Paintball Impact On A Scale of 1 to 10
This is an impact scale you feel from being hit with a paintball. Pain is relative. Compare the worst hit by a paintball to a broken arm, and you can’t even call most hits by a paintball painful. We attempt to apply standards to provide a consistent understanding. Again, this scale is not a rating system. It is an impact scale.
This impact/pain scale is a supplement to Do Paintballs Hurt? If you have suggestions to descriptions, contact us! We welcome input from the paintball community. We use a scale of 1 to 10.
PAINTBALL IMPACT LEVELS EXPLAINED
A paintball hit at LEVEL 1 would be equal to only noticing you’ve been hit. A LEVEL 10 hit by a paintball is the worst pain — pretty damn sharp and nasty.
200' LONG BALL
PAIN LEVEL 1
175' MAXIMUM RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 2
150' RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 3
Paint at this range may bounce or break. Annoying impact will elicit a mild sensation if to the bare skin such as forearms. The skin in this region is less prone to nerve response. It is similar in the hip area, chest and legs. Only a hit to your fingers would result in any discomfort.
120' INSIDE RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 4
90' INSIDE RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 5
Near effective range. (Effective range is 75') You are entering the zone of legitimate wincing from a hit. To the body, this will be a good smack to the the body — annoying but easily tolerated. To any thin skin region, this range is painful. Example. Fingers. Fingers have thin skin. The result of a hit from approximately 75' to your fingers is a lasting pain. It will cause you to want to shake your fingers or rub out the sting. Nerve endings react to pain more where skin is most thin. Time to buy gloves?
50' ACCURATE RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 6
3 Layers | Padding
Casual players may want to keep outside this range if averse to pain. Pain level six (6) can be muted to a five (5) or (4) if you have adequate protection equal to three or more layers (i.e., undershirt-sweatshirt-coat) of clothing (or padding). Pain dissipates inside 8 to 10 seconds. The 50' accurate range distance is the closest you will fight before any shot inflicts a broad radial sting regardless of layers, while padding can cut the impact/pain by 75%.
50' ACCURATE RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 7
2 Layers | No Padding
One to two layers, i.e. two shirts and no padding. An accurate range hit will inflict a radial sting you'll easily remember. It will leave a light bruise and the possibility of a welt. The paintball shell will break easily in this range. It will leave a mark and the radiating sensation is more than annoying. It's uncomfortable, you feel it deep into the skin layer and the sensation radiates out a full two inches in diameter for a few moments. Even at this distance, a hit to your fingers, neck, flank or back of your thigh will make you want to take a moment. lol
35' CLOSE-COMBAT RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 8
Woodsball games will almost 100% of the time never be played closer than about 35'. Body shots sting a lot. A hit to bare fingers will smart a few seconds. You won't be eager to feel it again. Ever. Similarly a shot at this distance to your neck, flank or back of your thigh will bring you to your knees. The pain is excruciating. Padding will eliminate any pain. With two layers of clothing, a close-combat hit will leave a mark with faint discoloration to the skin. To the torso and arms, a t-shirt is no better than going bare. This type of hit smarts but it too is only fleeting, less than six (6) seconds. The result is a red mark or a light welt with purple and blue in the center.
20' BUNKER SAFE RANGE
PAIN LEVEL 9
A 9 will make you wince. Don't associate a 9 to breaking your arm or being cut. A 9 is near the worst of our scale and yet a 9 still doesn't amount to true "pain". A recreational paintball player should only ever encounter a 9 as their worst hit.
In recreational paintball, rules advise players no shooting inside the distance of one bunker. From this range and without padding, this hit will result in an instant emotional reaction. The trauma is a concentrated snapping sensation in a broader radius than a bee sting.
The sensation does not feel as deep as a bee sting. Don't associate bee stings or needles to paintball hits. It's not that type of pain. Most importantly, paintball pain fades very fast. A shot at this distance to your fingers, neck, flank or back of your thigh could bring you to your knees. But for most people it's just a quick sharp pain that is gone in a few moments.
NOTE: Woodsball fields have various rules regarding bunkering. Many employ a Safety Kill rule to which you announce "Safety kill!" and no shots are fired. The player you advanced on with the advantage of surprise is out. If YOU shoot inside close quarters, you are out instead. Be sure to learn yours before you play. Don't learn the hard way!
10' CLOSE-RANGE to POINT BLANK
PAIN LEVEL 10
Close-range to point blank. With or without padding, close-range hits will find less protected skin. If they do, they will break the skin. A close-range hit is often the result of a run-through. (Only takes place in speedball tournament play) Bonus balling is 95% likely too from a run-through. Pain level ten (10) can only be sustained by a 10' to 5' or point blank shot. This pain radiates. It has sustain, no more than approximately 15 seconds. It is a visceral, nasty pain you can tolerate if you brace yourself and accept to play in such conditions (i.e. Speedball/tournament play).
The odds of a close-range hit in woodsball is approximately 2% It's extremely rare and most always due to disregard for safety. It won't happen by accident as refs and players respect the game.
To be clear it should not occur as field operators create game situations without close-quarters shooting. The odds of a close-range hit increases to about 20% if you play hyperball. Close range and point blank shooting is part of the game of tournament level speedball. These hits will leave a welt. Purple bruising. A week for visual recovery. The actual pain is gone within seconds unless you touch a bruise.
Paintball Injury Questions & Answers
What is the main reason paintballs hurt?
Where is the best place to be hit with a paintball?
Why Do Paintballs Hurt?
What Factors Influence Paintball Pain?
