| Today paintball is a popular sport which has spread all | | | | development of the commercial industry and more |
| over the world and become a truly global leisure | | | | organized tournament-style games. |
| activity. Its evolution into the modern game has taken | | | | The first outdoor commercial paintball field opened in |
| place very quickly compared to most sports. The | | | | 1982 in Rochester N.Y. by Caleb Strong and the same |
| paintball gun has its origins back in the early 1970s | | | | man opened the indoor version in 1984 in Buffalo N.Y. |
| when James Hale of Daisy manufacturing invented | | | | This allowed big groups of people to gather in one |
| and patented a gun to be used for marking trees and | | | | place and play and encouraged the paintball business |
| livestock. The principle creators of this game were | | | | owners to develop the game further to keep the |
| Bob Gurnsey, a sporting goods retailer, Hayes Noel, a | | | | players interested and entertained. The "bunker-style" |
| stockbroker and Charles Gaines, a writer and it's | | | | game came about and the smaller fields seem to |
| widely accepted that the first ever recreational game | | | | benefit everyone. They meant that the players could |
| took place on 27th June 1981 in New Hampshire, USA, | | | | start the action quicker without having to stalk through |
| when 12 friends used these Nel-spot 007s pistols to | | | | the woods for ten minutes without seeing anyone, and |
| play a primitive version of 'capture the flag' in a field | | | | the business owners were happy because players |
| measuring over 100 acres. Legend has it that the | | | | were purchasing more paintballs due to the constant |
| winner captured the flag without firing a single shot. As | | | | fire fights. |
| the game progressed minor modifications were made | | | | Nowadays commercial paintball fields are |
| to the guns to limit the power and the paintballs | | | | commonplace but many still prefer to play out in the |
| themselves changed from oil-based to water-based to | | | | woods in non-commercial games. While this is cheaper |
| make it easier to wash the paint off clothes. | | | | it can be more problematic and dangerous than paying |
| The game was first marketed by Charles Gaines as | | | | to play at a commercial site. Although the majority of |
| "National Survival Game" (NSG), a name which reflects | | | | enthusiasts only ever play recreational, professional |
| the nature of paintball as it was first played. | | | | teams are being formed all the time and compete at |
| Occasionally the groups of people playing broke off | | | | national and international level. The first cash prize |
| into teams but most games were a case of every | | | | tournament was held in 1983 and even then the prizes |
| man for himself. As recreational paintball became more | | | | were worth $14,000, today the prizes are worth |
| popular and sophisticated, more people were playing | | | | hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 1992 the NPPL |
| and using teams became the standard. Many different | | | | (National Professional Paintball League) was founded |
| types of offensive/defensive games began to form | | | | and became the major force in professional |
| but "capture the flag" was still the most popular. With | | | | tournament games when it started its Pro-am series |
| the increasing popularity of the sport came the | | | | around the US. |