Go Ballistic Paintball

Reusable paintball is a relatively new concept to the UK but it’s growing in popularity because it is cheaper than traditional paintball and can be used for team training.

The vast majority of reusable sites will be indoors because the balls (which are soft rubber and do not contain paint) need to be collected in order to be reused by players.
Obviously, with no paint there is no telltale ’splat’ to mark players so the game relies on a player’s honesty. Reusable paintball comes into its own for team training because the cost of paint is eliminated which makes things cheaper.

Teams can practice break-out drills, snap shooting and other tactics without having to worry about breaking the bank.

Although reusable paintball is unlikely to replace traditional paintball, the cost-effective nature of the game does give it a unique niche in the market.

Scenario paintball is a highly-organised form of the game where the action can take place over entire days and sometimes whole weekends.

Games will have multiple objectives and any number of teams playing at any one time. As the name suggests, this type of paintball is heavily themed and a lot of preparation goes into setting up the game zones.
Organisers may arrange for some paintballers to play in character as, for example, you may need to get some kind of information or item from then in order to progress through the day.

Obviously players will need to be prepared to dedicate more time if they want to play this type of paintball. However, Scenario paintball offers the chance to really get your teeth into the action and some players find it hard to go back to playing Rec Ball.

Scenario players will travel from all over for a game so if you don’t fancy the idea of spending hours on the motorway, this game is probably not for you.

But, if you want to make a weekend of it and mix with likeminded souls, it could be right up your street!
Scenario paintball may also include off-shoot games throughout the weekend to keep the action varied and interesting to all players.

Scenario weekends can also be about more than just the game, with the social side of things taken just as seriously at the end of the day.

Booking a day of Go Ballistic paintball action couldn’t be easier thanks to the helpful and efficient booking team based at the company’s head office in Harrogate. But there are a few things you can do to make their life – and yours – a little bit easier when you call to book. That means you’ll get everything done in the blink of an eye and have more time for the more important things in life! Which is always nice.

Firstly, by using the online site locator you can easily find out which site is closest to where you live. You’ll also be able to find a dedicated microsite for each Go Ballistic site which will tell you everything you need to know.
Next you need to decide what day you want to play on, whether you want a full day or half-day session, and how many players you want to book in. Remember, the all inclusive packages – Stag Hunt, Office Wars, Birthday Bash and Hen Do – are full day packages only.

Paintball is highly regulated so all players under the age of 16 will need to bring a completed parental consent form with them on the day of the game. These can be downloaded from the Go Ballistic website.
In addition, all groups of Under-16s need to have an adult on-site for the duration of the game. The adult does not need to play but must be there in person. The minimum age for paintballing in the UK is 12 years old.

Customers can also save time by stating if they want to book an all inclusive package and if they want to pay the full amount of that package or just a deposit of £9.99. In any case, all inclusive packages must be paid in full at least seven days before the game date. Deposits and game fees secure places on site and as such act as non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
Paintballs can only be pre-bought in advance at the time of booking. After this time they can be bought online through the Go Ballistic website. It’s also worth pointing out that customers cannot use their own equipment of paintballs on site for health & safety and insurance purposes.

Players should also wear old clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty because things can get muddy after bad weather. Overalls will be issued to all players but it’s still not worth wearing your Sunday best underneath!
Hopefully all this should all make sense and help customers book their day of paintball with as much ease as possible. Any other questions can usually be answered in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the website. Happy paintballing!

Elimination is one of the most contentious issues in paintball and it’s important to remember that rules will vary between different sites. This article is based on the rules we use here at Go Ballistic and we can’t guarantee they’ll be the same at other venues. You should always check the local rules before you play anywhere else.

The first thing to point out is that paintball is a game of honesty and integrity. Although the marshals are there to pull players from a game when they are hit, it should also be remembered that players need to take some responsibility as well. If this is not the case then a game can be ruined and descend into farce.

At Go Ballistic we class a hit as anything bigger than around the size of a pound coin although spray from an exploding ball does not count which means the ball must actually hit the player rather than explode on a barricade and spray a player’s clothing.

Go Ballistic also have rules over where hits have to be on your body to count. Head shots and marker shots are not classed as hits so players should carry on playing if this is where they are struck. Players should also try not to shoot at point-blank range without giving an order to surrender first. If this is ignored then feel free to fire away!

Never be afraid to ask for a paint check either because it’s sometimes hard to see if you have been hit in certain parts of the body like your shoulders or on your chest. It’s amazing how many times you feel a hit and leave the game only to discover the paintball never exploded so did not leave a mark.

So why is it important to be honest about being hit? Well, without honesty the game just descends into a free-for-all which is not enjoyable for anyone. Games these days are fast and furious, rarely lasting more than 10 minutes, so it’s not like you’ll be kicking your heels in the dead box for ages, is it?

But if you need any convincing about honesty at calling yourself out then think about things the other way around. How annoying and frustrating is it when you shoot someone only for them to carry on playing? You might as well pack up and go home because the whole point of paintball has been missed if this is the case.

Paintball at the rec ball level should be about fun and although it’s always great to win, taking part is just as important. And do you really want to win by cheating? Thought not!
You’ll only improve as a player by making mistakes so don’t be scared of trying new stuff out. And never be afraid to end up in the dead box because even the best of us spend time in there at some point in time. Remember, paintball just isn’t paintball with people trying to stay in the game at all costs when they have been legitimately hit.

Finally, once you have been eliminated then raising your marker in the air will mean you’ll avoid more hits than necessary, while you should always wipe paint marks off before the start of the next game in order to avoid any confusion.

The United Kingdom Paintball Sports Federation (UKPSF) was formed in the late 1990s but had been around for ten years by then in its guise as the European Paintball Sports Federation. The UKPSF acts as the game’s governing body and initially came into being to protect paintball in the face of a possible government ban because of the wording of the Firearms Act.

Go Ballistic is a member of the UKPSF and, as such, has signed up to its code of practice which includes having public liability insurance, an agreed level of first aid cover and staffing levels. The UKPSF is a voluntary body and exists to promote paintball and to liaise with government bodies and local authorities. An ongoing aim of the UKPSF is to have paintball recognised as a sport by Sport England (formerly the Sports Council).

Membership of the UKPSF is open to all players, sites and shops involved in paintball. To be accepted as members, sites must complete a questionnaire and agree to abide by the code of practice with regard to the running of their site. The UKPSF reserves the right to revoke membership at any time, while membership does not constitute approval because a site visit is not one of the criteria for membership.

The UKPSF also produces a variety of publications from time to time which cover the code of practice for sites, tournament rules, an official newsletter, a booklet covering woodland paintball and a CD with essential information over carrying out on-site risk assessment. In addition, from time to time, the UKPSF runs marshal training courses and first aid courses for member site employees.

Go Ballistic is proud to be a member of the UKPSF and is more than happy to run its sites according to the body’s code of practice.