Paintball game rules and scoring system

Abstract

A method and playing field for a competitive paintball game that increases the amount of action occurring during the game period, and the enjoyment of the spectators. The playing surface for the paintball competition includes a pair of opposite end lines of the playing surface, each of which is defended by an opposing team. The playing surface includes a series of field bunkers positioned along the playing surface. The paintball competition is played for a predetermined match time divided into separate periods. During each period, each of the opposing teams attempts to obtain the flag located in the center of the playing surfaces and carry the flag past the opposing team's end line before being shot by a paintball. When one of the paintball teams scores, a point is awarded to the scoring team and a new game begins, a match consisting of a plurality of games. The flag may be passed between members of each team during the game play. A series of different penalties are assessed to each of the teams during game play based upon violations of the rules under which the paintball competition is run. Upon receiving a penalty, the penalized player must leave the playing surface and remain within a penalty box for the penalty period.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a paintball game between a first team of players and a second team of players, wherein each player has a paintball gun for discharging paintballs, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a playing surface having a first end line and a second, opposing end line, with a flag placed in the exact center of the playing surface;    positioning the first team of players near the first end line, the first team having the objective to score points by obtaining the flag and carrying said flag past the second end line before being shot by one of the second team players;    positioning the second team of players near the second end line, the second team having the objective to score points by obtaining the flag and carrying said flag past the first end line before being shot by one of the first team players;    awarding a point to the first team to carry the flag past the other teams end line, whereupon a new game begins with the same objective, a match consisting of a plurality of games contained in the time period of the match; and    determining a winning team based on which of the first team and the second team accumulates the largest point total over a predetermined match time.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of distributing a plurality of bunkers on the playing surface, the bunkers being placed on the playing surface.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the bunkers are generally equally distributed throughout the plurality of zones.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 dividing the game time into a plurality of individual periods, each period having a predetermined time limit; and  
 repositioning each of the first and second teams near the end lines at the completion of each period.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of repositioning both the first team and the second team near the respective end lines each time a player from one of the teams scores by crossing the goal carrying the team flag.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of removing a player from the playing surface when the player is shot by a paintball.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising the step of repositioning the players from the first team and the second team near the respective end lines after a player from one of the teams scores by crossing the goal carrying the team flag, including repositioning the players previously eliminated by being shot.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 removing a player from the playing field for a penalty period when the player commits a penalty infraction, the penalty period being less than the game time; and  
 returning the penalized player to the playing field only upon expiration of the penalty period.  
 
     
     
         9 . A method of playing a paintball game between a first team of players and a second team of players, wherein each player has a paintball gun for discharging paintballs, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a playing surface having a first end line and a second, opposing end line, with a flag placed in the exact center of the playing surface;    positioning the first team of players near the first end line, the first team having the objective to score points by obtaining the flag and carrying said flag past the second end line before being shot by one of the second team players;    positioning the second team of players near the second end line, the second team having the objective to score points by obtaining the flag and carrying said flag past the first end line before being shot by one of the first team players;    removing the players from the playing surface when the player is hit by a paintball;    removing the players from the playing field for a penalty period when the player commits a penalty infraction;    repositioning the players from both the first team and the second team near the respective end lines after a player from either the first team or the second team scores by crossing the goal carrying the respective team flag;    resuming the paintball game after the players have been repositioned near the respective end lines;    awarding a point to the first team to carry the flag past the other teams end line, whereupon a new game begins with the same objective, a match consisting of a plurality of games contained in the time period of the match; and    determining a winning team based on which of the first team and the second team accumulates the largest point total over a predetermined match time.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of distributing a plurality of bunkers on the playing surface, the bunkers being placed in each of the zones on the playing surface.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the steps of: 
 dividing the game time into a plurality of individual periods, each period having a predetermined time limit;  
 repositioning each of the first and second teams near their respective end lines at the completion of each period; and  
 resuming the paintball game after the players have been repositioned near their respective end lines.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of returning the players hit by a paintball to the paintball game upon the resumption of the paintball game after a score and after the completion of each period.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the placement of a command tower on the side line of the playing surface, said command tower having an attached scoreboard to display the game scores, time remaining in the game, time remaining in a play stoppage, penalty times, and speed of paintballs when measured by judges by use of a chronograph which transmits its recorded speed to a display on the scoreboard.