Pro Paintball Rule Changes

[Indian Rivulet]

Returning to paintball after several years - I must have lost my old account. After watching a few matches on Youtube, pro games just seem predictable, stale, and expensive for fans to play themselves (too much wasted paint). This is a shame because in the age of viral shorts, paintball (with all its unique qualities) could be very appealing from a spectator standpoint. Seeing guys mussing their hoppers, screaming at refs ect just looks lame.

Call me crazy, but I think this sport could be revived with a few rule changes to the pro circuit. Personally, I'd lower it to 5 bps, allow 3 pods max, switch to 3 man, and make wider, asymmetrical fields. I'd also return 1ctf, and experiment with different classes (ie, three stock class, two open class, and 1 mech per team).

What rule changes would you want to see?

[Trbo323]

There's been about a dozen threads discussing this in the last year.

Basically, everyone wants change, nobody can agree on what exactly

But everyone does agree that the current state of affairs is not great

I'm on the somewhat "extreme" side. If I were in charge there would be changes for each event

Mixed format like you are describing for one event

7 man for the next event

Hyperball with mechs for the following

2 pods only for the last one etc

And typically teams would only get maybe 2 weeks of notice for what the next change will be.

To me, paintball is a sport that you have to adjust to the situation and at the professional level your team needs to still function whatever comes their way. I want to find the best team not the best group of guys that have drilled one particular layout the hardest.

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[Indian Rivulet]

To me, paintball is a sport that you have to adjust to the situation and at the professional level your team needs to still function whatever comes their way. I want to find the best team not the best group of guys that have drilled one particular layout the hardest.


[/QUOTE]

I take it this is the common desire among paintball fans, too bad we are seemingly stuck with the way it is.

Asymmetrical fields would make it much harder to drill formats IMO as play would be far more unpredictable. You can also play with different terrain, elevation and mix up types of bunkers. Some variety would be nice and certainly would be an added challenge for players. You can also encourage movement with new rules (ie, you could leave a pod of paint at center 50, or first player to reach it also gets his ramping doubled from 5 bps to 10).

What we have now looks like a paint spraying contest. Some variety and tactics would be nice. Even if the reason to play paintball is for us to all go out have fun, it should at least seem somewhat inviting when someone stumbles across video of pros playing paintball.

Just some ideas...

[Pyrate Jim]

Make it Birthday Ball.

[Ecapnation]

It's the first how to improve paintball post of 2026!

Congrats!!


Also doing something in the pro circuit will not affect 90% of the game

[The Hobbit]

Hey if they’d all switch to nelspot 007s, they’d appease ~90% of MCB.

[The Hobbit]

FYI there is supposed to be a 4 or 5 pod limit for NXL pro. See how it goes.

[Trbo323]

Man. I'd spring surprises on the teams if I was in charge. It would be so much fun to see their reactions

Oh you like that Dorito? How about when it starts moving around on the field?

Surprise! the compressor only fills to 2000psi

Glad you like the large field, how are you going to like it when the Terminator shows up and shooting him only makes him pause for 10 seconds?



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[Chuck E Ducky]

I got one for every paintball you shoot you must find and eat one off the ground. You can call it hungry hungry hippo.

[William the Third]

Make it Birthday Suit Ball.

FTFY.

[$L!mBo]

uncapped ramping, unlimited pods
everyone has cinderblocks strapped to their feet
each team brings a ref for each member of the opposing team.
if you get shot out, you have to chug a beer
Sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Ratheon and BlackRock

[$L!mBo]

in ground trampolines, Tippmann Hellhounds, drone strikes, mandatory showboating with coreographed victory dances, divisions ranked by the Indian Societal Caste system, Sponsored by BadDragon, Mr.Beast Feastables and Enron 2

[JeepDVLZ45]

Sounds like “NFL Blitz” for paintball…😁

[Reflex0283]

sponsored by BD? sign me up

[Maxwell]

SlamBall!!

[$L!mBo]

barrel tags only, cross field surrender rule, everyone has barrel mounted lasers and strobe flashlights,
each field has a minimum of 5 full size carwash bunkers, Sponsored by Ashley Madison, Crocs and Hellman's Mayonnaise

[$L!mBo]

Everyones cleats have the Sketchers Lights in em, full GatorMaille uniforms, all the coaches must have 3 full BubbleTapes in during any team directing, HobbyHorse incorporated into the Reffing
Sponsored by XLax, EdibleUndies, and Gas Station Rhino Pills

[Ecapnation]

What?! You have this backwards. The majority of people with electros have them set to NXL ramping mode. A decent number of fields have regulation NXL airball and set up event layouts. Most local tournament series use NXL rules.

Wether you like it or not, the way NXL is played has a huge impact on the sport.

For recreational players it has zero effect.

[Ecapnation]

Recreational ball is 90% and most fields I play at don't allow ramping of any kind.

[Chuck E Ducky]

What if you give only the audience Tippmann 98s and like 20 players on a football field in one piece bathing suits. Only food shaped bunkers. First one to the kick a field go goal with a greased up dodge ball wins. Eliminated players got to a Gulag where they mud wrestle for dominance and win a chance to run the gauntlet again.

[Pewpewpew]

I can’t accommodate more than 20 in my backyard and it’s only 40 yards.