The origins of Paintball began in the 1960s when the owner of a paint company (Nelson Paint Company), Charles Nelson invented the paintball marker, shortly after this creation became the paintball gun. However, the marker was not intended for paintball use but, as an accurate way for park rangers to mark livestock and tress from a longer distance. He then invented a spray paint device for agricultural purposes and invented the balls for marking objects. They were gelatine infused paintballs infused with oil paint.
Then in 1972, the Nelson Paint Company decided to sell their Paintball Marker as the Crossman 707, but reach the expectation they desired, declaring it as a commercial failure. The second attempt to sell their marker was a success. Nelson then found success with Daisy a BB gun manufacturer. They transformed the gun into the iconic Splotch marker or the Nel-Spot 007 marker.
By 1981 three friends Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel and Charles Gaines. Inspired by the marker decided to debate who has the best at survival a Person from the Country or someone from the city. Seeing Nelson’s marker being advertised over the town, ignited their curiosity and to settle their difference to have a game of survival using Nelson’s markers. Bob Gurnsey proceeded to write the rules of the game and invite nine other players, and this was the first paintball game. Located in New Hampshire, USA, June 7th, 1981.
The first paintball game was formatted like Capture the Flag, with six men from the country and six men from the city to fight to collect all the flags and eliminate the opponents’ team. Every player was equipped with eye protection and the Nel-spot 007 over a 100-acre wood field.
The Rapid Growth of Paintball
Bob Jones then went on to publish an article discussing the game he had played with his friends in Sports Illustrated. When the article was published the game started to grow rapidly with more media attention.
Following the growth of the new paintball game, Noel, Gaines and Gurnsey saw this as a new business venture and started selling Starter kits for $150, which included the rulebook, goggles, the marker, and paintballs. They went on to trademark their game as National Survival Game and partnered up with Nelsons Paint Company.
By 1982 the game’s popularity was increasing, therefore the three friends decided to open their first Commercial Paintball Field located in New Hampshire. National Survival Game continued to grow and then opened more games throughout the USA. With continuous success, Gurnsey decided to host the first Paintball Tournament in 1983 with the $3000 prize which was taken home by the Canadian team, Unknown Rebels.
By 1984 National Survival Game was global and started to be referenced as Paintball. They started to release newer paintball products and started to mass-produce the Paintball gun. In 1985 the first outdoor paintball game was in the United Kingdom. Paintball was becoming worldwide, and games were becoming more action-packed and played at a faster-paced.
During the 1980s the International Paintball Player Association was founded as a non-profit organisation to raise awareness for the game and safety of players. By 1989 it was estimated 75,000 people played paintball on weekends in the US therefore, the IPPA decided to put a three hundred feet per second speed limit on paintball markers.
Throughout the 1990s, Paintball was established as a cherished game around the world, with new Paintball technology being developed to create the best high-quality Spyder guns and Tippmann. Then non-toxic paintballs were introduced, this included biodegradable paintballs and water-soluble paintballs. This meant they were safe for the environment. Paintball had its first TV debut on ESPSN as they screened the World Championship Games in 1995.
In today’s market Paintball is estimated to be $1.3bn in 2022, with newer technology and game modes coming out yearly Paintball is bigger than ever. In the UK paintball is one of the fastest-growing sports, with an estimated amount of one million new paintball players a year.
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FAQs
In March of 1982, Bob Gurnsey opened the first commercial paintball field. His company, National Survival Game, contracted with Nelson Paint to be the sole distributor of their product. The National Survival Game business was franchised and fields began to open throughout the United States.
What are some fun facts about paintball? ›
Paintballs can travel up to speeds of 200mph and reach distances of over 50 yards. The first automatic paintball gun was made by Tippmann in 1989 and called the SMG-60. 6. In most official games, team size is up to 15 players, but nonofficial games can attract teams of 40-50.
Why are they called paintball markers? ›
The term "marker" is derived from its original use as a tool for forestry personnel to mark trees and ranchers to mark wandering cattle.
What is the goal of paintball? ›
The objective of paintball is to fire paintballs at the opposition, hitting them, without being shot yourself, and eliminating them from the game. The team that dominates wins.
How has paintball changed over time? ›
Over the years, recreational paintball has become more sophisticated. Because more people were playing at one time, using teams became the standards. Different game variations began to form. The most popular paintball game became “capture the flag”, but offensive/defensive scenarios also were popular.
Why do people play paintball? ›
More than just invigorating fun, paintballing also comes with a host of brilliant benefits, not least in building teamwork skills, spending quality adventure time with friends, family and colleagues and giving your body a great physical and mental workout.
Who invented paintball and why? ›
Charles Nelson of the Nelson Paint Company designed the first paintball gun in the mid-sixties as an efficient way of marking trees that needed to be cut down. It was also used by ranchers to mark cattle. This is why many people, including Paintballing Ltd, still refer to a paintball gun as a paintball marker.
Why is paintball so addictive? ›
Adrenaline. It is very addictive and fun. When you get to the field and start getting your gear, you will start to feel extremely excited from the adrenaline! When you are paintballing, you feel like you are in another world!
How fast do paintballs go mph? ›
I read some things about the sport and learned a lot of new paintball-specific rules. I figured my son would probably want to quit the first time he got hit with one of those gelatin balls traveling at 300 feet per second. (Just for reference, 300 fps equals 200 mph.)
Why isn t paintball popular? ›
Due to the nature of the sport where paintballs can hurt being “shot” out of a gun for the intent of hitting your opposing teammates, the general population will always see paintball as dangerous. Criminal attacks on innocent victims using paintball guns have added to the assumption of the sport being dangerous.
Paintball can be expensive for a few reasons: Equipment Costs: Paintball guns, protective gear, paintballs, air tanks, and other accessories. Quality equipment often comes with higher price tags, and the cost can add up quickly, especially if you're looking for performance and durability.
Is paintball a sport or a hobby? ›
Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact.
What is the rule of paintball? ›
Game Rules
Players are eliminated when a paintball hits and breaks on them, leaving paint on their body or equipment. Rules may vary slightly, so listen closely to your referee and don't be afraid to ask questions. At most paintball fields, a ball must directly impact a player and leave at least a quarter sized splat.
What is a fun fact about paintball? ›
The first paintball guns were never intended to be used on people. In fact, they were used to mark trees and cattle–hence the term, “paintball marker”. Cattlemen use paintball markers to mark cattle within a herd. They might mark a cow that appears to be pregnant or injured so they can remove them from the herd later.
What are the disadvantages of paintball? ›
What are the Dangers of Paintball?
- Eye and Ear Impact Injuries.
- Contusions – Welts and Bruises.
- Cuts and Abrasions.
- Concussions.
- Genital Injuries.
- Sprained/Twisted Ankles and Wrists.
- Respiratory problems / Asthma.
- Temporary Loss of Vision.
Paintball participation in the U.S. 2010-2023
Games can be played indoor, outdoor, and on natural or artificial terrain. Since 2021, the activity has been increasing in popularity, with the annual number of paintball participants in the U.S. amounted to 2.67 million in 2023, up from 2.56 in 2021.
What was paintball invented for? ›
What does paintball teach you? ›
Agility – Fast moving objects are harder to hit, so be one. Being able to carry yourself quickly and change direction with ease is a major advantage on the field, and paintballing is ideal for developing this skill.
Why is paintball so tiring? ›
Paintball games are fast paced keeping you in constant motion. Playing in the summer heat with your gear in tow, you will sweat immensely. Even in cold weather, as paintball play speeds up your metabolism, you will be removing layers of clothing as the intensity to win drives your ability.
How old is paintball? ›
The game was invented in June 1981 in New Hampshire by Hayes Noel, a Wall Street stock trader, and Charles Gaines, an outdoorsman and writer. A debate arose between them about whether a city-dweller had the instinct to survive in the woods against a man who had spent his youth hunting, fishing, and building cabins.
There is no way of knowing how many paintballs any individual will use, as it depends on how trigger-happy you are. It is entirely up to each person how many paintballs they want to use. The average use across the entire the company (by Juniors and Adults) is 400-500 paintballs per person per session.
How hard does a paintball hit you? ›
What does it feel like to get hit with a paintball? The pain can range from getting snapped with a wet towel or getting stung by a bee. Does it leave welts and bruises? Of course, it can if you are playing in shorts and a tee shirt.
