| Basic variations Capture the Flag - A
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| | X-Ball pits two teams against each other
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| team must take the flag from the
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| | in multiple rounds of Center Flag played
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| opponents' flag station on the opposite
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| | one after another until game time runs
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| side of the field and return it to their
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| | out. A team scores one point for each
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| own station in order to win.
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| | game of centerflag they win, and the team
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| Centerflag - Similar to Capture the Flag,
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| | with the most points at the end of the
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| except there is a single flag at a
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| | match wins. Professional X-Ball matches
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| neutral or center position on the field.
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| | are 50 minutes long, split into two
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| Victory is achieved by capturing this
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| | halves, while other leagues use various
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| flag and taking it to a designated area,
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| | shorter game times. Although only 5
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| usually the opponent's starting station.
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| | players play in any given game, depending
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| Elimination - The objective is for either
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| | on league rules teams may roster up to 19
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| a team or individual player to eliminate
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| | players and substitute them after each
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| all of their opponents.
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| | point. Unlike most tournament formats
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| Foxes & Hounds - Players are divided
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| | that forbid players to communicate with
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| between a small group, called the "foxes"
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| | people on the sidelines, X-Ball may have
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| and a much larger group, called the
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| | a coach who can communicate, along with
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| "hounds." The foxes enter the field of
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| | the spectators, to players on the field.
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| play first and are given a limited amount
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| | Players who receive penalties are not
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| of time to conceal themselves. After this
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| | permanently removed from the game, but
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| preparation time has elapsed, the hounds
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| | placed in a hockey-like penalty box for
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| enter the field of play. If, after a
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| | several minutes. X-Ball has taken root at
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| predetermined amount of time has elapsed,
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| | the national level, although variations
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| the hounds are able to eliminate all
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| | are found in regional and local
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| foxes, the hounds are considered the
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| | competition. The X-Ball Light variant has
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| winners. If one or more foxes have not
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| | one period, typically 15 minutes long.
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| been eliminated, the foxes are considered
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| | The first team to reach a set point total
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| the winners.
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| | (commonly 5 or 7 points), or the team
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| Paratrooper - Players are given a token
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| | with the highest point total after game
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| (such as a colored arm-band) and paired
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| | time has elapsed, wins the match. X-Ball
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| off. Each pair constitutes a team. Teams
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| | has another form of play, where a game of
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| enter the field of play sequentially,
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| | speedball is played with a normal
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| each team being given a couple of minutes
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| | speedball bunker setup, but incorporates
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| to take a position in the field. Once all
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| | a large inflatable X in the middle of the
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| teams have entered the field play begins.
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| | field.
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| Any time a player is eliminated he must
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| | Stock class A pump action paintball
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| give his token to the team that
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| | marker operates on the principle that the
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| eliminated him. At the end of a
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| | player has to chamber a new ball after
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| predetermined period of time, the team
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| | each shot by pumping or sliding the
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| with the largest collection of tokens is
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| | marker's cocking mechanism back allowing
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| declared the winner.
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| | a new ball to enter the chamber, then
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| Woodsball Paintball started out as a
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| | pushing the cocking mechanism forward
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| recreational game in wooded areas, with
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| | with the aid of the pump handle, to close
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| capture the flag and elimination being
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| | the chamber requiring a total of two
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| the most common formats. Woodsball can
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| | separate movements to "load" the marker.
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| involve any range of players with a
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| | After loading, the paintball marker is
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| variety of bunker types. The size and
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| | ready to expel the loaded paintball.
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| terrain of woodsball fields make it
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| | A popular style of pump play is the use
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| unlikely that a player can observe more
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| | of what is referred to as Stock Class.
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| than a small subsection of the field at
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| | Stock Class refers to the marker
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| any given time. This limited field
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| | configuration, reminiscent of the
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| awareness coupled with the usually larger
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| | original paintball markers of the early
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| number of players causes woodsball games
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| | 1980s. These markers forsake the use of
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| to generally last for an extended period
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| | 200-round hoppers and large bottles of
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| of time. Many playing locations often
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| | air. Instead, they utilize a ten- to
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| have their own custom variations.
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| | fifteen-round tube parallel to the barrel
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| Speedball Speedball is a fast,
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| | of the marker. Typically, the feed tube
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| close-quarters game played on a field
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| | of paintballs is mounted over the top of
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| about the size of one or two basketball
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| | the marker running flush with the body of
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| courts. As its name suggests, the
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| | the marker so as not to allow any
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| defining feature of the game is speed;
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| | stacking of paintballs over the chamber
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| matches usually last no longer than 5
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| | and hence requiring the marker to be
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| minutes. Rounds are played using either a
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| | tipped (rocked) forward or backward
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| capture the flag or centerflag format
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| | before being pumped (re-cocked). The
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| combined with elimination. Bunkers are
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| | complete action for loading another
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| usually placed in a symmetrical pattern
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| | paintball into the chamber of a Stock
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| so that no team has an advantage over the
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| | Class marker is called "Rock & Cock". 12
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| other. The fast pace and ease by which
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| | gram CO2 powerlets are also incorporated
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| spectators can view the action has made
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| | into Stock Class rules so as to require
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| this format popular among national,
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| | the player to recharge the marker with
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| local, and tournament leagues. The first
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| | propellant after roughly 20-40 shots
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| commercial speedball field opened in
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| | (depending on the efficiency of the
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| 1982.
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| | marker).
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| Scenario Paintball Scenario paintball
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| | Although this style has lost popularity
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| games are based on a storyline or theme.
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| | due to modern paintball technology
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| Scenario games allow for a wide range of
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| | greatly increasing the speed of paintball
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| player skill levels and an even larger
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| | guns as well as their overall
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| amount of participants. These games can
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| | performance, pump tournaments in both the
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| span a period as short as 12 hours or
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| | Stock Class and in another class, in
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| last for days. Objectives vary based on
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| | which hoppers and propellant other than
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| the storyline but cooperation is a major
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| | 12 gram cartridges, continue to be held
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| theme in these games. One of the largest
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| | and in fact attract some of the most
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| annual scenario games is Oklahoma D-Day
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| | popular professional tournament players
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| at The Bunker in Wyandotte, Oklahoma
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| | to guest play on these pump teams.
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| which in 2005 drew around 3,000 players.
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| | Special pump-only events have started to
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| Tournament Paintball Modern tournament
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| | spring up around the country starting in
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| paintball developed in the 1980's.
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| | 2004 and pump play might be seeing a
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| Woodsball tournaments have given way to
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| | resurgence due to its slower-pace and
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| speedball fields, whose inflatable
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| | old-school feel.
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| bunkers provide flexibility in bunker
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| | Reball A "reball" is a soft, dense
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| setup and the most efficient use of time.
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| | light-foam substitute for a paintball.
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| Teams consist from anywhere between three
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| | Reballs are the same size as normal
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| and seven players and compete against
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| | paintballs but weigh less, and do not
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| others to accumulate points towards
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| | contain a paint filling. While they do
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| winning overall in the tournament. Points
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| | not break open to leave a paint mark on
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| are awarded for capturing the opposing
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| | players, the lack of filling makes them
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| flag, bringing the opposing flag to the
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| | useful for indoor locations where
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| starting point, eliminating opposing
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| | accumulation of paint from broken
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| players, and having non-eliminated
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| | paintballs would be a problem. A reball
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| players left at the end of the game.
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| | is more expensive than a paintball, but
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| Tournament Formats Capture the Flag - The
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| | since they can be reused, they are
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| original tournament format used in wooded
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| | cheaper over the long term. Some
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| play. In addition to capturing the
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| | paintball parks have added dedicated
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| opposing team's flag and returning it to
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| | reball fields. The primary use of
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| their own flag station, teams may also
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| | reballs, as intended initially by the
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| receive extra points for eliminating
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| | manufacturer, is as a practice aid for
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| opponents and having players remaining at
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| | teams who wish to practice and save money
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| the end of the game. In tournament play,
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| | by using reusable ammunition. Other
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| capture the flag may be played with teams
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| | manuacturers have made Reball duplicates
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| of various sizes from 3 to 20, commonly
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| | like the V-Ball, a velcro (hence the name
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| noted by referring to the event as a
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| | V-Ball) reusable paintball. Reballs are
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| "5-man", "7-man","10-man", etc, depending
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| | also used at a lower velocity because of
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| on the number of players on a team. 20-
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| | their inability to break on whoever they
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| and 15-man tournaments were common on
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| | hit. For example, a Regular paintball
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| wooded fields in the 1980s, but today
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| | will normally be shot at 280-290 ft/s,
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| modern tournaments are usually 3-man,
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| | but a Reball is supposed to be used at
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| 5-man, or 7-man and played on grass
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| | around 250 ft/s. Reballs themselves were
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| fields with bunkers.
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| | preceded by Lazerballs by Brass Eagle.
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| Centerflag - Also commonly played in
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| | These were of a larger caliber than a
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| 3-man, 5-man and 7-man formats.
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| | paintball, and designed specifically for
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| X-Ball - A newer format first played at
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| | Family Fun Centers and other venues where
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| the International Amateur Open in 2002,
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| | paint clean-up would be an issue.
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