Knowing what to look for in a field is important. However, it is not as simple as asking a few questions about prices and what you get for your money. Being a responsible paintballer, you probably will want to check the field out for yourself. Many of us get caught up in the moment and exuberance wears a blindfold.

I've worked as a referee since the early Nineties and I have worked and played at some of the best fields in North America. Allow me to give you some hints on what to look for.

SAFETY CONCERNS

This is THE MOST important aspect of a paintball field. To help you judge a field's safety standards, here are :

DURTY DAN'S FIVE LAWS OF GOOD FIELDS

The field MUST have a chronograph. They must also enforce that EVERY players must ensure their paintmarker is below 300 feet per second. They should also be doing periodic checks of the player's paintmarkers throughout the day.

The field MUST enforce the use of goggle in the playing area. They must only allow goggles SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for paintball. The brand names are widely known by all players, ask around.

The field MUST have a designated safe area, well away from the playing areas (or at least separated by fine mesh netting) where the players are allowed to remove their goggles.

The field MUST have a barrel plug rule and enforce it in the safe area, because players will have their paintmarkers in the safe area, where no one will be wearing goggles. The barrel plug is a device which prevents a paintball from leaving the barrel, should the paintmarker be fired accidentally.
There should be NO SHOOTING in this area at all. If you do hear shooting, you should also hear "Hey, cut it out!" (or words to that effect) from disgruntled field staff.

The field MUST have competent and experienced field staff to enforce the rules of safety. (What good are rules if no one is enforcing them?)

If they do not enforce all five of these rules (not one, not four, ALL FIVE) you don't want to play there. Actually, NO ONE should be playing there.

AGE LIMITS

Some fields have minimum ages. Some fields require the parents to sign a permission slip for players under a certain age. This is usually for insurance purposes, but also because the safety equipment (goggles and face mask) are designed to fit adult heads.

INSURANCE

Ask if the field is insured, you don't have to take the owner's word for it. Ask for the name of the company that carries his insurance. (However, you will realize that if the field does not meet my Five Laws, it probably isn't insured, anyway.) Ask for a copy of their waiver form. Read it carefully, when you get home and be sure that the waiver only provides protection against players suing field owners for something stupid the player did. The waiver should show that if the player is injured through staff or owner negligence, the owner WILL be liable.

"MIXED GROUPS"

Yes, this will decide what kind of day you are going to have, and perhaps what equipment you should bring along. Ask if the field mixes groups of new and experienced players. If they do, ask them what limitations and restrictions they place on the more experienced players. These restrictions restrict the more experienced players from "walking all over" the newer players. Make sure the experienced players are expected to play with the newer players, NOT against them. Ask if they routinely split up teams. If they don't, it MAY BE because they're catering to the teams, and that's not good for the newer players. Ask if they allow "walk-ons". The field owner should answer that by saying, "Well, if the group allows walk-ons, yes. If you want to play as a walk-on call ahead to find out if the groups on that day will accept them." (Or words to that effect.) This way, you can join a group of players, without having to worry about organizing a group of your own.

The ideal situation is any field that does not allow newer players to play with, or against, experienced players.

SHOULD I ASK FOR A FIELD TOUR, AND WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

Yes, if you can, get a tour of some of the playing areas. (They should make you wear goggles.) Look to see if the boundaries are clearly marked (so players don't wander off and get lost). Look for things like barbed wire fences, cliffs, rivers and lakes. Make sure these things (if they are present) are not part of the playing fields.

Ask about local animal life, especially if the field is in warmer climates. You should know what kind of nasty animals live in your region or the region the field is located. If there are poisonous animals in the area, ask if the field staff is first aid trained and if they carry "snake bite" kits and the like.

CONCLUSION

While brief, this pretty much outlines the important things you should be looking for. If everything seems to check out, THEN ask about prices and what you get for your money. Free lunch is fine, so is inexpensive field rentals, but they don't do much good if the field is unsafe, do they?

Paintball is as safe as the persons running the field. There are disreputable field owners out there, not many, but they are there.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The field is in business to cater to players, not the other way around.