Paintball Talk-the-Talk

So you've rented a paintball gun and played a few times at your local field. Maybe you've bought a new paintball marker and are just starting to get into the sport. Below are a few terms and definitions that might help you walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk when it comes to playing the game of paintball.

2g - 12 gram CO2 "powerlets" used for many years in pellet rifles; powered the early paintball markers.

Anchor or Snowman - Person on the field that plays a back or cover position.

Anti-Fog - A special treatment that is sprayed onto goggles to cut down on lenses fogging-up.

Anti-Siphon - A special tube inserted into a CO2 tank designed to prevent the gun from sucking liquid.

APG/Action Pursuit Games - A paintball magazine.

Arm Band - Brightly colored bands usually worn on arm to determine friend from opponent.

Barrel Plug - A plug that goes in the business end of the marker's muzzle to prevent projectiles from accidentally leaving the gun.

Bottom Line - Usually refers to the local of the CO2 tank on the bottom rear portion of the marker's pistol grip; desired since it makes siting the gun with a mask on much easier.

Bunker (noun) - An object or embankment on the field that a player uses for cover.

Bunker (verb) - To charge a bunker and eliminate, at close range, any players hiding behind it.

Butt Plate - A cap that fits on the end of the CO2 tank, turning it into a stock that fits snug in the shoulder.

CA/Constant Air - Allows marker to use bulk CO2 tanks rather than 12 gram.

Camo or Camouflage - Clothing with a leaf and/or tree pattern that is worn to conceal players from opponents.

Capture The Flag - A timed game where team members start at opposite ends of the field and attempt to capture their opposing team's flag and place it on their flag pole or line.

Chronograph - A device used to measure the velocity (speed) of a paintball coming out of a barrel. The safe maximum speed of a paintball is 300 feet per second.

CO2/Carbon Dioxide - Compressed gas used to power markers.

Cocker - Short for auto-cocker, a top level marker.

FPS / Feet Per Second - The measurement of speed at which the paintball travels. 300 fps is the maximum velocity a paintball may travel safely.

Feeder Agitator or Revolution - An electronic hopper which has an agitator located at the base of the hopper. The agitator insures that balls feed through the bottom of the feeder and do not "clog" up. Often used on very smooth firing markers that "shake" very little. Can also obsolete a Power Feeder since it insures that a paintball will always be available to the marker.

Guppy - A container used for hauling extra paintballs onto the field, designed to be used with a harness or pack.

Harness or Pack - System for carrying extra loaders of paint around the waist, so that a player may reload their hopper on the field during play.

Hopper or Feeder - A larger container which mounts onto a marker and holds paintballs, feeding them into the marker through its bottom.

HPA / Compressed Air High Pressure - Compressed air (3000 to 4500 psi) is usually used instead of CO2 in tournament paintball. The use of HPA requires specialized high pressure tanks and regulators which lower the output pressure to what the paintguns can handle.

Hyper-Ball Field - Concept field using large corrugated plastic pipes for bunkers.

Mag - Short for auto-mag, a top level marker.

Marker - Paintball gun.

Mask or Goggles - Protective headgear that protects the player's face and eyes from projectiles.

Newbie or Squid - A new player that has little or no experience.

NPPL (Pronounced Nipple) - National Paintball Players League, the national league that includes players from novice to pros.

Paint / Paintball - Gelatin-coated balls containing brightly colored water-base paint.

Power Feeder - The feed port on some markers that allows the paint to be bounced into the bolt chamber.

Pump (noun) - Paintball marker that utilizes a pumping-method, by hand, to feed balls individually from hopper into chamber.

PSI - Stands for Pounds Per Square Inch and is a measurement of pressure.

Remote Hoses & Fittings - System that allows the bulk CO2 tank to be detached from the manufacturer's intended location on the marker, then located elsewhere (i.e., on the player's hip).

Siphon Bottle - A special CO2 tank designed to suck liquid into the gun.

Speedball - A game played on small fields with little natural cover. Bunkers usually consist of wooden pallets, tires or other man-made barricades. Speedball fields are designed to allow spectators to see the action. The first speedball field was set up at SC Village in Corona, CA.

Squeegie / Squegee - A device used to clean paint from the barrel of a marker.

Squid or Newbie Basher - A semi-experienced player who plays very aggressively against new players to the point of ruining their first game.

Sup-Air Field - Concept field using large inflated bunkers.

Tank or Bottle - Metal (Steel or Aluminum) container which comes in various shapes and sizes, used for storing CO2 or Nitrogenused to power markers.

Tank Cover or Pouch - Cloth or neoprene sleeve that fits over the CO2 tank to camouflage it and keep it warm in cold weather.

Thermal Lenses - A special lens that is treated with an anti-fog coating.

Woods Field - Large wooden area designed with a series of bunkers, trees and low-lying brush.