Eliminating players is easy right? All you have to do is hit them and they are eliminated. Well, don't take this for granted. I have seen many players hit and they continue to play on, stay in the game, and shot your team mates. Don't assume just because you hit an opponent that the opponent is eliminated. The opponent may or may not know he is hit or suppose to be eliminated. In either case open your mouth and yell at the top of your lungs for the "hit" player to be paint checked by the referee AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If you wait to yell the "hit" may disappear - never to be seen again. Don't assume all players are "honest" and have good intentions. Many players are honest but there are those few who are not honest and will cheat any chance they can get. You know for sure they are eliminated when you see them in the "Dead Box."
Taking the flag is easier said then done. Many teams practice, practice, practice but they don't practice pulling the flag. During practices your team must practice pulling the flag. Many times teams don't even send anyone to the flag station during a practice session. To pull the flag your team must know, when, where, and how. The "when" is whenever you can do it without getting eliminated. The "how" is to have a plan on how your team is going to go about doing it, i.e., on the "break," after the other team is eliminated, trying for it in the last minute of the game, designating a player who has the responsibility to get it. All of these possibilities must be considered and one must be chosen. Generally, the flag is pulled when most of the opposing team has been eliminated. There are times when it must be done very early in the game. The point is have a "plan" on pulling the flag or it may not get pulled at all!
The player who "pulls" the flag has a "big" job. This is no easy task in a tournament since their are 3-10 other players trying to prevent this from happening. The flag puller's job is not only to pull the flag but stay "alive." Many times the flag is pulled but the flag puller is eliminated in the process. Getting eliminated can cost your team the game and a lot of points. Thus, staying alive is just as important, if not more, than pulling the flag. As stated previously, one of the duties of any front player is patience and staying alive. This applies to the flag puller. Planning the flag pull must go hand in hand with staying alive. After the flag puller pulls the flag he must get into a bunker and keep from being eliminated. Again, patience plays a big role in staying alive since the flag puller is generally the furthest player "up the field." Pulling the flag and then trying to be a "hero" is not only stupid it is down right "dumb." Once the flag is pulled and the flag puller is in his bunker he must wait for his team to come to his rescue. There is nothing wrong with letting your team mates do their job. Team work will win the game, few games are won by a "dump hero."
Getting Eliminated is not fun for anyone but you still have a job to do. First and foremost is to insure your teammates closest to you know you have been eliminated. After you are hit you can say "HIT" but you can not repeatedly say "hit." Thus, when you say "HIT" make sure it is in a very loud voice and at least one of your team mates hears you. Remember, your team mates are counting on you and your play. If you are eliminated they must adjust their plan to play without you and your part of the team plan. Also, another way to notify your team mates of your elimination is to walk right by all of their bunkers on the way to the dead box. You can't go out of your way to visit each bunker where each of your team mates are located but you can go by the closest bunkers (with you team mates in them) on the way to the dead box. Walking off to the dead box without proper notification will surely help you team to "LOSE" the game - so don't do it!
Who pulled the flag? When the playing gets intense it is easy to forget to either pull the flag or know if the other team pulled the flag. Since pulling the flag is worth points it is important to keep track of the "flag pull." The last thing you want to happen is to eliminate all of your opponents and have time run out when you could have easily pulled the flag. If the opposing team pulled the flag you especially want to know this fact. If the opposing team pulled the flag and their flag puller is eliminated the flag will not be waiting for you at the flag station. The flag will be in the hands of the flag puller. The flag puller (even if he is eliminated) will have to stay on the field with the flag in his hand until someone else takes it from him or time expires. So, keep track of the flag just like you would keep track of the opposing team players it will benefit your team in the end immensely.
The last one-two minutes of a match are very important. As in almost any sport teams have a game plan for the last two minutes of playing time. In football they have a two minute drill, in basketball they use the foul and shoot tactic, in hockey they pull the goal keeper in an effort to score a tying goal if they are behind. The same goes for paintball. Your team must develop a 2 minute drill. Tournaments are won and lost on such game plans. Know you strengths and use them at this time. Don't just try to ad-lib and expect it to all work out. Have a plan, practice the plan, then execute it in a game.
Two Minute - strategies and tactics. As stated above the last two minutes of a match are critical to winning. The $64,000 question is "What to do in the last two minutes?" There are a number of things you can do depending on the situation at hand. If the match is gridlocked then try a bunker move to break the gridlock. Also, a double bunker move can win the match very quickly if executed properly. If time is running out and you don't believe you can eliminate all of the opponents before hanging the flag then try to hang it without eliminating all of them (this is a last ditch effort only). Do a team bunker move where all players run down the field and eliminate any/all other opponents. Do a "dead man walk" and then bunker as many opponents as possible. Fake a gun problem or that you are out of paint and let the opponent think they can bunker you - then shoot them out. Send two runners down the tape lines (one on each tape) to bunker those in front of them. The point is to "do something" rather than let the game be stalemated.
"Know thy score" is almost as important as winning. All team members must understand and realize what the score is before, during, and after each match. Losing track of where you team stands in the preliminaries or during a game can be costly. Check the main score board to figure out what strategies must be employed for each game. Are you at the top of the scoreboard, in the middle, or at the bottom? Your strategies are affected not only by the other teams your team will face but by your position in the division. The lower your standing in the division the more risks you may have to take to win a match. Also, during a match knowing the game score can mean the difference between advancing or not advancing beyond the preliminaries. I remember when I did not pull the flag when one of my team mates did a bunker move. This proved costly since we didn't advance beyond the prelims. A missed opportunity can make you remember forever. Every elimination and every "live" player counts so know they score!
Being bunkered is no fun but it is going to happen. The question to anticipate is "when." There are opportune times at which your opponent will try to bunker you so you need to be prepared to counter their efforts. So when will they bunker you? Here are several situations when a bunker move is coming. If you are a front man who is one bunker away from an opponent you are a highly likely target for a bunker move. If you are in a "snake" like bunker you are a very good candidate for a bunker move. If you are in either of the two last mentioned positions and your "backman" is eliminated you can bet you will be bunkered. If you are outnumbered you are going to be bunkered. If it is getting near the end of the game a bunker move is coming sooner or later. If the other team determines you and your teammates are all shooting in one direction you will be bunkered. If the game is in a stalemate a bunker move could break it wide open so be ready for it. The best bunker move comes when you least expect it!
Countering bunker moves is all about "anticipation." If you understand how to perform a good bunker move then learning how to "counter" one works in the opposite direction. When you are the last man standing and you are outnumbered the other team is going to attempt to bunker you. This should be a "no brainer" thus you can anticipate the move. It then boils down to "when" and what "side." The "when" can be anticipated by the amount of paint the opponent team is firing at you. When a lot of paint is coming at your bunker and they are trying to keep you from seeing out of the bunker the "bunker move" is coming. This isn't always true but you can be ready for it most of the time. Generally, the bunker move is going to come from the "strong" side of the field. The strong side of the field is the one where your opponents have the advantage (most angle and ability to protect their team mate who is going to bunker you). Also, the opponent who is trying to bunker you will wait to see which side of the bunker you are shooting from being coming around the side of the bunker to shoot you. The "counter" to this is to anticipate the timing of the move itself. You know the opponents have to stop shooting one side of the bunker to allow their team mate to bunker you. Your opponents will allow you to fire at them from one side of the bunker to setup up the bunker move. Once you fire at them the "bunkering opponent" will come in behind you. So, the trick is to fire only one or two shots from the side of the bunker they are allowing you to fire from and quickly turn around and start firing at the other side. This will catch the bunkering opponent as he comes around to get you. This technique must be done very quickly or you will get bunkered!
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