What is Speedball or Competitive Paintball?

  Speedball is basically competitive paintball. Many people don't realize that's what competitive paintball is. Most people think competitive paintball is just recreational paintball, but in a more formal, organized competitive environment. However, competitive speedball requires a lot of commitment of both time and money. It’s certainly not for the player that just wants to get out to a paintball field a few times a year to have some casual fun. Google "speedball" , watch the game, and you'll see what I mean.What is Speedball or Competitive Paintball?

So, Speedball is ACTUALLY what "competitive"paintball is. However, for those of you who thought competitive paintball was just formal and organized recreational paintball in a competitive environment, why not start something to that effect?

There should be a market for some “fun” recreational competitive paintball played on recreational fields (rather than speedball fields) like the original days of competitive paintball; recreational paintball for the casual and beginner players. A “beer league” of sorts, but obviously, with no beer consumed before or during the event. It could look like this:

A look at recreational competitive paintball:

The format would be 10 players per team, but they can be any 10 players with some restrictions that shall be mentioned later. There could be 4 events a year, with 2 or 3 months between events, so players can recover both physically and financially (although the objective will be to make this affordable). The roster does no t have to be the same 10 players at each event and we might even have a “substitution” or two allowed at events in case someone doesn’t show up or gets hurt or is just too tired to play a certain game. I know people are busy in their regular lives and sometimes an event may fall during a vacation or some other event, so it should be as easy as possible for a “team” to field a full team at each event.

All players could use equipment facilitated by a paintball facility (with the exception of their own mask) to end the "arms race" and level the playing field. It would also be a limited paintball event. There would be one price per team which will include 5,000 paintballs (500 per player if you like). Perhaps $500/team ($50 per player or maybe less if you have some “substitutions”). Then, additional paintballs would be limited to an additional 2,500 maximum, available at a price of $30/500. Once a team has purchased their maximum allowable paintballs they cannot purchase anymore, so paintball conservation becomes part of the strategy. Also this way there is a fixed maximum cost for a team. It's not cool when a team can “purchase” an advantage by buying more ammunition than their competition can afford.

Imagine 6 teams of 10 players playing at each event, rotating on fields and rotating opponents. Details would need to be ironed out but the points would carry over into the following event with the winner being the team with the most points at the end of the 3 (or 4) events.

Restrictions would be that anyone who has played speedball in the last ten years could not take part as well as employees who've worked at the facility in the last 10 years could not take part. It would be for people who haven't "really played" much in their lives. Teams made up from businesses, trades, nurses, teachers, clubs, or groups of friends. People that just want to have fun in a “slightly” more competitive and structured format than what is usually offered in recreational paintball.

What do YOU think?

Image by Arctic Wolves Flickr