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[[Image:PaintballPipoApprentice_Martha_Stewart.jpg|thumb|Paintball''The playerApprentice: Martha Stewart'' logo]]
[[Image:PaintballRA.jpg|thumb|Paintball team]]
[[Image:Paintball_2_players.jpg|thumb|Two paintball players]]
'''Paintball''' is a sport in which participants use compressed-gas (either [[carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]], [[nitrogen|N<sub>2</sub>]],air, and recently propane canisters) powered guns to shoot paintballs—marble-sized gelatin capsules containing a non-toxic, Vegetable based dye—at other players. Among the most common of the many variations of the sport is a version of [[capture the flag]], in which two teams of players attempt to seize each others' banner without being eliminated (struck by a paintball). Another common variation is ''total elimination'', in which one team wins when all members of the opposing team are eliminated by being struck by a paintball.
'''''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart''''' is the first [[spin-off]] from the [[United States|American]] [[reality television]] series ''[[The Apprentice]]''. The series premiered on [[September 21]], [[2005]]. The show is broadcast on [[NBC]] and is hosted by business tycoon [[Martha Stewart]]. The format of the show is tailored to suit Stewart's personality and brand identity. The tasks are centered around Stewart's areas of expertise: media, culinary arts, entertaining, decorating, crafts, design, merchandising, and style. Stewart brings her own sensibilities and creativity to the elimination process. Sometimes, but not always, she uses her catchphrase: "Good-bye." This is her equivalent to [[Donald Trump]]'s catchphrase: "You're fired."
The first paintball game was played in [[New Hampshire]] in [[1981]] by Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, and Charles Gaines, who used guns (also called "[[Paintball_marker|markers]]") built to tag [[cattle]] or trees. The first [[tournament]] with a cash prize was held in [[1983]].
Earlier reports however frequently reported incorrectly that her phrase was "You just don't fit in" but this turned out to only be a commentary on the first eliminated contestant. She also writes a cordial letter to the candidate who is fired. Although the letter is designed to give comfort, many times she takes subtle jabs at the fired candidate and gives frank reasons for why the candidate did not succeed on the show.
[[Donald Trump]] and [[Mark Burnett]] are executive producers for the show. Businessman [[Charles Koppelman]] and Stewart's daughter, [[Alexis Stewart]], are Martha Stewart's eyes and ears. They closely watch the two teams throught the week and report their observations to Stewart.
The terms "[[Paintball_marker|paintball marker]]" and "paintball gun" are interchangeable. However, the term marker is generally preferred due to negative connotations attached to the word "gun." Other than markers, [[paintball equipment]] includes various forms of protective gear.
[[Image:Trumpmartha.jpg|thumb|Martha Stewart with Donald Trump]]
==Paintball games==
===Location/Fields===
The two teams are called Matchstick and Primarius.
====Woodsball====
'''Woodsball''' is the classic, oldest and most common style of paintball played. Most woodsball fields are large enough to hold dozens of players on each team and sometimes have some pre-made bunkers along with the natural cover. Woodsball games are generally longer in duration than other formats, and rely on entirely different tactics. Whereas speed and rate of fire are key elements in a speedball game, woodsball relies much more on strategy, teamwork, concealment, large-scale maneuvers, and patience. Many people also refer to "Woodsball" as "Bushball".
The show's theme song is "[[Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)]]" by the [[Eurythmics]].
====Speedball====
'''Speedball''' is played much faster than its brother woodsball. It is usually played on a much smaller field roughly the size of two tennis courts. Many speedball fields use inflatable bunkers and are generally sized for teams of three to ten. Since the opposing teams are much closer together, there is a lot of movement and a lot of "bunkering", or running up to an opposing player's bunker and eliminating them from a close distance. Also the markers are generally much faster, smaller, lighter and more expensive than woodsball markers.
Despite the fairly big initial hype, ratings for this spinoff have been nothing short of weak. This show averages only 7 million viewers, and garners a mediocre 2.5 average in the very important demographic of 18-49 year old viewers. However, it should be noted that this program airs against very tough competition, including ABC's massive hit ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]''. There have been numerous reasons thrown out as to why this show isn't doing as well as expected, including: "too much" Martha (daytime program and primetime), confusion between this version and Trump's version which airs the day after (on Thursday nights), and weak casting. Due to these factors, it is unlikely that this program will make it back for a second season, although NBC does have the option of bringing it back to air for Season #2 during the relatively slow summer TV season.
Due to the team based rule enforced action, speedball is the perfect basis for tournaments, and many leagues exist. The three big national tournaments are the NPPL, PSP, and NXL, with many other local tournament series such as the CFOA or NEPL.
====Scenario==Candidates==
''See: [[The Apprentice: Martha Stewart Candidates]]''
[[Scenario paintball]] games are often larger-scale re-enactments of historical battles involving hundreds of people, such as the [[Battle of Normandy]], or modern day scenarios such as storming a building and rescuing [[hostage]]s. Scenario games can last hours or sometimes days, and bigger games often have player re-insertions at set intervals. Many fields hold scenario games, and many promoters are now running scenario games at different fields. One well-known field for scenario games is Skirmish Paintball in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania which holds several scenario games every year, including The [[Battle of Stalingrad]] and the aforementioned Battle of Normandy (also called D-Day) which has been increasing in size every year and continues to be the largest scenario game in the world. There were more than 5,000 attendees in 2005 at D-day.
====Gauntlet==Episodes==
{{spoiler}}
'''Gauntlet''', like '''Duel''', is one-on-one; however, it does not have the same restrictions on ammunition, and players generally start on opposing ends of the designated play area (similar to most team games). Gauntlet games have become more popular as a quick filler in larger play scenarios, for instance, between players awaiting re-insertion into a scenario game.
===Week 1: Once Upon a Time===
*'''Airdate:''' [[September 21]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Random House]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to design and write a [[children's book]] and read it to a group of first graders.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Dawna
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Jeff
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' A Japanese dinner with Martha
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Jeff, Dawn, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Jeff, for taking over the entire project and not listening to his teammates. (Martha to Jeff: "You just don't fit in.")
===Week 2: Business is Blooming===
===Tournament===
*'''Airdate:''' [[September 28]], [[2005]]
====History====
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia]]
Tournament Paintball has been a part of paintball from nearly the beginning; however, the modern tournament has developed in earnest within the past 15 years. Tournaments, while once held in the traditional [[#Woodsball|woodsball]] fields, have quickly made the transition to [[#Speedball|speedball]] fields, generally utilizing inflatable bunkers. The most widely-used bunkers are made by [[Sup'Air]]. These bunkers are easy to inflate, deflate, and move about the field in order to change field configurations between matches or tournament stages.
*'''Project:''' Teams had to sell flowers in high-end floral shops.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Carrie
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Chuck
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Building a garden for a Community Center in the Chelsea neighborhood
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Chuck, Dawn, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Chuck, for poor leadership.
===Week 3: Bake It 'Til You Make It===
====Format====
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 5]], [[2005]]
The most common tournament formats are with teams of either three, five, or seven players per team, with two teams per field per game. The object of the game is to pull and hang the flag (usually placed in the center of the field) on your opponent's starting bunker or base. Points are given per game: Eliminations are worth a certain amount, as is pulling the flag, and finally, hanging the flag. Depending on the format, a perfect score includes eliminating all opponents, pulling the flag from its original position and hanging the flag.
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Michael C. Fina]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to design and sell a wedding cake.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Howie
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' David
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Dinner at Jean-George with [[Donald Trump|Donald]] and [[Melania Knauss|Melania Trump]]
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' David, Marcela, Dawn (Bethenny, Shawn and Jim recalled to the boardroom by Martha)
*'''Dismissed:''' Shawn, for off-handed remarks (First Woman Dismissed, also the first person to be fired and not having even been chosen for the boardroom).
*'''Special Note:''' Jim's wife has a baby.
===Week 4: Sweet Suite===
X-ball is a new format of paintball in as many rounds are played that can be fit into twenty minutes, the end of the round is determined by the hang of the flag a live player at the opposite team's base. Each team consists of 5 players and receives one point for each time they hang the flag. A match is separated into two 10 minute halves, and the clock is stopped each time the flag is hung, and restarted when the next game starts. Also different rules apply to this format. There is a different gun setting allowed which your marker can go into a "ramp" mode were you pull the trigger at least 3 ball/s and the gun ramps to 15 ball/s but has to be capped at 15 ball/s. Coaches are also allowed where somebody on the sidelines can tell you what to do which does not apply to a normal 7 man format.
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 12]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Westin Hotels]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create a fantasy suite in a Westin Hotel.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Amanda
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Leslie
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Enjoying the hotel suite that they had finished.
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Leslie, Bethenny, Dawn
*'''Dismissed:''' Dawn, for being completely dysfunctional.
*'''Special Note:''' Leslie is transferred to Matchstick from Primarius and becomes the project mananger.
====Organizations=Week 5: Mixed Greens===
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 19]], [[2005]]
Current professional and semi-professional leagues, such as the [http://www.nxlpaintball.com/ NXL] (National X-Ball League), [http://www.nppl.tv/ NPPL] (National Professional Paintball League), [http://www.pspevents.com/ PSP] (Paintball Sports Promotions], [http://www.college-paintball.com NCPA] (National Collegiate Paintball Association), [http://www.thecfoa.com CFOA] (Carolina Field Owners Association) and the [http://www.thenepl.com NEPL] (New England Paintball League], regularly hold high-class, well-organized events. These aren't the only leagues, however, as most regions in both the USA and the globe have leagues. The Millennium Series, the former European X-Ball League, the Centurio Circuit, the XSPL, and many more leagues exist and draw large amounts of teams and fans.
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Wishbone]]
'''Tournament''' is played by the same rules as normal paintball, but in a competitive environment. There is a set number of people on each team (commonly three, five or seven), and modern tournament play is primarily speedball. Due to the competitive nature, most tournament players use high-end markers capable of higher rates of fire. The major leagues are National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), Paintball Sports Promotions™ (PSP), X-Ball and Millennium. The leagues consist of a whole circuit of paintball tournaments; however, smaller regional and locally-sponsored tournaments are very common.
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create and sell a Salad Dressing.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Jennifer
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Ryan
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' A trip on a [[Schooner]] around [[New York City]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Jennifer, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Jennifer, for not taking Jim off the task when he behaved badly.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Bethenny, Howie, Sarah, Carrie, Jim and Jennifer become the new Primarius, Ryan, Amanda, Leslie, Dawna, David and Marcela become the new Matchstick.
**Officially Ryan, Amanda and Dawna are transferred to Matchstick. Jim and Bethenny are transferred to Primarius.
**Matchstick finally wins for the first time in the series.
**This is the first time a two-person boardroom takes place and it is the first time Martha choses the boardroom candidates instead of the project manager.
===Week 6: Every Dog Has His Day===
====X-Ball====
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 26]], [[2005]]
'''X-Ball''' is a faster, more aggressive tournament format designed to give paintball an extreme turn. It was created by Richmond Italia and has its own sports league, the National X-Ball League (NXL). Teams of up to eighteen players field up to five players at a time, scoring a point each time they take the center flag to the opposing side of the field. The team with more points at the end of the match wins, with final scores like, 10-5, 20-18 or 15-2. Recently, the NXL world championships were broadcast nationally on [[ESPN2]].
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Purina|Purina Beneful]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create an auction package with various celebrities and then raise the most money during the auction.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Jim
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Marcela
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' No reward, as this was a charity event.
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Marcela, David
*'''Dismissed:''' David, for not contributing that much on the task and for being young and inexperienced.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Matchstick's celebrities featured [[Chad Pennington]], [[Fran Drescher]], [[Bruce Vilanch]] & [[Jordan Allard]] and [[Merv Griffin]].
**Primarius' celebrities included [[Paul Sorvino|Paul]] & [[Amanda Sorvino]], [[Susan Lucci]], [[John Lithgow]] & [[Joanna Gleason]] and [[Todd Oldham]].
**Martha once again chooses the boardroom candidates.
===Week 7: Swimming Against the Tide===
==Games==
*'''Airdate:''' [[November 2]], [[2005]]
===Capture the Flag===
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Tide]]
The classic schoolyard game, with a paintball twist. Teams start on opposing sides and attempt to acquire the opponents' flag while protecting their own. Victory is achieved by being the first team to hang the opponents' flag on the designated ___location at or near their own starting ___location.
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create a live/performing billboard showcasing the new Tide to Go pen.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Sarah
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Dawna
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' Breakfast at [[Martha Stewart]]'s home in Bedford with [[Peter Arnell]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Sarah, Carrie, Bethenny, Howie
*'''Dismissed:''' Sarah, for having no leadership ability, along with Carrie, for being Sarah's assistant for a poorly managed event and doing next to nothing on the task.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Martha dismisses two people for the first time in the history of the show.
** This is the third occurence of one person or more being fired/dismissed on the Apprentice series. The first was Maria & Wes in the 2nd Season of Donald Trump's Apprentice. The second had ironically occured the previous week when Josh, Jennifer M., James and Mark were oddly enough all fired for mass incompetence in the worst managed task in the history of the show.
**Martha uses the phrase: "You both don't fit in." in the form "Neither of you fit in", for the first time since the first episode.
===Week 8: Don't Touch That Dial===
In tournament play, a team successfully eliminating all opposing players, losing none of their own players and successfully hanging the opponents flag within the allotted game time is said to have "maxed" the other team (that is, they have achieved the maximum points possible in the game).
*'''Airdate:''' [[November 9]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[QVC]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to sell items on QVC. Matchstick sold a Self-Retracting Hose and Primarius sold the Bonnaire cordless self inflater
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Bethenny
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Ryan
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' A helicopter ride to [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]] and a tour of one of Martha Stewart's homes with [[Kevin Sharkey]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Bethenny, Howie, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Howie, for refusing to pitch the product.
*'''Special Notes:'''
*Dawna is transferred back to Primarius
==Week by Week Results==
====Center Flag====
Similar to the above, except there is only one flag hung at the center of the field - both teams are trying to acquire the flag and hang it on the designated ___location at the opposing team's base.
{| {{prettytable-center2}}
===Elimination===
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Candidate
Teams play until one team is entirely eliminated. note* in the case of a tie, the ref has the overall decision of who wins.
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Original Team
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 4 Team
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 5 Team
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 8 Team
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Finish
|-
|[[Jeff Rudell]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|
|
|1st fired - Week 1
|-
|[[Chuck Soldano]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|
|
|2nd fired - Week 2
|-
|[[Shawn Killinger]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|
|
|3rd fired - Week 3
|-
|[[Dawn Silvia]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|
|
|4th fired - Week 4
|-
|[[Jennifer Le]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|5th fired - Week 5
|-
|[[David Karandish]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|6th fired - Week 6
|-
|[[Sarah Brennan]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|7th fired - Week 7
|-
|[[Carrie Gugger]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|8th fired - Week 7
|-
|[[Howie Greenspan]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|9th fired - Week 8
|
|-
|[[Amanda Hill]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|-
|[[Bethenny Frankel]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|-
|[[Dawna Stone]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|-
|[[Jim Bozzini]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
|-
|[[Leslie Sanchez]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|-
|[[Marcela Valladolid]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|-
|[[Ryan Danz]]
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
|}
==TypesExternal of playerslinks==
*[http://www.nbc.com/The_Apprentice:_Martha_Stewart/ ''The Apprentice:Martha Stewart'' show website (NBC)]
*[http://www.marthastewart.com/ Martha Stewart's website]
*[http://www.marthastewart.com/static_html/television/release_020205.html Press Release]
*[http://www.apprentice-martha.com/ ''The Apprentice:Martha Stewart'' information]
[[Category:2000s TV shows in the United States|Apprentice Martha Stewart]]
Players usually fall into three categories of commitment: recreational, serious recreational, and competitive (tournament). Competitive players may invest in excess of one thousand U.S. dollars in paintball gear. They also attend tournaments in teams consisting of three to ten people. The most common tournament team game is "Capture the Flag" played on a speedball field, where players play on an enclosed field with one or more flags and take cover behind inflated obstacles known as bunkers. A top of the line paintball marker can cost anywhere from $700 to $1,500 or more (USD) brand-new. In comparison, an entry-level recreational marker can be purchased for US$80 to US$300.
[[Category:NBC network shows|Apprentice Martha Stewart]]
[[Category:Reality television series|Apprentice Martha Stewart]]
Serious recreational participants generally invest in a slightly above entry-level marker and spend their money on upgrades and field play. They may participate in a few local tournaments. A serious recreational paintball player may play for a paintball field's house team.
[[Category:Television spin-offs|Apprentice Martha Stewart]]
[[Category:The Apprentice]]
There are a great many recreational players. Most recreational players participate in games located at commercially licensed and insured paintball fields. These playing fields are typically the most regulated, with specific safety rules and referees. Still other paintballers use private property to play. Permission to use private property is given by the property owner. Games on private property generally offer more freedom for players to develop their own rules and style of play. Liability can become a serious problem if proper safety precautions are not taken on private property.
==Common rules of play==
When playing at a field for the first time, be sure to check up on the field rules. Variations of the following rules are in effect at most fields. These are the most common regulations, and do not include tips for playing. For information on tactics, see [[paintball strategy]].
<!--
There is no reason for this section. Most of the information is contained in other sections.
Commented out by Compulsion Nov 3, 2005
==How to Get into Paintball==
The most critical thing you do before you spend anything is to check to see if there are any fields near you. Paintball is an expensive sport; Most people initially use rental gear. Many Paintball fields use markers such as a Tippmann 98 Custom. This is a durable, reliable marker that many fields opt to use as rentals because of their simplicity and ease of use. The best thing to do is listen to the more experienced players. If you are interested in purchasing a marker, have a talk with the field owner/manager or players, if possible. Ask them how much or how little trouble they have had with their marker. Do a little research online. www.pbreview.com has a great selection of reviews on just about every marker made by reputable manufacturers. Figure out how much you are willing or able to spend. Do not forget that the marker is not your only expense. You have to buy a hopper (feeds paintballs into the marker), a gas system (probably CO<sub>2</sub> if you aren't going to spend the big bucks), and you need money to play. Many stores offer bundle deals that include a marker, tank, and goggles which can get you started playing, and saving money rathr than buying separately
There are two main divisions of markers. The first, and generally more expensive, is the Electro-Pneumatic. These markers can shoot very fast and require a motorized hopper (explained further down) that can keep up with it. You will also find that with an electro-pneumatic marker, you will use more paintballs than with the other division of markers. The second type of marker is a Mechanical marker. These are simple, reliable, and relatively slow. However, it will be generally a cheaper investment, as you use a smaller amount of paintballs and don't need to buy an expensive hopper.
Hoppers are essentially containers that attach to the top of your marker and feed paintballs to it. The cheapest type of hopper, called a Gravity Feed, costs about US$4-US$16, depending on quality, manufacturer, and size. A gravity feed hopper generally feeds about 8 balls per second, which may seem fast, but most markers can easily shoot faster. Another negative side of gravity feed hoppers is that they can jam up, which may have disastrous results if this occurs during an offensive maneuver. The middle-level hopper, classified as a motorized (also known as agitating in this case) hopper, can feed anywhere between 9 balls per second and 15 balls per second. These run at about $30-$65, and are relatively fast/reliable.
The top-of-the-line hoppers, called force feed hoppers, feed at blazing fast speeds. These hoppers can send paintballs into your marker in speeds in excess of 20 balls per second. Unfortunately, with a high feed rate comes an even higher price tag, generally no less than US$100 a pop. Most of the time these hoppers are seen by many as overkill, as the greater part of paintball markers shoot around 13-15 balls per second at top speed. However, one can find the ballpark cost of a sufficient hopper by the price range that their marker falls in. For less than US$100, a gravity feed is good enough. For US$100-US$300, a motorized hopper is fast enough.
For most markers above US$300, a force feed hopper is necessary. If your hopper cannot feed fast enough for your marker, you are most likely going to chop. What happens is that the bolt which launches the paintballs comes forward before the paintball has fallen all the way down into the marker, and literally chops it in half. If you chop, then your marker will be grossly inaccurate and may not even fire because you will have bits of a broken paintball all over the inside of your marker. This is very humiliating and can cost you the game.
A high quality gun such as a Shocker or a Matrix will have what are called "eyes". , usually preventing a chop. There are two kinds of Eyes; Break Beam and Reflective. The breakbeam acts like a laser tripbeam, it is fired across the breech of a gun, telling the gun whether a paintball has comepletely fallen into the breech or not. A reflective eye bounces light off of the paintball and measures the amount of light refracted back to the eye. Both types will usually prevent a chop, but breakbeam eyes are better, and fragile paint will sometimes break anyway. -->
===How to know if you are marked/hit/tagged===
Generally if you are marked (hit) anywhere on your body, or on anything you are carrying (marker, hopper, pods) and the paintball broke upon impact, you have been marked. If you believe the paintball broke before impact, or if you cannot see the area to confirm a hit, then you should call for a paint check (by yelling "paint check"). A referee will come over and make a judgment call. Usually, if there is any spot that isn't clearly a hit or larger than a quarter, it will not be considered a hit. Being checked by a referee does not make you invulnerable to still being marked, however.
===The X foot/meter surrender rule===
Some fields require that if you are within X feet (or meters) of an unaware opponent, you must demand their [[Surrender (military)|surrender]] (by yelling "Surrender!") before you may open fire. If your opponent complies (verbally, see [[#Announcing_that_you_have_been_hit|above]] or by raising their hand or marker), they are considered marked and are out of the match. However, if they attempt any hostile action (such as turning to fire at you) then you may fire at will.
In almost all tournament play, there is no surrender rule. If you catch an opponent off guard, you are free to fire at him. Moves such as a 'run through', where a player sprints down the field shooting as many of the opposing team as he can, have developed over time and are now very important plays. Another popular move is "bunkering". This refers to running/charging up to the bunker or barricade that an opposing player is behind and tagging them at very close range. The idea is to get as close to the opponent as possible, as fast as you can, so that you can catch the other player off guard, giving them little to no time to react, and giving you little to no chance to miss due to the close range.
==Safety==
Safety is paramount while playing paintball and is strictly enforced. This means players must wear only paintball-specific goggles and facemasks at all times while playing, even if they are out. Under no circumstances should eye protection ever be removed on a live field.
If you find your mask is covered with paint, sweat, or dirt, and you cannot see well enough to safely get off the field, stand with both hands in the air and yell (usually "Fogged!") for assistance. A ref or another player will lead you to a safe area.
If your mask falls off during a game, drop to your knees and cover your eyes with your arm or hands while yelling for assistance repeatedly. Players or refs will come running to help. Do not be surprised if you are pushed down or otherwise covered by players and/or refs.
Paintball has proved to be an extremely safe sport and its good record comes from the uncompromising emphasis on safety.
==Paintball-like alternatives==
* [[Airsoft]] is a sport similar to Paintball, but uses a different type of projectile and gun.
* [[V ammo]] is not really a sport, but uses rubber bands to fire v-shaped, folded, paper projectiles (hence the name V ammo, also called hornets)
==Common Misconceptions==
Various common misconceptions are present both among players and people who have never even seen a paintball marker or field.
{{npov-section}}
'''War and Violence'''
The greatest misconception is that paintball is a simulation of war. Many people believe that paintball is a game that encourages war and general violence. This is far from the truth. Paintball fields do not tolerate any form of physical violence, and even verbal abuse is not allowed. Most paintball games are played on a field that is laid out in specific designs with either large, and colorful inflatable "bunkers" or similar objects. Modern day paintball markers usually look absolutely nothing like a real firearm. Although there are some "scenario" paintball games that do re-enact historic wars and battles, such as D-Day in Oklahoma, they are usually for the sake of re-enacting history and they never encourage violence.
'''Injury and Danger'''
Another common misconception of paintball is that it is dangerous. [http://www.ottersccustoms.com/newbie.html#safe Recent Statistics] from various insurance companies have proven that paintball is actually safer than "traditional" sports, such as football. Paintball fields always require that anyone who is near the field wear a face mask. All fields also require that the paintball makers are shooting at a velocity of less than 300 or 280 feet per second. As long as the players follow the rules for safety, paintball is an entirely safe sport.
'''Quality of Equipment'''
Many players, usually new players, believe that more expensive and higher quality equipment determines how well a person plays. Although good equipment does not hurt, many teams still use "low end" equipment and are still very good. For example, the Spyder is known as a low end starter marker, but some professional teams such as "Bad Company" use them anyway. It is always the skill of the player that determines how well someone plays, not the quality of the equipment. A new player using a $1,000 marker will most likely lose to a skilled player using a $100 marker.
=External links=
==Marker brands==
*[http://www.airgun.com/ Air Gun Designs]
*[http://akalmp.com/ AKA]
*[http://www.boblong.com/ Bob Long]
*[http://cartermachine.com/preview/ Carter Machine]
*[http://phantomonline.com/ Component Concepts, Inc.]
*[http://www.dragunempire.com/ Dragun]
*[http://www.dyeprecision.com/ Dye]
*[http://www.planeteclipse.com/ Eclipse]
*[http://www.evil-paintball.com/ Evil]
*[http://www.icdpaintball.com/ Indian Creek Designs] - See also: [[Indian Creek Designs]]
*[http://www.jtusa.com/gate.asp JT USA]
*[http://www.kingman.com/ Kingman Group]
*[http://www.macdev.net/us/index.htm MacDev]
*[http://www.palmer-pursuit.com/ Palmer's Pursuit]
*[http://www.buypmi.com/ PMI]
*[http://www.smartparts.com/ Smart Parts]
*[http://www.tippmann.com/ Tippmann] - See also: [[Tippmann]]
*[http://www.wdp.tv/ WDP]
*[http://www.armyoforr.com/ Worr Games Products]
==Paintball Magazines==
* [http://www.actionpursuitgames.com/ APG] - Paintball magazine
* [http://www.face-full.com/ Facefull] - Paintball magazine
* [http://www.pcri.net/ Paintball Ratings and Competitions International] Paintball product review and news magazine.
* [http://www.pb2x.com/index2.htm Paintball 2Xtremes] General Paintball magazine.
* [http://www.p8ntballer.com/ Paintball Games International] - International Paintball magazine.
==Owner Groups==
* [http://www.automags.org/forums Automag Owners'] - One of the more popular Internet Paintball chat sites; AO was originally formed as the official forum for AirGun Designs, though it has expanded into much, much more.
* [http://a5og.proboards33.com/index.cgi? A-5 Owners Den] - An independent and informal web forum and archives for Tippmann owners
* [http://www.icd-owners.com ICD-Owners] - A user group for markers manufactured by Indian Creek Designs
==Misc==
* [http://www.pbnation.com/ PbNation.com] - The largest internet paintball forum. Features over 200,000 members, forums frequented by professional paintballers, field maps, and much, much more.
* [http://www.pumpplayers.org/ Pump Players Internet Group] - Promotes the game's history and the use of pump-action and stock class paintball markers.
* [http://www.pbcanada.net/ PbCanada] - Canadian Paintball Community
* [http://www.extremepaintball.com/ Extreme Paintball Connecticut] One of the longest running paintball fields in the northeast United States, Waterbury CT.
* [http://www.warpig.com Warpig] (World and Regional Paintball Information Guide), An older and fairly unbiased site for paintballers.
* [http://www.pbreview.com/ PBReview] - Field and equipment reviews, by players, for players. Another large forum.
* [http://www.vintagerex.com/ Online Paintball Museum]
* [http://www.paintball-guns.com/paintball_history.html History of Paintball]
* [http://www.paintball.biz/ Multilingual Paintball Wiki]
* [http://www.renegados.com/rteam R-Team] - A new form of joining recreational paintball with competition (Portuguese site)
* [http://www.wikipb.com/ WikiPB] - A quickly growing paintball wiki.
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