Versions of Paintball

Dozens of games to choose from

There are literally dozens of different types of paintball games to play, so what we’ll do here is give a brief rundown on some of the more popular versions.

Capture the Flag - The object of this game is to capture your opponent’s flag from their headquarters and take it back safely to your return station in order to win.

Center Flag - This is similar to capture the flag, except there is only one flag at a neutral or center position on the playing field. To win the game you must capture the flag and take it to a designated area, which is usually the opponent's starting station.

Elimination - The object of this game is to eliminate all of your opponents.

Speedball - As the name suggests, speedball is a fast game that’s usually over in about five minutes and it’s played in a small area. The games usually consist of capture the flag or centerflag combined with elimination. Bunkers are generally placed in a pattern so no team has an advantage. This game is very popular with spectators because of the fast paced action and the quickness of the game. Speedball is also very popular in national, local, and tournament leagues and the first commercial field opened up in 1982.

Foxes and Hounds - Players are divided into 2 groups - a small group called foxes, and a much larger group called hounds. The foxes enter the field of play first, and have a certain amount of time to cover or hide themselves. After this, the hounds enter the field of play. There is a time limit for the hounds to eliminate all the foxes, and if they do so, they are the winners. However, if one or more foxes survive, then they are the winners.

Paratrooper - Players are split into teams of pairs and each player is given a token, such as an arm band. Teams enter the field of play one at a time and are given a couple of minutes to take their position. When all teams have entered the field, play begins. Whenever you eliminate an opponent you take their token. At the end of the time limit the pair with the largest number of tokens is the winner.

Woodsball - Woodsball basically involves any number of players with a series of bunkers out on the woods. You can play a variety of games here - with the most popular being capture the flag and elimination. The size and terrain of woodsball fields mean you can only see a portion of the playing field at any given time. Because of the field size and the number of players these games tend to last for quite a while.

Scenario - These fun filled games are based on a specific storyline or theme. They’re great for players of all skill levels and for large teams. Scenario games can last anywhere from 12 hours up to a few days. The objective of the game will depend on the theme or storyline. You can really have a lot of fun here, as you can come up with all sorts of imaginative and creative scenarios to play out.

Blackjack - A game with a time limit where each player only gets 21 shots.

Duel - An old West style duel between two players.

Dynamite - Each team gets a stick of dynamite to use. If the player carrying the dynamite is shot, the other team can take the dynamite and use it.

Hostage Rescue - In this game you try to take a person safely back to your base instead of a flag.

Kill the Rabbit - This game pits one person against a team of opponents who are out to hunt him/her down.

Musket Ball - You need to be accurate and fast in this variation as you have to reload after each shot.

Spy - A game in which one of your team mates is a designated spy and is out to kill your captain.

X Ball - This game pits two teams against each other in several rounds of Center Flag. The games are played one after another until time runs out. A team scores a point for each game of center flag they win, and of course the team with the most points at the end of the match is the winner. Professional X Ball matches are 50 minutes long and are split into two halves. However, some other leagues play shorter games. Only five players from each team are on the playing area at any given game, but depending on the rules, teams may have up to 19 players on their roster and can make substitutions after each point is scored. X Ball teams are allowed to have a coach who can give players on the field instructions and advice. Players who receive penalties aren’t kicked out of the game, but have to serve time in a penalty box. There are variations of X Ball including X Ball light which has one period that is generally 15 minutes long and the first team to reach a specific point total wins the match. Another version of X Ball is a game of speedball with a speedball bunker setup along with a large inflatable X in the middle of the field.