Starting A Paintball Field

Starting a paintball field? Don't make a move without having everything in place first for legalities and safety. And of course, you'll want to make sure you optimize your field for fun.

Things you'll need start a paintball field:

• Land
• Waiver
• Rules
• Cover equipment
• Facilities for players  

1. Make sure you have enough space for a field. You should have about an acre to play on - or a half-acre at least. Bigger sizes let you get more creative with games, but acre-size fields at least let you play close-combat, competition-style games. Demarcate the boundaries, too, so your players don't cross into your neighbor's territory or potentially hazardous locations like lakes or rivers.
2. Have each player sign a waiver: Pieces of paper won't always save you in court, but it helps if you show that you tried. You want to make sure that parents of players 18 and under sign the waiver, too. This will hopefully hold you somewhat harmless for any injuries on the paintball field. But it's no guarantee, so see your lawyer for exact details.
3. Draw up a set of rules. Your paintball field isn't a free-for-all. It's not funny when someone gets hurt, contrary to the popular saying. You want to make sure players keep their guns set to speeds lower than 300 feet per second, wear paintball masks at all times, and call themselves out when a paintball hits and bursts on their clothes.
4. Set out cover and bunkers. How much of each you provide in starting a paintball field might be dictated by your budget. Stacks of wood, wooden pallets, forts, fiberglass, barrels and many other hardware materials can be used as cover, in addition to natural elements like creek beds and trees. Just make sure that there is enough cover for all players to hide behind somehow. No one wants to be stuck out in the open with nowhere to go.
5. Make bathrooms available to your players. Unless you want to see guys taking a whiz on the paintball field, make sure everyone has access to at least one bathroom. And if you can set out some food or drink, or have players bring some food to help out the cause, do so. Players always need some kind of refreshment in between games and during breaks.