What are the rules in paintball games?

Paintball is a popular game for the young and old alike. Some people get together and play for fun, while others play seriously on leagues or competitive teams. Regardless of the reason you're playing, paintball has certain rules to follow.

The rules in paintball are fairly straightforward. The following are rules regarding teams, play, time, setup, and how to win at paintball:

Teams
When playing paintball, you'll first want to organize your teams so that both teams have an equal number of players. If possible, the teams should have equal amounts of experience so one team does not end up dominating the other in a matter of minutes. However, you can organize your teams however you want with as many or as few people as you would like. Time begins whenever the whistle blows.

Time
Whether or not you decide to have a time limit is up to you. Most games typically have a time limit from 15-25 minutes. If the field or facility is larger, you may want to extend the time. Or, if you have more people, you will want to play longer as well. Adjust the time limit, if any, depending on number of players and size of facility.

Set up
There are few rules with regards to set up. You can play paintball at a paintball facility for a fee, or if you have your own equipment you can head to a field, forest, or any place that can offer some sort of protection. This can be in the form of tires, mounds of dirt, trees, or buildings.

Each team will set up a home base station, where they will then try to protect their flag while at the same time trying to "capture" their opponents, which is done by shooting them with paintballs.

Rules
The rules of the game are fairly straightforward. The object of the game is to keep your team's flag from being stolen. You can reduce the risk of this, as well as compromise the other team's flag station, by marking or "killing" them with a paintball. When the player becomes clearly marked with the paintball, he or she is then "dead" and has to leave the field, holding his marker up to signify that he or she is actually out.

The player then returns to the staging area of the field. If you are within five feet of a player, you can ask him to surrender. If he surrenders, he then holds his marker up and leaves the field. If he tries to shoot you, you can shoot him back. Once marked, the "dead" player isn't allowed to make gestures or speak.

The player who pulls the flag must have the flag in plain sight for everyone in one hand. If you are holding the flag and are tagged while holding it, you must stop and drop the flag. The flag is then up for grabs for both teams.

Winning paintball
The game of paintball ends when you return the opponent's flag to your home base and successfully defend your own flag, thus scoring a point. The second way to win is by a draw, which occurs when the time expires. Your field may or may not keep points, but if points are counted, scoring is one point for each tagged player and five points for hanging the flag.

Paintball is easy and fun to play and keep score.