S.O.D. - Speedball Open Days
Try something new
PaintBaller.ie in conjunction with
Barrage Paintball and
Anarky Paintball are organising the monthly S.O.D. Series. They are speedball open days where you can get together and play some ball for the day. It is only for fun and to give speedball a go, not for competition.
It is a great opportunity to try something new and to get a small taste of speedball, you never know - you just might like it
. If you are thinking about getting into paintball, there usually is a large selection of gear on the day to try out and see if you would like it and buy it. Trying out gear before you buy is also a great advantage as you then will not be disappointed when you buy something.
What is Speedball?
Speedball is the tournament version of paintball. It is a face paced game that last only a few minutes. Players typically use electronic paintball markers that fire 10 paintballs a second (
bps). There is a national league where speedball teams in Ireland compete -
The Irish Paintball League.
There are trees, no camouflage and no war fare recreated. It's a team sport that is pure action packed adrenaline. Check out this short video below to get an idea about it.
How do they work?
The S.O.D. is open to anybody who wants to give speedball a try, beginners to novices. On the day, once every one arrives and gets their game face on, we will divide up every one into evenly matched teams on the day. You will stick with this team for the day, instead of chopping and changing teams after every game.
Sticking with the same team for the day means that you will get to know new people i.e. your team mates, you will learn team tactics better/faster, you will get a feel for the team aspect of it a bit quicker.... the result being that you have a better day. The team captains will be picked from the most experienced players there and they will run through with you the basic rules of paintball and some basic tips.
Then at the end of the day once all the new people are finished, what ever teams are present can then get together and have a few skirmishes to show the new people just what a proper game is like.
How many games will I get to play?
I have worked it out that on average you will get to play 8 games. Usually the way games work is that each team plays two games in succession and then come off. Two more teams then walk onto the field and get ready to play. The amount of games you get to play depends on how fast this turn around happens and how much paint you want to shoot.
Cost
Although they can be expensive, these days are a lot cheaper than your usual paintball days. There is no fixed cost as the more you play, the more you need to spend.
Field / Green Fees
These are the standard fees to cover the rent of the field. This goes towards insurance, staff wages, bunker payments etc. Every one has to pay these. Typical costs are anywhere from €15-25 depending on the venue.
Paint
You will be buying paintballs by the
box ( 2000 rounds) instead of by the
tube (100 rounds). You can expect to pay a maximum of €50
for a box of paint. The prices vary according to the venue, but click the link below for more info on the next one.
It is common for people to 'split a box' there they would share a box if they only wanted to use 1,000 more paintballs.
Equipment
If you have your own equipment, there will be not cost. If you are a new comer to the sport, you will need to rent some gear. If you post up a thread in the
Chit-Chat forum, you may be able to arrange to borrow gear from another player. However, if you turn up on the day and still need gear - expect to pay €10 - €15 to rent it. The equipment rented out is generally a marker, air tank, mask and hopper.
Transport
If you don't have a car, you will have to get a bus or train to the venues. You will generally be organising this your self, but post up in the
Chit-Chat forum if you want to car pool. If you are getting a lift of some one, it will do no harm to throw them a few quid towards fuel as they saved you the hassle of public transport.
The Next SOD - When and Where SOD 17 - November 22nd:
SOD #17 - Anarky Paintball Previous SODs 2009 SODs
SOD 16 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...6-barrage.html SOD 15 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news-desk/4607-speedball-open-day-give-speedball-try-fun-15-anarky-anniversary.html SOD 14
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...4-barrage.html SOD 13
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...nge-match.html 2008 S.O.D.s SOD 12 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...2-barrage.html SOD 11 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...paintball.html SOD 10 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...t-roundup.html SOD 9 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...tball-1o1.html SOD 8 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news...paintball.html SOD Special -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/1206-s-o-d-iv-special.html SOD 7 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/977-s-o-d-7-february-16th.html SOD 6 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/936-s-o-d-6-barrage-paintball.html 2007 S.O.D.s
S.O.D. 5 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/809-s-o-d-5-barrage-2nd-dec.html
S.O.D. 4 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/683-s-o-d-4-barrage-4th-nov-07-a.html
S.O.D. 3 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/538-s-o-d-3-barrage-speedball-15th-sept-07-a.html
S.O.D. 2-
S.O.D. 2 - Barrage Speedball - Early June 07
S.O.D. 1 -
http://www.paintballer.ie/local-news/261-s-o-d-1-barrage-april-1st-2007-a.html Previous PaintBaller.ie SOD Videos 
Speedball Open Day (S.O.D.) Series 
