Paintball is a very equipment-oriented sport. Although good equipment by no means guarantees a good player, a good player's ability can be seriously hampered by poor-quality equipment. The minimum equipment required to safely conduct a game of paintball consists of (per player) a marker to fire the paint and a propellant to power it, a mask to protect the eyes and face from flying paintballs, paintballs themselves and a loader to contain them. A paintball game cannot be conducted effectively or safely without all of the above. For additional safety off the playing field, a barrel sock or plug is also considered compulsory. Common additional equipment, depending on type of play, often includes: Gloves, elbow pads and knee pads A pack designed to comfortably carry pods containing extra paintballs Squeegee or swab for cleaning out the barrel in case a paintball breaks. Chest protector Throat protector

Paintball draws a wide array of players, and the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association estimates that over 10 million people play annually in the United States alone. Insurance statistics show that paintball is one of the safest sports in existence, even more so than tennis.

Games can be played either indoors or outdoors and take various forms, of which some of the most popular are woodsball, scenario and speedball, also sometimes known as tourneyball under various circumstances. Rules for playing paintball vary widely, with most designed to ensure that participants enjoy the sport in a safe environment. The sport requires a significant amount of equipment and has even developed its own slang.

A game of paintball usually involves two opposing teams seeking to eliminate all of the other team's players or to complete an objective, such as retrieving a flag, eliminating a specific player, or other paintball variations. An average, non-professional game of paintball usually lasts around five minutes to half an hour. Since its inception, paintball has drawn a crowd of both casual and serious players.