CORE VALUES WHEN PLAYING PAINTBALL

As a paintball player, you know that LEADERSHIP is an important quality to enable you to compete on a high level. In the U.S. Army, LDRSHIP takes on a whole meaning. It's about values. Soldiers learn about values during Basic Combat Training (BCT), from then on they live them every day in everything they do -- whether they're on the job or off. The Seven Core Army Values are...

• Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other Soldiers.
• Duty - Fulfill your obligations.
• Respect - Treat people as they should be treated.
• Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.
• Honor - Live up to all the Army values.
• Integrity - Do what’s right, legally and morally.
• Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity [physical or moral].

Unlike the game of "cops and robbers" you played when you were a kid, in paintball there is no question about who shot whom. Anytime a player is hit by a paintball and the ball breaks on the player's clothing, skin, or gun, the player is "out". Paintball is at its core a game of honor and integrity. A player who has been shot is required to call himself "out" by raising his marker in the air and loudly calling "Out!" or "Hit!". Once out, a player must immediately leave the field and head to a safe area sometimes called the "dead box". Eliminated players are not allowed to communicate with their teammates who are still in the game. 

Often a paintball will strike a player but not break. This is called a "bounce". Generally, a bounce is not considered a hit and the player is allowed to remain in the game. It's always good sportsmanship to let your opposing player know a shot has bounced. You can do this by yelling out "Bounce!" or tell him after the game.

Cheating is cancer to paintball. If you are hit, call yourself out and go sit in the dead box while you figure out how to do better in the next game. You'll discover that it feels pretty good to call yourself out even if no one else saw you get shot. Playing with honor has a way of making the game more fun and more meaningful. If you are hit and you know the paintball broke, immediately raise your hand high into the air and yell, "Hit!"  If you hesitate and or even think about cheating, you may find yourself doing something you will eventually regret. Not only does cheating ruin a fun afternoon of paintball for everyone who is playing but it will also ruin you. Cheating will slow down your progress as a player and keep you from improving. Cheating also will eventually earn you a reputation you definitely do NOT want.

Paintball involves a lot of motion so don't wear anything too tight. Keep it loose and comfortable. Wear layers instead of a heavy jacket. As you warm up, you can remove layers as needed. Wear long sleeves. Head coverings are optional but can offer some protection. Covering your head will hold heat in and may cause your mask to fog up.

Many parents find playing paintball to be a fun way to spend time with their teen. Since paintball is more about stealth and wits than strength or size, adults and young people are evenly matched. If a parent doesn't want to play, he can ref. It can be difficult to find someone willing to referee an outlaw paintball game so a parent's involvement will be welcome. As a referee, the parent can check to see that everyone is playing safely. Remember that every referee must also wear a paintball mask.

        For those who are just starting out or considering the sport of paintball these videos below will help learn some of the "basics" of paintball play, safety, equipment and tactics.

Here are some challenging games and scenarios that you can play in just about any location or field. These are great basic training games that are fun to play with teams. 

Center Flag: You can choose to eliminate all of the players on the other team to win (aka Total Elimination) or capture the flag and bring it to a certain location for victory. The flag is usually guarded by the opposing team. There are also a few special rules for Center Flag, regarding the placement of the flag after the flag-holder is tagged. Usually the flag is either returned to the starting position and player is eliminated from the game. The other version has the tagged player stand where they have been hit, visibly holding the flag and unable to shoot their gun.

Pic from Oklahoma D-Day

Capture the Flag: Capture the flag is very similar to Center Flag as the rules and objectives of Capture the Flag are essentially the same. The only real tangible difference is that it's commonly played with more players. 

Total Elimination: Total Elimination is probably the commonly played and most favorite among casual players. The only real rule to note in this paintball game is: You get hit, You're Out! And the team who entirely eliminates the other wins the game. Tagged players are asked to leave the playing field immediately. Most versions of this type of play integrate an ulterior incentive to win; ie. Capture the Flag.

Tag and Play: This game is commonly played by newbies to the sport. It's mainly for honing your accuracy skills and getting familiar with your paintball markers (guns) and equipment. Similar to playing 'Tag' as a child, once you've been marked you are supposed to return to the starting location and then reengage in the game. There is no really ending or winner.

All the Presidents Men: If you think of how the Secret Service protects the United States President you're on the right track. A group of players is assigned to protect a single person from a group of opposing attackers. If the attackers manage to tag the 'President' within a given time frame, they win. If time expires and the protect team prevents the 'President' from being tagged, that team wins. You can also play that the protection team needs to move the 'President' to an assigned location. If the attackers manage to tag or capture the 'President' before he gets to his new location that game is over and the attackers win. If the protection team gets the 'President' to his new location then the protection team wins.

Everyone for themselves: As always (and with all contributing player's consent), a common way to unload some ammo is simply having every player fend for themselves. Nobody is every really out or the game may consist of a custom set of rules, relying on a player's honestly and admittance to how many times they've been tagged. For example, if you've been hit by anyone 10x, you're gone and the last person wins.

A-Better-Kind of Elimination: When a player is hit in a vital area (torso, head), he/she is eliminated. Shots to the legs and arms require two hits to be eliminated.

Seal Extraction: (20 minute time limit) Seals must find a hostage being kept at gun-point by some Mercenaries, and then extract him/her to an extraction point. Mercenaries must either hold the Seals for 20 minutes, or eliminate them. After the Seals secure hostage, they have 10 more minutes to move to an extraction point. To make it more realistic, if Seals don't secure the hostage within 20 minutes, the hostage is shot by a Mercenary (NOT a close range).

Demolish: (2 Teams- played if one team is larger than an other team). Team A must plant a bomb on a bridge (or other structure), to prevent reinforcements arriving for Team B. Team B (which is the large of the teams) can only start the game with half of its players the other half can come into the game as reinforcements 15 minutes after the game has begun. When a bomb is planted, there is a 30-second countdown. Team B either has to eliminate Team A, or defuse the bomb after it is planted. Game is over when a team is eliminated, bomb is defused or 30 minute time limit has expired. 

Benedict Arnold: Everyone draws a letter out of a hat, 'Y's' or 'B's'. The players are divided into their respective teams., but there is 1 'YX' & 1 'BX' in the group. These X players are to remain unanimous. Once a player who started on the opposite end of the field is eliminated the players drawing the X may then change teams at their discretion without announcing that they are doing so. As soon a member of the Y's get eliminated the BX player can then change teams, and or if a B player is hit the YX player may switch.

Blackjack: Standard Capture the Flag with one flag on each side of the field. The catch is each player has only 21 paintballs.

Medic: Each team has a designated Medic. If a player is hit the player can not move back on their own. When a person is hit , they must sit down and wait to be revived. They must yell out for a medic. The medic has to get to the player and place a bandage on the players arm to revive them. Each player can be revived only 1 time. The medic has to be hit 2 times to die. Your medic can not be healed. If he/she is hit 2x he/she is dead. If the wounded man is overrun by the enemy then he can not be healed! Remember if you are the wounded player you have to stay put and can not help other than to call out for a medic. Medics can wear a red armband to distinguish them from the rest of the team. Medics cannot carry pods. The game is over when the whole team is eliminated.

General: Similar to Presidents Men. Simple one player from each team is the General, he must be defended at all cost. It makes no difference how many players die, if the General is killed you lose! Set a time limit. Object is to tag the opposing teams General before the time runs out.

Black Hawk Down: A two, three or four man team is trapped behind enemy lines (of Team B). Team A is trying to break through and rescue their 'downed team'." Team B starts the game at the half way point and must try to destroy the 'downed team' before the other team breaks through and retrieves them. If one of the downed team is hit  he/she is out but can be revived by a Medic and retrieved. If all downed team members are tagged they Team A loses. Team A must move the downed team back to an extraction point. The downed team is allowed to have markers (guns). For a more realistic play limit the amount of paintballs available to the downed team.

Sniper: 2-4 snipers go out and hide on the field, they work independently of each other. Snipers can not assist each other in any way. The rest of the players hit the field and hunt them down. using any means necessary to find them. Snipers are trying to tag as many hunters as you can before you are eliminated! Once hit in this game you are out (goes for both Snipers and Hunters)!

Code Book: There are 3 small containers on the field (placed secretly by a neutral party and not hidden to hard that no one can find it). Within each is a digit to a combination lock. The lock seals a 4th box also hidden on the field which contains the code book. The games begins with each team at their starting points. If a player is eliminated while holding a piece of the combo they must sit on the ground and call out Where they were hit holding the combination piece over their head until someone from either team collects it from them. Then they are to leave the field. The first team to open the lock with the combination & retrieve the code book wins.

Conquest: Team A is "the Defenders," they are to split into 3 squads. Each squad is assigned to one "Command Post. (selected areas on the field). Team B is "the Attackers." Team B is to try and capture all of the "Command Posts." The defenders can have about 2-3 players on a squad (or more, depending on the number of players). The "Attackers" (Team B) can respawn, but Team A (the Defenders) can not respawn. To capture a Command Post, all players assigned to a said Command post must be eliminated. If to many defenders are eliminated from a Command post a defender can abandon a Command post to help protect one of the other Command Posts. The deserted Command Post can then be taken over by Team B (the Attackers). Each game is timed 30 minutes. If the Defenders hold the Attackers that long, the Defenders win. If all the Defenders are eliminated, the Attackers win. This gives the game a "hold the enemy until the reinforcements arrive" attitude. When the Attackers are hit they must "walk" back to the spool point to be able to re-enter the game. There is no wait to respawn ...they only must be able to "walk" back to the spool point to respawn. 

BOUNTY HUNTER: Requirements:: One fugitive and 4-6 bounty hunters. Setup: The fugitive is given one minute to hide on the field and the bounty hunters all start together at the home base. Rules: The goal is for the bounty hunters to capture the fugitive by shooting him on the arms or legs or by touching him. A shot to the body results in a tie (a dead fugitive means no reward for the bounty hunters). The fugitive can shoot the bounty hunters anywhere on the body to eliminate them. Victory: The bounty hunters must capture the fugitive within a certain time limit (15-20 minutes is usually good). The fugitive wins by eliminating all the bounty hunters or surviving to the end of the time limit. Strategy: The fugitive must hide well and use the clock to his advantage. By forcing the bounty hunters to separate to cover the field, the fugitive has a better chance at picking off the bounty hunters one by one and at the same time use up the clock. The bounty hunters must focus on surrounding the fugitive and slowly advancing in on him. Since this can take a lot of time, find the fugitive as quickly as possible and then plan your assault. Remember, since a body or head shot will result in a tie, try your best to avoid firing until you have a clear shot at the arms or legs.

POCKET FULL OF BALLS:

While it's often exciting to shoot a stream of paintballs as fast as you can pull the trigger, sometimes it's nice to slow things down a little bit so the focus is on accuracy and positioning rather than the speed of your fingers. The simple way to slow things down is to remove all hoppers and play one shot at a time. Requirements: Any type of game such as capture the flag or elimination is suitable. Just prepare for that game and then apply the new rules. Setup: Follow the rules for the type of game you are playing. You may use whatever gun you want, but no hoppers are allowed. You may carry as much extra paint as you want in your pockets or in pods, but you must manually load them with your hand. Remember to clearly define boundaries and a time limit before you begin. Rules: All general rules of paintball apply, and remember to be safe. When both teams are ready, the game begins when someone shouts, "Game on!" The goal of each team is to accomplish the mission of whichever game type you are playing (such as capturing your opponent's flag or eliminating your opponent's entire team). You may not use a hopper, so you must manually load your gun to shoot. Creativity is key, so whether you're making a small hopper out of your fist, running with your hand over your feed neck or filling your buddy's gun for him you are within the rules. Victory: A team wins by accomplishing the objective of the game you are playing as long as nobody on the team has violated any of the rules.

VIP:

Rather than focusing on eliminating the other team, wouldn't it be easier to narrow your focus onto one opposing player? VIP places you with the responsibility of protecting your VIP while also attempting to eliminate your opponent's. Requirements: A field and some players. You should have at least three players per team but you can play with more. More than about eight to ten players per team might be too many. Setup: Establish two bases at opposing ends of your field and position. Divide your group into two teams and position each team at a base and have each team elect a VIP. Make sure that the teams know who the VIP is on the opposing team and that the field boundaries are clearly defined. Before you begin, also establish a time limit for the game - twenty minutes usually is about right, but depending on the number of players it could be longer or shorter. Rules: All general rules of paintball apply, and remember to be safe. When both teams are ready, the game begins when someone shouts, "Game on!" The goal of each team is to eliminate the opposing team's VIP while protecting their own. A player is out and must leave the field if a paintball breaks on him or he calls himself out for any reason. Depending on how you want to play the VIP can play with a gun, but it is often more exciting for the VIP to be unarmed. Victory: A team wins by eliminating the opposing team's VIP.

BALLOON POP (SNIPER & GUARDS):

Requirements:  Two teams, three ballons, a timer and an air horn. It's best to play this on a larger field with significant amounts of brush and cover. Setup: Start off by inflating the ballons and attaching them to trees or poles throughout the field. Divide the teams into two groups: guards and snipers. The snipers each have a set number of paintballs (around 10-15 is good) and have three minutes to hide wherever they want to on the field as long as they are not within 30 paces of a ballon. The guards start at one base with their backs towards the snipers and have the same number of paintballs. Rules: When the air horn blows the guards have thirty seconds to seek out and eliminate any snipers they find. After thirty seconds the air horn blows again and the snipers are now able to fire. Victory: The guards win by eliminating all the snipers. The snipers win by either eliminating all the guards or popping all the ballons by shooting them or by eliminating all the guards. If neither side has won after an agreed upon time (10-20 minutes), it's a tie. Strategy: With a limited number of paintballs, the key is to make sure you have a shot before you pull the trigger. If you're the snipers either work as a team to get the ballons or else work as a team to get the guards. If you're the guards, try to find and eliminate as many snipers as you can in the first thirty seconds and then systematically search the field while keeping the ballons well-guarded. Variation 1: Don't let the snipers use hoppers and make them feed each ball one at a time.

OFF HANDED:

As with all games of paintball, remember to follow all safety rules, make sure everyone knows the rules before starting and always use common sense. Requirements: Any type of game such as capture the flag or elimination is suitable. Just prepare for that game and then apply the new rules. Setup: Follow the rules for the type of game you are playing. You may use whatever gun you want, but you must use your non-dominant hand. If you typically shoot with your right hand on the trigger, you must use your left hand or if you typically use your left hand, you must use your right. Rules: All general rules of paintball apply, and remember to be safe. When both teams are ready, the game begins when someone shouts, "Game on!" The goal of each team is to accomplish the mission of whichever game type you are playing (such as capturing your opponent's flag or eliminating your opponent's entire team). You may only use your non-dominant hand throughout the game - no exceptions. Victory: A team wins by accomplishing the objective of the game you are playing as long as nobody on the team has violated any of the rules.

Now that you have completed your "Basic Training"  it is time to continue your education. For those who are official O.S.U. team members (new recruits) you will be required to read and familiarize yourself with the following training pages...

1) "Basic Tactical Training"

2) "Jungle Training."

The O.S.U. often use these military tactics on the paintball field. These tactics are time honored military tactics that can help improve your scenario paintball game and of course keep you and your squad in the game longer. Putting these tactics into practice will only help you to better reach your objectives. The number one issue of a "New Recruit" (or even an old player) is to follow orders from your squad leader (those with higher rank), even if you don't agree with them! Being part of the O.S.U. is playing as a team and not as an individual. We welcome you to the O.S.U. and to many and fun operations!!!

 DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO!

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