| Paintball is a game whose participants use gas-powered CO2 or compressed air powered markers to launch marble-sized gelatin capsules (paintballs) containing a vegetable oil-based dye, which can come in many colors and variations, such as white, orange, yellow, green and glow in the dark.
Among the most common of the many variations is a version of capture the flag, in which two teams of players attempt to seize each others' banner without being struck by a paintball. Another common game is total elimination where one team wins when all members of the opposing team are eliminated by being struck by a paintball.
The first paintball game was played in New Hampshire in 1981 by Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, and Charles Gaines, who used "markers" (also called guns) built to tag cattle or trees. The first tournament with a cash prize was held in 1983. |