| The following are the most basic and
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| | projectiles), barrel socks are now the de
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| common paintball rules. While there is
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| | facto standard at most commercial fields.
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| little variation in safety rules,
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| | Player Eliminations Players eliminate
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| variation in other game rules is quite
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| | each other from the game by hitting their
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| common, and players should ask about the
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| | opponent with a paintball. Players are
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| specific rules where they are playing..
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| | generally considered 'hit', 'marked' or
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| Safety rules Like many sports, safe
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| | 'tagged' when a paintball shot by another
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| participation in paintball requires
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| | player strikes and breaks on the player
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| observance of proper safety procedure.
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| | leaving a paint mark. Depending on the
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| When safety rules are followed, paintball
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| | specific rules in effect where the player
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| is extremely safe, with an injury rate of
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| | is playing, the mark may need to be a
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| only 0.2 injuries per 1,000 exposures.
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| | particular size to count (in the US, the
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| Injury rates for other common team sports
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| | size of a US Quarter is a common
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| are much higher, including 12 times as
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| | threshold in recreational play, while any
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| high for soccer (2.4 injuries per 1,000
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| | mark counts in most tournament play), or
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| exposures) and 7 times as high for
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| | a hit with no mark may count if the hit
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| baseball (1.4 injuries per 1,000
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| | is observed by a referee. Once a player
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| exposures). Put another way, a player who
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| | has been hit, they are eliminated from
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| played paintball twice a week would
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| | the game.
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| expect to play for 50 years before
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| | If a player is uncertain whether a mark
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| sustaining an injury.
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| | or strike they have received is a valid
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| Goggle System - The most important rule
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| | hit or not, possibly because the mark is
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| in paintball is that all players must
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| | from the spray of a paintball breaking on
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| wear a protective goggle system (or
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| | another nearby object, or because they
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| "mask") at all times when they are
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| | can not see the part of the body where
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| playing or near other people who are
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| | they have been struck by a paintball, or
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| playing. While paintballs will not cause
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| | because the paintball may have been shot
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| permanent injury to most areas of the
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| | by a player who had already been
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| body, the eyes, and to a lesser extent
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| | eliminated, the player should ask a
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| the ears, are vulnerable to serious
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| | referee to determine whether or not the
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| injury if hit by a paintball. Paintball
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| | player has a valid hit. This request is
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| masks are specifically designed for the
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| | commonly referred to as a 'paint check',
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| sport, with the goggles being capable of
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| | and is most often requested by the player
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| withstanding a direct hit from a
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| | yelling the words 'Paint Check' to a
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| paintball travelling at 300 feet per
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| | nearby official. Some game rules allow an
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| second. A mask that protects the rest of
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| | official to call a player 'neutral'
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| the face and flaps that cover the ears
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| | during a paint check so that the official
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| are attached to the goggles. Most
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| | can more closely inspect a player. If a
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| commercial paintball fields require
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| | player is called neutral, they must
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| players to wear a mask designed
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| | discontinue play while being checked, and
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| specifically for playing paintball
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| | opponents may also not fire or advance on
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| Paintball players must never remove their
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| | the neutral player.
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| goggles during a game or when other
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| | Players may also be eliminated from the
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| people are playing nearby. This rule is
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| | game for reasons other than being hit by
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| zealously enforced at all commercial
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| | a paintball, including calling themselves
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| fields, and players that violate this
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| | out by saying "I'm hit!" or "I'm out!",
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| rule are given at most one warning before
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| | due to a penalty, from paint marks from
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| they are sent home. Most commercial
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| | paint grenades or paint mines (in games
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| fields have a well-defined area, usually
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| | where such equipment is allowed) or for
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| separated from the field with a wall or
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| | game infractions like stepping
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| netting, where it is safe to remove the
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| | out-of-bounds.
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| goggles.
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| | Because players who call themselves out
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| If a player's mask falls off during a
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| | are eliminated even if they are not
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| game, he or she should immediately lie
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| | actually hit, players should always check
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| face down on the ground and cover his/her
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| | to see if a paintball that has hit them
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| head. Any player who sees this should
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| | has indeed left a mark. A paintball may
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| alert game officials and other players to
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| | simply bounce off a player's body, which
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| stop the game until the player is able to
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| | does not count as a hit. Players may also
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| replace their goggles.
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| | call for a paint check on another player
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| Paintball Velocity - In addition to the
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| | if they believe they have marked an
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| mandatory use of masks, paintball markers
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| | opponent to ensure the player is promptly
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| must not fire paintballs that exceed a
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| | eliminated from the game, especially if
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| certain velocity. The industry standard
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| | the opposing player may not be aware they
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| maximum velocity is 300 feet per second
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| | are hit or may be attempting to hide or
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| (about 200 miles per hour). Paintballs
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| | remove a hit. Removing a hit and
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| traveling faster than 300 fps will leave
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| | continuing to play is a severe form of
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| large bruises and can potentially break
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| | cheating commonly known as 'wiping' and
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| the skin or even fingers. Many commercial
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| | can result in severe penalties, including
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| paintball facilities mandate a lower
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| | being permanently banned from the playing
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| velocity (usually 250 to 295 fps) in
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| | location at a recreational or commercial
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| order to create an extra margin of
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| | facility, but in most instances a penalty
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| safety. Lower velocities can still be
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| | of "3 for 1" will be called. This is
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| painful at point blank range, and should
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| | where the cheating player and an
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| be avoided when possible. Players
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| | additional three teammates are eliminated
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| sometimes wear thick jackets and gloves
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| | from play.
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| to cover any exposed skin.
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| | Surrender Rule Some rules require that a
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| Paintball velocity is measured using a
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| | player within a certain distance of an
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| chronograph. Chronographs are standard
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| | unaware opponent (usually 10 to 15 feet)
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| equipment at commercial paintball
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| | must demand the unaware player's
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| facilities, but must be purchased if not
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| | surrender (by yelling "Surrender!" or
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| playing at a commercial location. Players
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| | "Mercy!") before they may open fire. If
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| who play without first using a
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| | the opponent complies verbally, or by
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| chronograph put themselves and other
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| | raising their hand or marker, they are
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| players at risk. Because changes in
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| | considered marked and are out of the
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| temperature, humidity and atmospheric
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| | match. However, if they refuse or attempt
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| pressure may affect a paintball's
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| | any hostile action (such as turning to
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| velocity, markers should be chronographed
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| | fire), the challenging player may fire
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| several times throughout the day.
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| | upon them.
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| Paintball markers should also be
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| | While waiting for a response, however,
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| chronographed after any adjustment or
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| | the player can still be hit by other
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| replacement of parts (e.g. the barrel)
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| | opponents. Getting hit by a paintball
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| that might significantly change the
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| | from close range can be particularly
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| marker's velocity.
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| | uncomfortable, and it is thus polite and
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| Barrel Blocking Devices - All players
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| | good sportsmanship to offer a surrender
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| must use some sort of barrel blocking
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| | instead of unnecessarily shooting an
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| device on their paintball marker when not
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| | opponent at close range.
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| actively playing. These devices generally
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| | In almost all tournament play, there is
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| take the form of a small bag (commonly
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| | no surrender rule, and if a player
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| called a "barrel sock" or "barrel
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| | catches an opponent off guard, they are
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| condom") that covers the front end of the
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| | free to fire at him. Moves such as a 'run
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| barrel and work by catching any
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| | through', where a player sprints down the
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| paintballs that are accidentally fired.
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| | field shooting as many of the opposing
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| For a long time, barrel plugs, a piece of
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| | team as he can, have developed over time
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| hard plastic with rubber orings placed
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| | and are now very important plays. Another
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| into the front end of the barrel, were
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| | popular move is "bunkering", where a
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| the most commonly used barrel blocking
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| | player charges up to the bunker or
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| device. But because they had the
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| | barricade that an opposing player is
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| potential to fall out or be shot out
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| | behind and shoots them from over the top
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| (turning them into hard plastic
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| | or around the side of the bunker.
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