minor, the next nearest player on my team is pulled, if I receive a
major, the nearest two are pulled out.
Paintball is one of the few sports that can be found and played around
the entire globe.
They have Major professional leagues in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle
East, Africa, South America, Mexico, and of course, throughout the United
States. You will find all types of players, ranging from the ages of twelve to
sixty five. Paintball does receive criticism though, as some view it as a
violent sport that promotes bad habits in younger individuals. But in reality,
it teaches a high amount of responsibility, as long as they are brought into it
with an open mind. Paintball is actually considered one of the safest sports in
the world, according to the Guinness Book of World records. There are
anywhere from 20-45 paintball related injuries per 100,000 participants per
year, but majority of those are made up of outdoor play injuries (Sprained
ankles, broken bone, falling)
Paintball is important because there isnt another sport like it. It opens
a pathway to brand new possibilities, and gives a fun, athletic, adrenaline
rushed, outdoor experience that anyone can enjoy. Being part of this
discourse community has affected my life tremendously. I have met many
friends though the sport, and it has taught me responsibility for my actions.