Outlaw
Paintball Safety Rules
by Thumper Jan 12, 2009 -- Revised 1.16.2009 -- Revised 1.23.2009
Outlaw paintball (or backyard paintball) generally has a bad reputation
in the public eye. Some of this stems from the statistics that include
the following : Since 1995, 82% of all eye injuries in paintball occur
in noncommercial fields. "These injuries are seen predominantly
in boys, a growing proportion of whom are playing informally in unsupervised
settings and not wearing eye protection. The cases previously reported
include large numbers of hyphemas, retinal detachments, cataracts, corneal
abrasions, vitreous hemorrhages, and commotio retina." Also
- if you get hit in the eye by a paintball, there is a 50% chance you
will loose all vision in that eye.
While there is no excuse for stupid, there are a few things the outlaw ballers can to to play safe - including some common sense safety rules.
Goggles:
The biggest safety rule in paintball has to be goggles. Goggles must
be worn at all times. Do not take them off until after the games when
ALL guns are plugged, and on the ground. This includes when you chronograph
your gun. If you fog up while playing, leave your goggles on. You can
normally clear fog up by moving around.
Barrel
Plugs / Barrel Sleeves: Your barrel plug is used for two things. First
it acts as a safety to prevent your gun from shooting in safe areas, and
second it serves as a dead-mans banner. When you get shot, quickly call
out, hold you gun up, dig for your plug while you run to get out of the
way, and plug your gun so others on the field don't keep shooting at you.
Your plug/sleeve should be a bright color. (No black). If you don't have
a barrel plug, borrow one from a friend. The only time your gun should
be unplugged is while you are playing.
If any players are missing barrels plugs/sleeves and are insistent on playing anyway here are a few tips to minimize the stupidity:
NOTE : These are NOT
SAFE SUBSTITUTES
for standard Barrel Plugs and Barrel Sleeves.
- Athletic Sock: Using an athletic sock as a barrel sleeve is NOT GOOD, and certainly wont pass inspection at any commercial field that respects their insurance carrier - but is likely a little better than doing nothing in my opinion.
- Removing the barrel: not a good substitute - but is a fairly common practice at commercial fields w/ customers who loose their plugs during the game. If you use this technique, be careful - depending on the marker the muzzle velocity can be pretty impressive on a marker with no barrel.
- Masks on and GUNS down: Another technique is to require everyone to keep their masks on after the game until all markers are on the ground. Then remove masks. No one touches a marker until everyone is masked up. Again, not a safe technique - but is likely a little better than doing nothing in my opinion.
- Squeegees and Barrel swabs: are not good substitubes at all - they actually shoot pretty well, like an arrow.
Integrity
: Paintball is a game that only works if the players that play are
honest about when they get hit. The age old rules say that a bounces and
splatter don't count. The ball must hit your and break on you (or your
equipment). If you feel it hit, or hear it hit : stop shooting immediately
and check yourself. Put your hand where you felt the hit. If your hand
comes back with paint on it, you are out. Plug it, and get off the field.
Paint Checks
: If you can't tell, ask a friend to check you. Checking yourself
(or a teammate) does not necessarily make you neutral. The custom is to
quit shooting while an opponent checks himself. This custom also includes
not advancing on a player while he checks himself. Again, Paintball is
a game of honesty and integrity : play it that way.
Dead men
don't talk : The custom is, once you are out, you dont talk or signal
to any live player.
Close
Range : If you get with in 10 feet of an opponent, ask for a surrender.
If they don't surrender, blast'um.
Overshooting
: Never keep shooting at someone who is already hit. It is unsportmanslike
conduct. One break is enough. Two is ok. Three is too many.
Hand Tags
and Bunker Tags: These rules vary greatly ; but the oldschool players
generally view a hand tag as an automatic elimination. This can be extended
to include "bunker tags" - which says if an opponent hand tags
the bunker you are in (or behind), then you are out. Customarily hand
tags to not include buildings.
Field
Hazards : Look out for barbed wire, old junk piles (with broken glass),
wooden pallets (with old rust nails), stump holes, dead trees (that are
still standing). Try and make sure everyone knows where any barbed wire
is in particular. I recommend marking off field hazards with some flagging
tape and makeing sure everyone knows what to look for. Schedule a work
day to remove the main safety hazards.
Treat all
guns as gassed and loaded : Never aim your gun at yourself or someone
else unless everyone is masked, on the field and during a game. Many regulators
hold pressurized air the tank is removed - A cocker w/o a bolt can fire
backwards - and guns can fire all by themselves. IT HAPPENS - I've seen
it all happen, a lot. Im very safety conscious, and I've had several near
misses. Never look down the barrel of a marker without eye protection.
Treat these guns with disrespect, and it is just a matter of time before
stupid catches up with you and your friends.
Keep them
cased up while in public : Keep you gun in a case or bag when not
at the playing field. There is nothing cool about getting your head blow
off by some druggie or cop who sees your fancy GAT at the gas station
and decides to shoot first. A Tippmann X7 laying in the back seat or hatch
back at the zippy mart looks to you like an X7, but to the passerby or
cop, it spells out BIG TROUBLE - first for them, and then for you. And
it sings of STUPID. The more Mil-SIM your marker is, the more this applies
- but everyone should follow this guideline.
Don't shoot
the neighbor's house, cars, animals, signs : First of all, if you
are going to do something stupid, it is best to not leave evidence. A
big orange splat on the sign (etc) is evidence of stupid. It also screams
to the general public that paintballers in general are inconsiderate stupid
jerks. THAT IS bad for the sport, and THAT really does make the shooter
a stupid jerk. Don't be a jerk. Don't be stupid. And don't compound jerk
and stupid.
Chronograph
that marker: Make SURE some one brings a chronograph and every
one checks their markers at least a few times each day. 280fps is a good
maximum field speed.
FUN TIP1 : Check out this code of conduct - if everyone follows this code, I guarantee you will have more fun. http://www.teamsection8.com/code-of-conduct.htm
FUN TIP2 : The best way to keep outlaw games fun and safe is to do the following: If you have a player who can't seem to follow at least these basic safety rules, simply don't play with them. If you are the one organizing the group, don't invite them back. Over time, the quality of your group will improve - both safety wise and sportsmanship wise.
SAFETY TIP : Parents : You should consider supervising kids playing paintball and make sure they follow these rules - especially the goggles rules. (especially for the 10 to 14 ages) Buy them a Handheld Paintball Chronograph. They run around $75 to $100 for a hand held version. Make sure they all have paintball goggles and know how to use them. If the kids seem to think these are optional, and won't listen to you, then you NEED to remove your kids from the setting and contact the parents of the other children before someone gets really hurt. (Google search "PMI hand-held Chronograph")
***There is no excuse for stupid***