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The rover, also known as the insert player, stays more towards the middle of the field; he is the fill in man.  This player takes the front or the Backman’s place if they get eliminated.  It’s also the rover’s job to provide cover for the players ahead of him on the field; this means the rover will shoot a lot more paint than the frontman.  He also is the player responsible for important communications amongst the team - passing messages between the front and back players.  The challenge of this position is being able to fill in any position’s role when it becomes necessary.  It’s best if the rover is well rounded and knowledgeable about everyone elses positions.  He should be quick on his feet so he can take over the new position as quickly as possible.  Considering this, the rover wants his supplies (paintball gun, paintballs and air tank) as light as possible because he has to move around so much and so fast…. but he also wants to have enough to last through the whole game.  Compared to the backman, he won’t shoot quite that much (unless he becomes the backman) but he will still shoot way more than the frontman.  A player manning the rover position will often carry extra pods or air supply to last in case they have to cover someone else’s spot.

The Frontman, also known as the pointman, is the player in the middle of all of the action; you’d better have a strong stomach and plenty of balls to take on this spot on your team.  The Frontman is probably one of the most exciting positions on the paintball field but they’re also usually the first to be eliminated.  The Frontman makes all the daring moves and stays close to the enemies the whole game; this makes him a very key player in the game.   Sometimes, the Frontman is also the captain of the paintball team.  He plays at the front of the field and is the player responsible for getting the other team’s flag or accomplishing the team’s mission.  The frontman is closer than any of his teammates to the enemies.  For this reason he is backed up by several of the other positions on the field: the lockman, the sniper, and the insert.  The frontman carries the lightest load because he shoots the least; his job is to maneuvre.  He needs to be the fastest player with the quickest reflexes; sprinting, jumping, rolling and crouching at the blink of an eye are a must for this player.  Most of his time on the field will be spent going from one bunker to the next until he competes the mission.  The frontman must also know how to make himself small, minimizing the target for the enemy as he runs from bunker to bunker.  The Frontman’s paintball gun should be light, easy to carry, aim and shoot quickly and accurately.  It does not have to hold many paintballs because this position spends more time running and hiding than shooting.  However, every good Frontman will still carry enough ammo in case he gets pinned down with enemy fire!

The back player, also referred to as the ‘backman’, is usually a more experienced player.  It is not uncommon for him to have to shoot with both hands, or even switch up trigger fingers when one finger gets too tired.  He starts shooting early in the game and doesn’t move around outside of his starting area much during the game.  The backman has a lot of responsibilities.  He pretty much controls the movements of the players on his team because he has the view with the most advantage.  He not only has to protect the flag or keep the opposing team from accomplishing their missions, but he must also defend his own teammates further up on the field, keep them informed on the opposition’s movements and progression, and tell the rover when he needs to take over for the pointman.  The backman needs a paintball marker and gun barrel that will shoot fast and hard.  It’s also smart for him to carry plenty of ammo; he will be shooting a lot throughout the whole game.  For this reason, he will need to carry the most paintballs, a larger air supply, and shoot a gun with a long barrel to improve his reach.  He must also be able to shoot and be accurate at high rates of speed and while he’s moving around the field.

There is a lot more to a paintball game than just shooting your paintball gun.  Winning the game takes skill, knowledge of the game and strategy.  You must know your moves and how to execute them, but be ready to change your plan in a minute’s notice.  Speed also plays a large role in the game of paintball.  Knowing what to do isn’t enough; you need to have the speed to make it happen before you enemy has time to catch on or shoot you.  In addition, try to cut your reaction times down.  Learn and practice what to do in certain situations so that in an actual game the move will be instinct.  You want to keep moving in the game from beginning to end; everyone knows a moving target is harder to hit.  Never stand in the same line of fire as a teammate.  You don’t want to give your opponent any advantage.  Plan ahead and mark the bunkers and landmarks that your opponents frequently use.  This may give you an advantage of knowing where your enemy’s probably going to go in the game.  When you are attacked, stay low to the ground as you retreat.  Staying low gives the opponent a smaller target to shoot at.  This will help keep you from getting eliminated.

If you want to keep your opponents guessing in your next game, try creating diversions.  You don’t ever want your opponent to know what’s coming and you certainly don’t want them to be able to guess what moves you’re getting ready to make.  If you’re planning on making an attack on the right side, you may want to build up more players on the left side to make your opponent focus more on the left.  Then, as your opposition prepares for more defense on the left, you can launch an attack from the right.  Another effective diversion is recruiting floaters for your team.  This position must be designated ahead of time/before the game.  A floater is a player who has view of the whole field.  This is helpful because they can see all eliminations made during the game, make sure backup is where ever it’s needed, and can call for defense at the appropriate times.  If you have a sniper on your team, sometimes they make good floaters and can use this position to pick off key players.  They may also be able to see the field better with their paintball sniper scope.

There are two main ways to learn and refine your techniques.  First, by trial an error.  Second, by other player’s trial and error.  There are several different medias for learning from other players.  It can be from watching your own teammates, to reading articles from the experts.  The following tips will help you get the most out of your marker and your plays on the field.

 1.  It is most important to keep your marker clean.  Enough so that you should stop what you’re doing right away and clean it out.  Make sure you do a thorough job though; the bolt, bolt face, and the barrel must all be kept clean or the marker will malfunction.
2.  When a paintball breaks in your marker, make sure you not only clean out all of the paint, but anything else that doesn’t belong there as well.
3.  If you are still having problems with paintballs chopping inside the marker, you will need to take the gun apart and check for damage such as chips and burs.
4.  If the bolt face or o-rings are damaged, you should replace them as soon as possible.
5.  After playing all day with the problem of paint chopping in the machine, you should take it apart for a more thorough examination of the parts.  Look for scratches, fraying, or any other damage.  Check each part individually.  It’s a good idea to check the sear and hammer first, because these two parts must be in good condition to operate correctly.  The hammer and sear should be sharp.  The edges should be clean and no major wear should be visible.
6.  Make sure all of your paintball clothing is clean and in good shape. 
7.  Keep your camouflage jerseys and paints in good condition.
8.  Wear camouflage jerseys and pants that match each other. Mixing camouflage makes you easier to spot.
9.  If you are in an open woodsball field and a player has not spotted you yet, STOP.
10.  Keep the oil away from your compressed air tank when you are lubing up your marker.  The mix of oil and high pressure can cause a spark and pretty much blow you up - making for a crappy day.

As a kid, you may have played cops and robbers or cowboys and indians.  Remembering these fun filled memories, adults now play scenario paintball - where they have the opportunity to be a soldier, a sniper, a navy seal, or even cowboy in the Wild West; and you get to use guns that actually shoot!  In scenario paintball, the playing fields and conditions are made to look like historic places, settings, or events.  Usually the terrain is a natural setting; a canyon, heavily wooded area or even an old junkyard.  Often times, historic battles such as D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, or even the Battle of Gettysburg are reinacted on the the paintball field.  Depending on the size of the game, the amount of detail may vary.  These games, however, can range anywhere from lasting five hours to several days at a time.

One of the major differences between scenario paintball and traditional style paintball is the type of paintball markers and gear used.  In traditional Speedball matches, only a paintball gun is needed and used to make straight line, somewhat close range shots.  For the most part, your enemy has to be in your line of sight in order to hit them and get them out.  In a scenario game, paintball landmines, grenades, and other such weapons not only add to the atmosphere of the game but offer more interesting ways of thrashing your opponent.

Another major difference in traditional games and Scenario games is the number of players involved.  In scenario paintball games, sometimes the scenario will dictate how many people should be involved; for some games it’s common to have over 100 players on the field at one time.  In scenario paintball, military missions is the name of the game.  In general, you will either be in a platoon of players or playing solo and you will go on a mission (or series of missions).  In Speedball, once you are out of the game you are out for good.  In scenario games, however, you are usually only out for ten to thirty minutes before you are allowed to reenter the game.  Rather than getting all of the opposing players out of the game to win, your team will have missions and objectives to complete in order to win.  These missions usually vary from game to game.

Speedball is a fast pace game.  It can be played indoors or outdoors, but generally played on a rectangular paintball field.  Both sides of the field must be set up with the same arrangement of semi or permanent bunkers.  However, speedball can also be played on a field with portable inflatable bunkers such as the half moon or the beam in instances where the players want to make their own original arrangement.  Speedball tactics used by each player will depend on the arrangement of the bunkers, the types of bunkers used, and the alignment of the opposing team.  A lot of the speedball skills and tactics are intented for formations with multiple players, because the possibilities vary as well with team play.  Either way, it’s important for every player to be aware of the position of each of his teammates.  It’s unlikely that each team will not lose a number of their players, but it helps if the team is well balanced.  It is important for each player to practice skills for multiple positions and situations so you can be as prepared as possible.  Many teams also like to walk on the field before the tournament to check out the bunker layout and make their game plan.

An important move to use while paintballing is the crawl.  Crawling is a way of moving around, both backwards and forwards, on all four limbs and stay close to the ground.  It may be necessary on a field where the bunkers are low to the ground.  It can reduce the likelihood of being shot during an ambush and is good for a means of moving around quietly.  It’s also great for avoiding enemy fire and staying out of harm’s way.  There are some important things to remember while crawling, however.  First of all, make sure that your elbows and feet are not exposed to potential paintball impact.  Also, make sure your marker remains close to your body and out of your enemie’s range.  Most importantly, make sure the hand your holding your paintball gun in is in a position that you can shoot at your enemies if needed.  There are many instances when crawling is the best choice for getting around.  Some instances may be when opposition is moving forward and has not spotted you yet; when you are playing in the woods and there is plenty of brush and vegetation to help conceal you, and when you are moving from one bunker to another that is connected or very closely spaced to the one you are leaving.  It is important to maintain open lines of communication with your teammates and even for them to shoot and distract your enemy while one individual from your team makes their move.  You may also want to crawl to stay invisible when trying to flank your enemy.

In paintball, Freight Training is an illegal move.  Freight Training is an attempt by a tagged player to affect the outcome of a game by lingering in the game.  After being hit, the player is supposed to put their barrel plug into the end of their paintball gun and immediately exit to the nearest dead box that will not cause any interference in the game.  If the player attempts to block a shot from an opposing player at one of their teammates, it would be considered freight training and can be penalized for it.  Another form of interference is deliberately getting yourself bonus balled.  Sometimes players will step out on the field with the intention of getting an enemy to shoot them in anger.  As soon as their enemy shoots them, the player yells out to the referee who will usually call a penalty on the opposing team.  All of these actions, if caught can get your team penalized.  Booooooo!