Who Invented the Sport of Paintball?

The basic concept behind the sport of paintball actually began when Charles Gaines, Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsey created a “Capture the Flag” type of game with 12 people using paintball markers in 1981. Since then, enthusiasm for the game has spread and is still spreading today.

Invention of the Paint Pellets Used in Paintball

To fully understand who invented paintball it is essential to understand who invented the essential element used in the sport - the paintball gun.

Charles and Evan Nelson started the Nelson Paint Company in 1940. In the mid-1960s, they came up with the concept of a paint pellet that would contain oil-based paint, that could be used for marking a tree in hard to reach places by loggers and foresters. They designed a gun that would fire the pellets which was spring-loaded and needed air to reset after firing. For every shot, a paintball had to be loaded into the barrel.

Paintball Guns Used in Sports

In 1976, Hayes Noel and Charles Gaines started playing paintball games in New Hampshire. The big break for paintball games came in 1981, when Charles Gaines, Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsey organized a paintball game with 12 people, some of whom were sports writers. An article about the game made it to Sports Illustrated, and articles also appeared in Time and Sports Afield, so paintball got national exposure. By 1984, the Nelson Paint Company was selling paintballs with washable fill. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Inventing the Rules for Paintball

Bob Gurnsey worked on a set of rules for paintball, put together start up kits, and opened a paintball field in 1982. There was a national championship in 1982 with the prize being $14,000.

The popularity of paintball spread very quickly around the world and now there are paintball fields in more than 140 countries. This simple game has evolved into a 700 million dollar industry that includes safety equipment, magazines, videos, equipment for the field, clothing, games, and more. Over 10 million people play paintball just in the United States, which is more than play baseball.

Gear and Types of Paintball Games

The necessary gear for paintball is: a paintball gun, paintballs in a hopper, a tank of nitrogen or carbon dioxide, face mask, and durable clothing. Some competitors have pants and shirts with extra pockets and padding, kneepads, and upgrades for their guns.

The scenario type of game has a theme and often, when a player is shot, they are allowed to join the game after a time out. Some of these games go on for days and have hundreds of players.

Recreation games are fun and competitive, like Capture the Flag, or Push the Flag. They can be just a few people on each team. These types of games are not formal and have no money at stake.

Tournament games are more limited as to the number of players, usually between three and seven. The games are shorter than others and once you are shot, you are out.

Rules of Conduct for Paintball

Rules for paintball are pretty simple. Here are the basics:

Every game needs a predetermined length and a referee to start the game and make judgment calls.
To be out, a paintball must break on your body, gun, or equipment. When you are hit, you raise your gun and yell, “OUT” or “DEADMAN” and leave the field.
If two or more players mark each other at the exact same time, all are eliminated.
If there is a question whether or not a player has been marked, a Paint Check is called. This is a time out so the referee can make his decision.
In a flag game, only one player can guard the flag.
Teams playing one another decide on boundaries and other rules before they play.

Simple Game with Simple Rules

When Gaines, Noel and Gurnsey invented the sport of paintball it was a simple game with simple rules. Game players now have a wide choice of equipment; but the game itself and its rules have remained relatively simple.