How Many Players Do You Need For A Paintball Team?
There are so many variants to paintball game play. From themed scenarios to individual game play to full-on tournaments, each specific game situation calls for different things. This could be different gear and equipment or perhaps a different number of players on a team. Understanding all of the nuances of the great sport of paintball will help you be ready for action and know exactly what to do on game day.
Down a player?
So you’ve got your HK Army Crash Paintball Chest Protector and the matching HK Army HSTL Line Paintball Pants and you are ready for today’s game. But you arrive at the field and find the team isn’t complete! Not everyone has shown up who said they would, leaving your team short a player.
What you do next depends on a few different factors. First, it’s important to note what game you are playing. Is this a friendly match against another group of friends, or is it a hardcore game in a tournament with higher stakes? You may just need to play a person down, or if it’s more casual, you can strike a deal with the other team.
Game and tournament size
Various playing fields will have different rules for team sizes. Often, these types of guidelines for game play have to do with the business side of things since it’s not that profitable to cap teams at a low number. However, if you’re at a pre-planned event that your team has been practicing for, you’ll already know what the play size is for the game at hand.
Often, you’ll see larger games or tournaments that will have anywhere from 10 to 20 players on the field at any given time. Usually, there will be even more players on the roster who will substitute in and out when needed.
Rotation and swapping out
The helpful concept of rotating players isn’t new. Many team sports do this to give other players a chance to show off and hone their skills. Plus, during a critical moment of any competitive game, you will surely want the best of the best in the action.
Rotating players in paintball adds to the team dynamic. Players who have been running back and forth nonstop will get a chance to rest, rehydrate and check their gear. If a player has been shot at over and over and needs to take a moment out to regroup, rotation can come in handy.
In these instances, other players will take over (within the game rules), which gives others a chance, too. Understandably, many teams have rules about who gets a lot of play time. To keep things fair, you usually need to be showing up to practices to have a chance at some serious game time.
Casual game play
There is a lot that goes on for the more hardcore paintball enthusiasts among us. Between weekly practices and frequent large tournaments, paintball can be an exhilarating and time-consuming sport to be involved with. If you are looking to just start getting your feet wet and play more recreationally, there are still plenty of ways to get into the sport at your own pace.
There are a lot of game scenarios that involve smaller numbers of people playing at once. These game scenarios can use anywhere from three to ten players on a team at a time and often have fun themes. You may find that you and your team have to try to capture the flag or the treasure from the other team before they get yours, or perhaps you are defending your team’s fort from invaders.
These game scenarios are a great way to start using your gear more and getting used to paintball while working together with a team and honing your skills. Practice really does make perfect, and there are some great drills you and your team or your friends can run between game plays to practice some helpful techniques that may come in handy during specific game scenarios.
When it comes to paintball, the bottom line is that there are so many levels of game play that it’s hard to get too specific about rules and regulations of player numbers. For various games and tournaments, the number of players on a team depends on the game at hand, but rest assured that you will know what you are getting into and your team will be ready and raring to go.