Paintball is an extremely safe sport, as long as you follow the rules and exercise common sense. You wouldn't play full contact football with no padding or a helmet would you? The same goes for paintball. These rules are to ensure everyone is safe and has a good time.
1) Never remove your mask during a game. The referees will tell you when it is ok to remove your mask. In general, if the referee has his mask on, so should you. This rule is one that they are very strict on. Remember, a paintball is traveling at 280 feet per second at the muzzle. You do not want that hitting you in the face.
2) Barrel plug should be on and the marker's safety should be on at all times when you are not playing. Fingers should be out of the trigger guard when you are not playing. This is related to #1. Imagine everyone standing around in the safe zone with their masks off and someone fires a shot accidentally because they failed to follow these precautions, striking someone in the eye. Someone's life is now permanently altered because someone didn't exercise caution.
3) 10 Foot Rule - Generally, if someone is within 10 ft, you give them the opportunity to surrender and expect someone to do the same for you. When you are shot that close, it hurts! Of course, if that person chooses not to surrender, feel free to paint a smiley on them.
4) No overshooting - by this, I mean don't continue shooting at someone if they're trying to take themselves out. If they're cheating......that's a whole different story.
5) Blind firing - This is when you stick your marker around whatever you are hiding behind and firing without looking. It doesn't accomplish anything except:
a) allow people to advance on you;
b) you could shoot someone already out of the game;
c) it makes you look like a coward; and
d) what fun is it if you can't confirm that you took someone out?
6) For those of you who have your own marker, please chrono your marker at the range before play. Field limit is 280 fps.
Safeguard your equipment and belongings at all times. Some people carry a backpack with them to the fields and leave them at the safe zone during games. This is relatively safe. Remember to take it with you once we leave the area. Do not leave your belongings unguarded at the staging area. They will disappear. Some hood rats stole my cheap Old Navy gloves from the table I was sitting and eating at, and they were in the same group as me! Another time, someone from my group forgot his backpack at the safe zone of the previous field we played on. When he went back to get it less than 5 minutes later, it was gone, never recovered. Paintball equipment in expensive, and while most of you will be playing with rentals, you are still responsible for the equipment. Remember, the woods of Pennsylvania are no different than the streets of New York City. Your equipment and belongings will disappear if you leave them unguarded.
Paint is expensive, people will steal it off your belt.