Bounce
Overview
Bounce refers to an instance where a paintball strikes a player's equipment or body but does not break, resulting in no valid elimination.
Key Points
- Occurs when the shell fails to rupture on impact.
- Common with cold paint, rubberized gear, or glancing angles.
- Not considered an elimination in any rule system.
- Affects competitive fairness and paint selection strategy.
- Often influenced by paint quality, temperature, and hit location.
Details
A 'bounce' is a non-eliminating impact where a paintball makes contact but does not break. Competitive players actively account for bounce factors when selecting paint, gear, and angles of engagement. Softer shell paint is typically used to reduce bounce frequency, especially during tournament events where consistency matters. Conversely, colder weather and harder shells increase the likelihood of bounces because the gelatin becomes more rigid. Bounce frequency also depends on the hit surface: padded areas, jerseys, pods, and pack straps can absorb energy, preventing the capsule from rupturing.
Understanding bounce patterns influences tactics. Aggressive lanes often rely on brittle tournament paint to minimize bounce risk, whereas recreational play tolerates harder fills. Referees are trained to confirm visible breakage before calling an elimination, ensuring fairness and consistency.
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