Paintball Time Line

May 1981 Paintball began in New Hampshire. The principal creators were Bob Gumsey, a sporting goods retailer; Hayes Noel, a stockboker, and Charles Gaines, a writer

June 27, 1981 The first game played: 12 players competing against each other with Net-spot 007s pistols. The game was capture the flag. The winner captured all the flags without firing a shot

April 1982 The first outdoor playing field was opened in Rochester, N.Y., by Caleb Strong.

1982 Charles Gaines marketed paintball as the National Survival Game (NSG)

PMI (Pursuit Marketing Inc.), was founded to market and distribute paintball products.

1983 The first NSG National Championship was held with a $14,000 cash purse.

The first outdoor paintball fields opened in Toronto, Canada.

1984 Paintball started in Australia under the name of Skirmish Games.

Nov. 1984 The first indoor playing field opened in Buffalo, N.Y., by Caleb Strong.

1985 The first outdoor paintball field was opened in England under, The Ultimate Challenge in May 1984.

1988 IPPA (International Paintball Players Association) was founded as a non-profit associtation dedicated to the education, growth and safety of the sport of paintball.

1991 Paintball begins in France, Denmark and other countries in Europe.

1992-1993 NPPL (National Paintball League) was founded and the NPPL Pro-Am Series started with sites around the U.S.

1996 Paintball playing fields, stores and tournaments can now be found in Canada, the United States, Australia, England, Scotland, Denmark, France, Holland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Itlay, Norway, Sweden, Africa, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Venezuela, Israel, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

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