IS PAINTBALL SAFE?

Paintball Safety and Why it’s One of the World’s Safest Sports!

Since its creation in the early nineteen eighties, paintball has grown to be played by millions every year around the world, and one of the reasons for its continued growth is the lengths everyone in the sport takes to ensure the safety of each and every paintball player, every time they step on the field! From the equipment to the staff at the local paintball park or playing field to each longtime player, safety is built into every part of the game to ensure everyone who participates in paintball games has an amazing, adrenalin-packed time and is excited to come back and play again! Paintball is fun because paintball is safe!

Paintball safety starts with where the game is played. It is highly recommended that all players enjoy the game of paintball at their local, professionally-operated paintball field or paintball park, as the staff there is highly trained to ensure the safety of every player from the moment they pull into the parking lot! Every game at the local field is officiated by referees whose job it is to make sure players observe the rules of the game, keep their goggles and other safety equipment on at all times, and that all the paintball guns used during play are shooting at a safe speed. All paintball guns used during games at a local, professional paintball field must be fired over a speed measuring radar gun known as a chronograph before each and every game, and then adjusted below 300 feet per second to ensure safe, pain-free play for all participants! Finally, unlike many other modern sports in which the participants might lay hands on one-another during play, paintball players on opposing teams will likely never approach closer than a few feet from one-another during play, ensuring safety and ruling out most chances of physical injury.

Paintball Players must do their part to keep the game safe in many important ways. First and foremost in individual paintball safety is keeping the goggle/facemask system on at all times during play, as this protects the eyes, forehead, face, ears and neck from incoming paintballs. Players can also avoid a twisted or rolled ankle while doing all that running, diving, sliding and crawling the game is known for by wearing proper footwear for play, from baseball-style high-topped cleats for competitive play to high-topped athletic shoes or hiking shoes and boots for recreational play, as these provide both traction to prevent slips and falls and ankle support. Paintball companies offer knee, shin, hip, elbow and forearm pads that can keep players safe while sliding and diving or crawling through rough terrain, while some newer players can even add a padded chest protector under a jacket to add an extra layer!

Paintball equipment must meet all applicable safety standards to be accepted for use during play. Paintball goggle and facemask systems are high-tech marvels, manufactured to exacting specifications and rigorously tested to ensure they will absolutely, positively always protect the wearer during games of paintball, while allowing the user to breathe freely and comfortably, communicate and see clearly while dodging incoming paintballs! Whether provided as rental equipment by the local park or purchased for personal use, paintball goggle systems are adjustable to fit the wearer and should be tried on and adjusted before play to ensure they will stay on, and fit comfortably. All paintball guns are adjustable to shoot at safe velocities during play and no professional paintball field or playing park will allow an unsafe paintball gun to be used at any time. Finally, the paintballs themselves are made of water-soluble, biodegradable ingredients that are completely safe for the environment and the players they might land on, and everything washes away with soap and water!

Paintball is one of the safest sports in the world thanks to the lengths taken by the paintball industry, its manufacturers and the operators of each and every paintball field and playing park whose job it is to make sure the aim of the game is safe, clean fun!