Paintball Journal

Actually, I’ve been here before. As I peer around, I realize that this territory most definitely looks familiar. I join battle here, much as I have before, against the forces of evil and apathy!

Here are some of the things that I’ve written in the past about cheating in paintball, and what you can do to help remedy the situation.

There is a rot in paintball today. That comes in the form, not only of cheaters, but those who don’t complain and call out the cheaters who degrade our sport. They are just as bad, because they are the enablers to the cheaters. Easily the worst of the whole category goes to every pro player who’s ever wiped. I’d rather give up paintball forever than do what you do and get perks for it.

First of all, I won’t go into every argument of why wiping and playing on and using cheater boards are all cheating and are not “just penalties” like any other sport.

I’m not gonna do it. I’ve argued that far too many times before to do it again tonight. If you’d really like to read my arguments, look around this site for a couple of minutes, or go visit my other blog at xpaintball.

Instead of all that, I’ll tell you who is ultimately responsible for what’s happened and what is happening. It is the industry and the leagues. Here’s what needs to happen to remedy the situation.

First of all, some sort of standardization within the leagues has got to take place. That means with equipment (read: boards) or rules (read: ROF and refs). Or both.

Boards are needed to force a cap on ROF that is actually completely and totally enforceable. Today, that’s difficult at best, and impossible with semi-auto. That is, without changing other gear regulations (gravity fed hoppers only, mechanical guns only, single trigger only, etc.).

Rules are needed, not that there aren’t sufficient rules today, but that they aren’t actually enforced. Professional refs need to be just that, professional and paid to do their work well.

This post also displays my defense of Rant Week. I’m complaining sure, but I’m complaining about things that can genuinely change, as well as *gasp* suggesting changes!