There are as many variations to playing paintball as there are stars in the sky.

Basically, it can be broken down into two groups.

There is one group of paintballers who love to go leap from behind bushes, sneak attack, hide like a panther in a tree, play sniper against their opponents and have a running good time. These are the recreational paintballers. The other group is a lot more technical but just as fun and they win money and prizes with their paintball abilities. They love the sport and the competition.

Some recreational players feel that tournament play is too serious and just stick to the field play. You will find dedicated folks on each side of the fence, on the flip side there are tournament players that are out practicing if they aren't playing in a tournament and they would never consider playing paintball strictly for recreational play.

And of course, there are a few that love to play and will enter tournaments and play on the weekends with their favorite group of buddies.

Tournament play is fast paced and exciting with a set of rules that generally do not change much. Playing with your buddies you can set a basic set of rules and write the game as you go. You can keep the game interesting by creating variations of other games played as well. You can make each and every paintball game different.

Decide what type of paintballer you and if you have never been in a tournament, attend a few and get a feel for that the competition entails and you just might find another fun aspect to playing paintball you hadn't considered.

Paintball is a fun, competitive game that can be played with as little as 2 people or several hundred. It is a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors with your family and friends. If you don't mind getting wet, paintball can even be played in the rain. Rain or shine, you're going to get splattered with paintballs.

There are two main types of paintball play. Rec-ball which is short for recreational paintball play and Tournament Play,which is hard core competition. Recreational paintball is for the fun of it, tournament play usually has cash prizes.

There are many types of games you can play with paintball. They all involve "us against them" and it is a high stakes version of hide and seek and when you're found, you're getting painted! There are games where you can hide and ambush your opponents, run and shoot, steal the flag, or find and capture an object the other team is guarding while protecting your own.

There are paintball fields indoors and outdoors, depending on what your preferences are. And if you are new in town and looking for a new group of friends to play paintball with, many of the fields offer "Build a Team" where single people or small groups are placed together to play paintball against one another.

Paintball requires specific equipment. You shoot at your opponents and get shot at. You run in dense brush and also some paintball fields have cement bunkers to play in. Dress appropriately for each scenario. If you are not sure what the terrain is like, just call and ask. You will also need goggles, a gun/marker, pressurized gas, and paintballs.

Every game you play is different and you will learn new techniques for shooting and avoiding being hit by paintballs every time you play!

Clothes don't make the person in paintball, but they do make it safer and more fun. One of the fun things about the sport of paintball is that you don't need a lot of special equipment to enjoy the game.

On Your Head:

Invest in a good paintball mask. It is the most important piece of safety gear you can wear. If you forgot your mask, don't play. For a little added padding, a lot of paintballers wear a ball cap under their paintball masks.

Cover Up That Body:

When you play most games in paintball, you will want to slide, roll, crouch, crawl and do a lot of moves that involves low to the ground movements. Since most paintball fields are just that :fields, you will be doing all those actions on rocks, grass and dirt. Plus, a paintball flying through the air and hitting bare skin can really sting. Cover up your body with long paints, long sleeved shirts. To protect your hands a good pair of gloves (many players use motocross gloves for their pre-bent style is perfect for having a good grip on your paintball gun).

Smooth and Baggy is in:

With all the movement you'll be doing, wear baggy clothing. Plus baggy clothing will deflect energy from paintballs that are zinging in and hitting you. Layer your clothing as well. Wearing a fitted pair of leggings, long johns and a long sleeved undershirt then putting a t-shirt and pants over that will go a long way to protecting your body against paintballs flying your direction. Make your clothing dark if you're playing in the woods or go for the neutrals if you're playing in a field. If you're playing in a dark, forested area - wear black bottomed shoes or some players even paint theirs black so when an opponent looks up at a treelimb, they won't identify you by your shoes. The less zippers, buttons or buckles that are showing on your clothing, the better for you. Those things break paintballs. Smooth surfaces tend to deflect them.

If You Need More:

If you play hard and you do it frequently, you should invest in some extra safety gear. There are vests, elbow pads, knee/shin pads, and even heavily padded bras for lady paintballers - all of which are an excellent idea. Don't use safety gear for other sports for playing paintball. Most of it will slow you down and make you slow on the draw.

And those are the basics necessities for playing paintball. Get yourself an outfit together and get ready to have a colorful good time.

If you're new to the sport of paintball. You've already discovered how fun it is and you now have the bug to have your own gear. When you start putting together a collection of paintball gear, you will find it is very economical to purchase your gear in one of the convenient "packs".

The Tippman 98 Custom Power Pack comes with all the basic items to get you started in paintball. This kit features a Model 98 semi-automatic paintball marker. The pack includes a Scott protective mask, a 9OZ CO2 tank, and an ammo hopper for holding your paintgun pellets. To keep your gun in top working order they have also included wrenches, oil, a manual, and a squeegee to clean the marker barrel. The Tippman A-5 Power Pack includes an A-5 Paintball gun, a Scott Strike Vision System, 12OZ CO2 tank, ammo hopper, and wrenches, spare tank, o-rings, and lubricant to keep your gun working smoothly.

Another good entry into the realm of paintball gun packages are the packs put together by Kingmann. Basic Spyder Paintball Gun Upgrade, the Imagine Deluxe Kit, the X-TRA Super Kit and the TL-X Deluxe Pack. All of these come with guns, CO2 cartridges, ammo hoppers and clean up kits.

If you're ready to get your own gear to play paintball. Consider getting a ready made kit. It will save you the trouble of putting together your own paintball gear because a smart set has already been created just for you!

If you are looking for an activity you can do with your entire family, think about organizing a paintball team. It can be just a small game with kids versus dad and mom or girls versus boys, any combination.

If you're new to the sport, paintball is a game where pellets of paint are shot through specially made guns that cause the paint balls to be ejected with enough force that they spatter upon contact with anyone or anything they encounter.

There are several different types of games you can play. Some involve military type stealth with hiding and leaping out and surprising members of the other team, other games are just out and out running shooting your paintball gun. No matter what, you're going to be wearing colors by the end of the game.

No matter what type of game you choose to play, with the proper safety equipment, such as head, neck and chest protection. Paintball can be a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy. There are different types of paintball guns as well. If you're new to the sport of paintball and you want to put a gun and accessories together quickly, there are convenient Paintball Gun Packages available.

It gets the kids off the computers and out of the house; mom and dad can enjoy being outdoors and away from jobs, bills, and other worries. If you're looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or even an entire weekend, make it a paintball weekend with your family.