| Today paintball is a popular sport which
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| | of the sport came the development of the
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| has spread all over the world and become
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| | commercial paintball industry and more
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| a truly global leisure activity. Its
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| | organized tournament-style games.
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| evolution into the modern game has taken
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| | The first outdoor commercial paintball
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| place very quickly compared to most
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| | field opened in 1982 in Rochester N.Y. by
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| sports. The paintball gun has its origins
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| | Caleb Strong and the same man opened the
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| back in the early 1970s when James Hale
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| | indoor version in 1984 in Buffalo N.Y.
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| of Daisy manufacturing invented and
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| | This allowed big groups of people to
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| patented a gun to be used for marking
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| | gather in one place and play and
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| trees and livestock. The principle
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| | encouraged the paintball business owners
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| creators of the paintball game were Bob
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| | to develop the game further to keep the
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| Gurnsey, a sporting goods retailer, Hayes
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| | players interested and entertained. The
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| Noel, a stockbroker and Charles Gaines, a
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| | "bunker-style" game came about and the
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| writer and it's widely accepted that the
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| | smaller fields seem to benefit everyone.
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| first ever recreational game of paintball
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| | They meant that the players could start
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| took place on 27th June 1981 in New
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| | the action quicker without having to
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| Hampshire, USA, when 12 friends used
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| | stalk through the woods for ten minutes
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| these Nel-spot 007s pistols to play a
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| | without seeing anyone, and the business
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| primitive version of 'capture the flag'
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| | owners were happy because players were
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| in a field measuring over 100 acres.
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| | purchasing more paintballs due to the
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| Legend has it that the winner captured
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| | constant fire fights.
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| the flag without firing a single shot. As
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| | Nowadays commercial paintball fields are
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| the game progressed minor modifications
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| | commonplace but many still prefer to play
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| were made to the guns to limit the power
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| | out in the woods in non-commercial games.
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| and the paintballs themselves changed
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| | While this is cheaper it can be more
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| from oil-based to water-based to make it
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| | problematic and dangerous than paying to
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| easier to wash the paint off clothes.
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| | play at a commercial site. Although the
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| The game was first marketed by Charles
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| | majority of enthusiasts only ever play
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| Gaines as "National Survival Game" (NSG),
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| | recreational paintball, professional
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| a name which reflects the nature of
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| | teams are being formed all the time and
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| paintball as it was first played.
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| | compete at national and international
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| Occasionally the groups of people playing
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| | level. The first cash prize tournament
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| broke off into teams but most games were
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| | was held in 1983 and even then the prizes
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| a case of every man for himself. As
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| | were worth $14,000, today the prizes are
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| recreational paintball became more
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| | worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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| popular and sophisticated, more people
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| | In 1992 the NPPL (National Professional
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| were playing and using teams became the
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| | Paintball League) was founded and became
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| standard. Many different types of
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| | the major force in professional
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| offensive/defensive games began to form
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| | tournament games when it started its
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| but "capture the flag" was still the most
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| | Pro-am series around the US.
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| popular. With the increasing popularity
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