What's the Difference Between Paintball and Speedball?

Speedball is paintball. But not all paintball is speedball. Got it? Paintball was created in the early eighties as “The Survival Game” and this concept figured prominently in how the game was played, with focus on the ability to creep, crawl, stalk and eliminate opponents in a large, wooded environment. While this was addictive to practically everyone who tried it, the concept wasn’t exactly spectator friendly and games were generally hours long. The concept of speedball came around several years after paintball was first officially played as a way to make the game more intense, faster-paced and more friendly for a spectator and television audience. Speedball truly breaks paintball down to its basic elements of gunfighting and movement by making the field smaller and shortening the time limit, encouraging players to aggressively battle like gladiators in front of a cheering crowd!

While most think of players in camouflage creeping and crawling, stalking their way through the woods when the word “paintball” pops into their head, speedball took paintball in a different direction. Though players still face off against one another on opposite ends of a paintball field, speedball challenges players by eliminating the question of where the bad guys might be – speedball fields are small enough that the opposing teams can see one-another when the game starts. This puts the focus much more on athletic ability of the opposing players, their skills with a paintball gun and their ability to work together as a team to take critical spots on the field, get the angles on their opponents and send them off the field with a splat to win! Speedball games are generally less than ten minutes in length, allowing players to enjoy several or even dozens of games per day of play, and players serious about competitive paintball work hard to get into shape, hone their athletic edge and become the best athlete they can be to help their team win!

The Speedball style of paintball is the chosen format of professional paintball players and teams who compete in at the highest levels of the game in international competition. Professional paintball tournaments are promoted in the United States and Europe, and teams wear brightly colored uniforms proudly representing their sponsors, with their names and numbers on their equipment just like other professional athletes! Top-level tournament speedball has been featured on ESPN and other television networks, and has been played at major sports venues and stadiums around the world!

For players in search of the ultimate expression of competitive paintball at an athletic level few will ever reach, speedball is where it all begins. Intense and both mentally and physically demanding, tournament paintball in the form of speedball is a direction chosen by paintball players who fall in love with the game and desire to see how far they can go. 

For a select few, this can even mean playing paintball at the professional level and traveling the world teaching young players how to be better at their chosen game and representing major brands! While speedball isn’t for everyone, for those who choose to try it, the adrenaline rush is intense and it can truly be an addictive and enjoyable part of a paintball life!