General Information
(All players are required to read the following information prior to playing paintball.)

Who can play?
We welcome new players who have been invited by a current player.  All players must be 18 or over or accompanied by a parent or guardian.

We have spare guns and masks available to new players who do not have their own equipment.  However, we do request $5 to pay for maintenance, repair, replacement and cleaning of the spare guns and masks.  If the new player wants us to supply paintballs and carbon dioxide cylinders, we request an additional $5.  If a new player brings their own paintball gun, mask, paintballs and cylinders, there is no fee.  We do not allow fully automatic paintball guns.

Does it Hurt to Get Hit?
Being hit by a paintball can sting and leave a bruise. Most shots are not painful.  The degree of pain depends upon what part of the body gets hit, and how far away the shooter was.  A shot from within 25 feet can be painful and potentially dangerous (i.e., the paintball masks are not designed to withstand a shot at this range).  However, the paintball rules prohibit shooting someone within 25 feet.

Clothing
The paintball terrain is rough and muddy and has occasional thorns and thistles.  We recommend wearing old, durable clothing with long sleeve shirts, full length pants, shoes and gloves.  We have had shoes stuck and even lost in the mud.  Camouflage clothing is not required, but green and brown clothing is suggested.  Avoid bright colors.  Layers are recommended during most times of the year because of the active style of play.

In addition to paintball masks, additional protective clothing is recommended, but not required.  A bandana or other neck cover is recommended to protect the neck from paintball hits.  Some masks cover most of the neck area, but others do not.  A cup is also recommended.  For more information on paintball safety, please visit http://www.paintballsafety.net.

Water
Although water is available nearby, we recommend bringing a bottle or two of your own, especially during warm weather conditions.  There are no convenience stores or fast food restaurants nearby, so you may want to bring something to snack on.

Terrain
Although not all scenarios require a lot of movement, the terrain is rugged and can be physically challenging.  Additionally, the steep hills, mud, water and ground cover make movement hazardous. Care must be taken while moving around the playing field.

Mosquitoes
During the summer months mosquitoes are prevalent. Some paintball situations require sitting still and getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes. We recommend bringing and wearing a mosquito repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide). Depending upon the length of play, you may need to reapply the repellent.

Ticks
Although we have not had encounters with any ticks, the paintball terrain has the potential for ticks. Wearing bright colored clothing is a good way to identify ticks, but runs contrary to the camouflage clothing that most players wear. We recommend the following:

The risk of contracting lyme disease from ticks (i.e., deer ticks) is unlikely since deer ticks, which are the carriers of lyme disease are not found in Nebraska or western Iowa.

Poison Ivy
Poison ivy grows on the ground and on trees in the paintball terrain. Long sleeve shirts, gloves and pants worn by most paintball players is enough to prevent poison ivy exposure except for people who are sensitive to poison ivy. People who are sensitive to poison ivy should consider wearing ivy block or not playing during the summer months.

Poison ivy can be identified by the adjacent photograph and description: three divided leaves, center leaflet on a longer stalk, white, waxy berries along the stem, leaves alternate on the stem, erect shrub or climbing vine. Additional information on poison ivy can be found at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/plantpage/flora/poivy/.

Rules

  1. Protective paintball masks must be worn during play.  No alternative masks, goggles, or glasses may be used as substitutes.  If you need to remove your paintball mask during paly to scratch an itch, wipe your brow or whatever, try to do it behind a tree or away from potential shots.
  2. The paintball guns should not be used to shoot another person within 25 feet of the shooter.  Therefore, you should not fire at anyone within 10 steps.  If you find yourself within 25 feet of an opponent yell “freeze” to announce your presence.  The two opponents then back up to a distance or area that they feel is safe and resume play.  Even if you are not involved in the freeze, please do not shoot at the people involved until after they have resumed play.  If you are sneaking up on another player, try to fire at them outside the 25-foot zone, or you may end up in a freeze.  If one player has a drop on another (i.e., the player snuck up on another), they may call out that the other player is dead.
  3. No shooting of animals of any kind except humans!  This includes cows, birds, cats etc.
  4. No non-paintball guns of any kind are to be brought to the playing field!
  5. Paintball guns should not be pointed at other players except during play.  Before and after play, the stopper should be placed in the end of the paintball gun.  If you lose the stopper during play, hold the gun by the end of the barrel.
  6. A paintball must hit the person to be considered a kill.  The general rule of thumb is if you feel the paintball hit you, you are dead.
  7. To prevent people from being shot after they are killed, you can indicate that you’ve been killed by screaming.  However, you can not scream out information (e.g., AaahhhhJoeisbehindthebigtreeeee!!!!).  You do not have to scream to indicate you are dead, but you are not allowed to scream and pretend to be dead.
  8. After you have been killed, you can go back to the designated area (i.e., usually adjacent to or outside the area of play).  However, you are not allowed to reveal information as you are walking back.  Try not to look at other players and reveal their position.  You might also want to make people aware you are dead by announcing your presence.
  9. Paintball has many inherent dangers.  The active style of play could lead to injuries from running into and falling off of and tripping over things, and being injured from a shot.  Players will not hold the landowner and other players liable for injuries incurred during play.


The games rely on the honor system (i.e., for players to call themselves dead when shot).  Cheating will result in removal from the games and cheaters may not be allowed to return to play again.  Violation of the rules will result in removal from the game and violators will not be allowed to play again, ever.
 

Common Game Rules

Most games are played with tear-away flags (i.e., capture the flag).  The bottom half of the flags are attached with velcro.  The object of games with flags is to tear off the bottom half of the opponent’s flag.  The object of some flag games is to tear off bottom part of the opponent’s flag and return it to your flag (i.e., touch your flag while holding the bottom part of the opponent’s flag).  These games are referred to as capture the flag, with returns.

One of the common rules of flag games is both teams start at their flag (i.e., within arms reach of the flag).  This requirement is to prevent players from obtaining a strategic advantage prior to the start of the game.

Some flag games are played with reset points.  Reset points allow players who are dead to return to the game by touching the reset point.  The reset point is usually marked with a flag.  Normally each team has its own reset point, and some times only one team is allowed to return to the game by using the reset point.



Directions to site

We play on Brian’s Dad's property near Blair, Nebraska.  To get there, you need to get on Highway 133.  You can either take Military Road west until it turns into Highway 133, or you can take 680 to the Irvington Exit.  After the Irvington Exit, go northwest on Highway 133.

You will take Highway 133 north for a number of miles (about 15, according to Yahoo).  About a mile before the turn you will see two broadcast antennae on the right (east).  Shortly before the turn you will see a Church-owned billboard on the left that has a family-values message on it - currently “Adoption is More Better”, and then you will see a “Passing Lane” sign.  As soon as the passing lane appears, get into the right lane and take the first right (east). You will see a house on the south and a mobile home park on the north.  I think this road is labeled “P26”.  If you get to the Highway 133-Highway 30 merge, you have gone a half-mile too far.

You will take P26 for 0.6 miles down a hill.  At 0.6 miles, you will see a road heading south.  Take this road (right turn).

Follow this road for another 0.6 miles.  You will go up a hill and then back down the other side.  After 0.6 miles, take a right turn (west) on Sumack Lane just before the road veers left.

Follow Sumack Lane past two houses.  Shortly after you see a pond on the right (north), you will see a barn and a house.  Park by the barn.

Map to site



Copyright 2000 by Doug Deden