in about 15 days ,, i'm going to play paintball for the fist time off my life ..i'm going to play against 8 family members ,, and none of us have ever played...since i'm 12 and they're all old people aging from(18 to 49)..i'm thinking about how i will totally own them..since i'm physically in much better form than them (endurance,sprinting,) i've been playing socccer in 6 years now ..but my mother thinks i'm going to get totally pwnd & owned..so i was just thinking if you guys maybe could give me some speedball tips, so ill get an little advantage over them?

Well lets start off with ur Ideas about you dominating them in physical endurance. For one Dont ever think like that. Always assume your opponent is much better than you so when you make tactics you think about him haveing the most advantages. When this is done and you could be vsing someone that is physicaly worse off than you than your chances of beating them is alot better. Now then for the second part. You say you are young. Well im sure someone will argue with me on this but Most people that are young lack maturaty to Stick with the game plan. Instead they just think they are all that and try to Get Glory and usually end pulling a stunt and getting taged. So Try to remember to keep your cool and you should do fine. Make a game plan and you should be set.

First of all carefull with that "OLD" crap!

Second: It doesn't matter how good you are there will ALWAYS be someone better. With that said. Play a few rounds get used to the marker and the game.

Pay attention to where the others go. You can use this as an advantage. Humans are a creature of habit. If it works for them once they will most likely do it again. Be ready. Use your speed and endurance to MOVE, move around. Find your style of play.

Don't get cocky with them if you do get owned and you were cocky it's just worse on you/ better for them.

Have fun and relax. That's what it's really about.

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Follow advice above. Especially keep your eyes open see what your team and the other team does. Learn how they operate. Do they always flank to one side? - if they are smart they will switch it up eventually.

Since you are young and frisky. Volunteer to take a far objective on the break. If you are fast and small you can be a great asset, but not if you get hit trying to get to cover to far out.

But dont' just go out on your own, you are part of a team. Pick a leader and listen to them - or at least agree on tactics.

I hate to see people wasting paint/air. Last time I played there were a couple teenagers who had played just a time or two. Before a game we were waiting on other side, they were shooting every tree around practicing their aim. At least 100 shots. They were told stop wasting ammo. Game started and guess whose gun farted 1 min into the game? And his buddy was lasted longer but also ran out of air. Yes you need to practice and get your aim down, but there is a time and place. Keep aware of your air and paint supply.

Stay low off the break if you are playing front, but be fast, get to your bunker. If playing back, put a lot of paint in your lane as soon as you can. Sliding can also benefit you greatly.

Communication is key. Know where they are. If your playing back call out player locations for your fronts. If you don't know where they are you screwed.

Snap shoot. Probably the most essential skill in speedball. Being able to pop out fast, lay down some paint, and get back into that bunker quickly is so important. Stay tight to your bunker too; don't allow them to pop you off in your pack, elbow, foot, or any other vulnerable part sticking out.

Bunkering. So much fun if it's not happening to you. Pick your target, and time it perfectly. Know where he is looking and get a good running start. Come up on their opposite side and put a few rounds in to them. Keep them down the whole time so they don't have the time to pop back out and see where you’re coming from or what's happening. Once you have bunkered a player, get back to cover QUICKLY if there are still other players out there.

That's about it. Everything will take time and practice to understand and become good at.

Hope that helps.

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About the old people comment; I am 30 years OLD and play with JR High kids your age alot (I am a JRhigh leader at church). In fact, I'm playing with them tomorrow. Although those kids probably have me trumped on endurance and maybe even speed, I consistently own them. I think the reason for this is what others here have been saying. There is generally a lack of teamwork and strategic cooperation among the young-uns.

For some basics, check out this guide:

http://www.specialopspaintball.com/tactics/index.asp

I want to add, some may disagree but don't be afraid to get hit. It's a part of the game but I've played many games with young players and if they don't think they can play with the older players the camp behind a bunker or in a building and basically wait to get bunkered/surendered. Be aggressive but smart about it. If there is an opportunity to advance and gain ground take it, but if the other team has you pinned talk to your team to take some heat off you, then find a better place to be.

Your adrenaline will be pumping, always happens in every game I play, but try and follow a few of the suggestions posted here and the number one rule in my play book is have fun and then play fair.

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As others have stated, do not let age fool you… in either direction. In speedball it is speed, surprise, and accuracy that wins the day. So even though you may be fast remember that you also have to mark the others out. That means you will have to actually shoot them. All the speed in the world does not help if when gaining that speed you lose any and all accuracy in shooting your marker. It is a balance.

But on the subject of speed… if you have that as your advantage USE it. As stated by others volunteer to rush as far down the field as possible off the break. This will give your team an advantage from the start if you work together. If you don’t work together you are just out flapping in the wind. I have often gained my team such an advantage by rushing off the break. The other team just didn’t expect a 6’4” guy to “pop up” so close to them or even behind them right off of the initial rush. The most common thing I hear is… “How the heck did you get THERE?” LOL

You see, a lot of newer players focus on where they are going to run to off the break, and not the other team and where THEY are moving. You have to do BOTH to be effective.

Another thing to remember is that you are not a one man show. No single player wins the day, it is the team. Communicate and do not try to hog the “glory”. After all, YOU only win if your TEAM wins… and the same is true in reverse.

You will also want to keep track of angles and cross fire. Ideally you will want to pin down an opponent and have a teammate flank them and take them out, or vice versa. While it may be fun to slug it out with an opponent, the smart player allows his team to take up the slack. It does not matter who gets the “kill”, but that it is done. I am happy to not eliminate a single opponent during a game as long as I have played a supporting roll and helped my team take them out. That position is as important as the one getting the credit for the elimination.

Also remember that shooting 5 BPS and 15 BPS accomplish the same thing when pinning someone down. So don’t waste your paint. And mix up your shooting patterns (speed and intervals) so they will not become familiar with your style and be able to capitalize on it.

And KEEP TIGHT!!! I can’t tell you how many times a player is taken out because their knee, foot, or elbow is sticking out from behind an obstacle. A foot shot will take you out as effectively as a head shot. So remember that and use that to your advantage as well.

But honestly, since this is your first time playing I doubt you will remember any of what has been posted here once the balls start flying. But when it is over you will see exactly what folks have been saying. And with time you will learn to do all the things folks suggested to you. No one becomes a good player without time and practice. Some are more natural than others, but everyone needs to work on honing their skills.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

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since this is your first time out, be sure to use proper lead for moving targets. If they are moving and you are not, shoot in front of them, positive lead. If you are moving and they are not, shoot slightly behind them, negative lead. Moving adds another variable to hitting your target, most folks practice with stationary targets from a fixed position i.e. most pistol and rifle shooters. If you have any experience with shotgunning i.e. skeet, trap, or clays you will have an good concept of positive lead. These are simple enough concepts but executing them may be a little more difficult than expected.

As for the old concept, you may have youth, speed, endurance, but tretchery, deception, and guile come with age. Good luck, guns up!

Watch out for Tunnel Vision... It's where you eyes are focused on only one spot on the feild at a time... Make sure that your always scanning.

Also, if you have a BB gun, practice snap-shooting... It's when you "snap" up out of a bunker a take a few well aimed shots at an opponent before ducking back down. The ability to do this quickly and accurately will help in both the woods and on the marshmellow feild.

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