| How important is the front middleman? Or better | | | | stone"? Here is what you can do. First set |
| yet, how effective can he be? In the years that I | | | | yourself on the bunker in the center of the |
| have played paintball I have played all the positions | | | | bunker. Position yourself so that you could shoot |
| on the field. The Middle Front is the most exciting. | | | | off either side but you still are out of the fire lines. |
| Many times the job of the middleman is to sprint | | | | Basically set yourself just inside of the two angles |
| to the flag station off the break and pull that flag. | | | | that the balls are coming from. What you do now |
| Often times if he succeeds, then his job has been | | | | is snap shoot with the Right Tape for 5 seconds. |
| done. There is only one flag pull in each game! | | | | Then switch to the Left Tape for 5 seconds. |
| One trick we have learned to help keep our | | | | Then repeat until you out shoot one of them. Do |
| middleman alive as he breaks for the flag is this: | | | | you see what you are doing at this point? |
| When the back players are breaking they have | | | | You are keeping 2 of their players busy at the |
| the opportunity to see where the other team is | | | | same time. They both think you are only shooting |
| breaking to, and one code we use to warn the | | | | at them. Which means when you are snap |
| middleman (lets call him the Flag Runner since he | | | | shooting with the Right Tape, the Left Tape is |
| is breaking for the flag) is "FLAG, FLAG, FLAG!" | | | | waiting on you to come back out and vice versa. |
| When a player from our team yells "FLAG, FLAG, | | | | Hence, "Killing two birds with one stone". This will |
| FLAG!" that lets the Flag Runner know that he is | | | | free up one or maybe two of your teammates |
| going to have company a player from the other | | | | to move. Just be careful- remember that when |
| team is breaking for the flag too. With this | | | | you switch that player is waiting on you. You |
| information our runner can decide what measures | | | | might even catch him off guard if he got |
| he needs to take to protect him-self from this | | | | impatient and started to shoot at another one or |
| threat. Often the other team's Flag Runner | | | | your teammates! |
| doesn't even know that our Flag Runner is there, | | | | "Warning" do not get tunnel vision while playing in |
| which gives him the advantage. When the other | | | | the Center. That is the best way to get |
| player is worrying about getting the pull he is not | | | | bunkered! I remember one five man game we |
| expecting a barrel to pop over and paint him! | | | | lost. The count was three us against four them. |
| So, you made it and possess the "flag". You have | | | | We had a player in midfield center position. We |
| done what was expected of you. Now what? | | | | had a player in our Back Left and we had a |
| Likely, if you don't find yourself in the dead box | | | | player in our Back Center. Our Back Left player |
| shortly after you pull the flag, you find yourself | | | | couldn't see a thing on the Left Tape so he was |
| bombarded with paintballs. Don't panic! Remember | | | | pounding the Right Tape. Our Back Center was |
| you did your job. Now it's time to get tight and | | | | worried about their Back Right and Back Center. |
| communicate. Ask or listen for the locations of | | | | Our Mid Center man was posted up on their Right |
| the opponents. It wouldn't hurt to just sit there | | | | Mid Tape. Can you guess what happened? An |
| for a few seconds to let the opponent find some | | | | opponent made his way up the left tape and |
| one else to shoot at. Don't think of moving at this | | | | bunkered our Mid Center and Back Center |
| point. A lateral move would be unwise. Actually, | | | | Players, Leaving three on one. Game Over! |
| you are as far up the field as you can go until a | | | | If only one of our center players had resisted the |
| push is possible. | | | | "Tunnel Vision" that posting up on someone |
| Let's sit back and look at your situation. You are | | | | creates, (posting up is very effective as long as |
| as far up front as you can be and you are in the | | | | you are not in the hole or you know that the |
| middle. You are the opponent's biggest threat right | | | | whole field is covered) if our Back Left player had |
| now and you haven't even pulled the trigger. | | | | thought to communicate that he had the Right |
| Chances are you are getting it from both sides. | | | | Tape and some one needed to cover the Left |
| Shots from their Right Tape, Shots From the | | | | Tape, the bunkering would not have happened. |
| Left Tape. Most likely it's not their Backmen, they | | | | The moral to the story is that a Center player |
| are too worried about your team members on | | | | can support and free up his/ her team member |
| the right and left tape! | | | | very effectively as long as they work off of both |
| Ever hear of the saying "killing two birds with one | | | | sides. |