You don’t need defense in paintball

Defense is overrated!

“You guys stay back and defend the flag.” As weekend paintballers, we hear this sentence all the time. Most of the time it is a seasoned player talking to a few newbies or younger kids. But the question is; why? Why does someone have to stay back and defend the flag?

From early on, paintball was played in woods and mock towns. The concept of offense and defense was imported from other sports, and even warfare. Old school paintball players brought their military experience to the game and thought that a defense was part and parcel of the game of paintball. So what is defense?

Some players stay back around the base and defend the flag. They hide behind tires, in a fort, on the second floor of a bunker, or behind tall grass. Sometimes they hide in front of the flag, sometimes behind it. Sometimes they attack you before you get the flag, sometimes after you get it and turn your back to them. Sometimes it’s the ultimate rush, sometimes it’s the ultimate in boredom.

So why should some players stay back? What if your offense is doing well, taking out the other team and about to capture the other team’s flag? What does your defense do? Still sit there waiting? Or should they move up? Usually, they don’t have experience or savvy and just sit around waiting because the team “leader” commanded them to, under the assumption that, in paintball, you need discipline and order.

The “defense” in the above scenario, was completely useless. They did nothing, and defending nothing. So imagine a scenario in which they are actually needed. The offense is all gone, and a few opposing players come to take the flag. What can a few scrubs do? Either heroically save the day, or more commonly, get wiped out.

The concept of “defense” on recreational weekend paintball fields seems to be an outdated concept. The time is right to drop this concept. Imagine if all the players were utilized on “offense” and no one stayed back. The newbies, who would normally defend, would be up front watching, learning, and doing.

Imagine how exciting it would be if the “leader” of your team picked you to be his “buddy” when you were 10 or 12 years old and it was the first time you played paintball? How much would you learn? Wouldn’t it be the most exciting way to learn this new sport and experience the paintball experience under the tutelage of one of the town’s best weekend paintballers?

Weekend paintballers have to let go of old traditions and start new ones. The time is up for defense.