Tournament paintball is universally regarded as the zenith of all paintball play.  It is recognized as the next level that a player will step to when he or she is ready to stop playing in the woods.  As it is so, tournament paintball is the game that is revealed to the public through television networks such as ESPN and through magazines such as the one you are reading right now.  Yet, the ethics of the teams that comprise paintball's elite are sadly lacking.  As of now, the conduct on as well as off the field of paintball teams, regardless of their status or ranking, is nothing short of unacceptable.  It is the purpose of this article to explain why this is so through various example, and in doing so, show what must be done to improve team ethics and paintball as a whole.

Confrontation

        A very short while ago I played in a local tournament.  My team (Purple Stuff) lost one of its players do to a serious knee injury and was short one player.  Unable to find a replacement, we struggled through the tournament using mere four players per game.  In the end, we were satisfied.  We won many games regardless of our situation and acquired the sportsmanship award.  However, with this came much controversy.
        A member of a fellow team in the very same division actually accused my team of not deserving the award stating that "we really played with five players", an incredibly unintelligent and ludicrous statement.  This was followed by the actual insult of my team and its players, including myself for no apparent reason!  Out of the blue, my team and I were insulted.  It seems that the competition of a tournament is too much for some.  As of now teams are so competitive off the field that they lose track of what they are actually playing for: the fun and respectable competition of playing in a tournament.  And in doing so, they must result to non-stop confrontation and what could be considered abusive behavior.

Sportsmanship

        Tournament paintball teams also seem to be lacking in the area of sportsmanship.  The team that finished in the last place spot in our division of the tournament was a group of friendly and mature players.  Yet, lack of sportsmanship was their flaw.  Due to their finish, the team decided to leave the tournament.  However, their absence was their loss, as they would have been given a fine assortment of gifts such as free passes to play for a whole year.  Yet, because of their poor finish, they decided to simply quit.  In doing so, they lost what many would desire: substantial prizes for simply having fun and attending a paintball tournament.  Their poor sportsmanship disabled them from attaining very substantial items.

Control
        Paintball is a fast paced game filled with excitement and with adrenaline.  Even though it may be more difficult than normal, this does not excuse players to disband all professional conduct.  I witnessed an event where a player made a very skilled move to bunker the oppositions tape man.  After doing so the oppositions tape man returned fire in what could literally be considered milliseconds later.  The player executing the take down stopped in his tracks and started ranting and raving at the top of his lungs about how he shot first and that the other player had cheated.  This protest lasted for some time before the refs ruled in favor of the player who had lost his temper.
        This player's actions were unacceptable.  As I said above, tempers can flare in the heat of the moment, however, they must be controlled.  It is rather pathetic to see paintball's elite loose all sense of reality over a call that would actually be in their favor in due time.

Playing by the Rules

        I cannot stress this enough.  The rules of the tournament which these incidents took place stated specifically that there would be no sandbaggers; players of a higher ranking playing in a lower division.  Yet, teams in the novice division actually featured professional players.  Now, this is all well and good for the team with the professional player, however, but what about the teams playing against them, playing in accordance with the rules.  The only result of their encounter with this team is the chance of being outright deterred from the sport.  This tournament will serve as a microcosm, representative of all tournament paintball to this team.  To them tournament paintball is a ring of corrupt players who will win at any cost, even if it means cheating!

The Fix

        As stated above, tournament paintball is paintball's elite, its finest.  By not changing its current ways, all players, regardless of their ranking or status, are saying that the sport that they love so very much is just fine the way it is, corrupt and ill represented.
        There is no easy fix such a massive problem.  But there are simple refinements that can be made which can, in turn, make an incredible difference.  Conduct for teams should be made clear in tournament rules and should apply to behavior and sportsmanship on and off of the playing field.  No longer can a team talk trash and quarrel at their leisure due to the fact that they are no longer on the playing field itself.  This is paintballs finest and an example must be set not only to non-paintballers, but also to the young players who will hopefully take their place in the future.
        One of the biggest fixes applicable to tournament teams is the use of common sense.  If you are a pro player, there are tournaments, which cater to a player of your caliber of play.  You have no business being in a rookie/novice tournament.  That is why the divisions are called rookie and novice.  In addition, if you are shot in the blink of an eye after you shoot your opponent, use common sense and realize that the player may not have been intentionally cheating and that there is something called a reflex.  If you are shot obviously later, a referee will most likely call it so, as they are the ones watching both of you at the same time.
        Possibly the biggest fix is to realize that paintball is still a game.  It is a game where everyone playing can have fun!  By taking it too seriously and by having no code of ethics you do not only deny others in your company to have fun and enjoy themselves, but you deny yourself the same.

It is Up to You

        It is the responsibility of every player, not just tournament players, to conduct him/herself in matter that is appropriate to represent this fine game.  Yet, tournament players should take note of this especially.  You are paintball's best.  You are representative of the whole sport.  You are what every young player desires to be when he or she becomes more experienced and familiar with paintball.  When they look at what they could become through hard work, it is obvious that they would rather see a fair, friendly, and sportsman-like player on and off the field rather than a player, who is without manner, ethic, or common sense.
 

Brian Speiser
MPN Columnist