Field Walking

Field walking is a critical preparation step in competitive paintball, where teams physically explore the field layout before playing. Since airball layouts are typically released days before an event, teams use field walking to convert diagrams into real-world spatial understanding.

During field walking, players evaluate:

- Primary and secondary shooting lanes for the breakout. - Feasible bump routes and the timing required for each. - Safe zones and danger zones based on bunker geometry. - Crossfield shots that punish wraps or transitions. - Opportunities for aggressive pushes along the snake, dorito, or center.

Teams also test sightlines by standing behind bunkers and simulating wrap positions, exposure angles, and snapshot timing. Back players evaluate long-distance lanes, while front players walk key attack routes to understand how low they must play.

Well-prepared teams memorize bunker codes, numbering systems, and angle maps during field walking. This makes in-game communication faster and more accurate. Field walking also reveals deceptive angles positions that appear strong on paper but are vulnerable in practice.

Elite teams use field walking not only for initial planning but as a continuous process throughout an event, adjusting strategies based on evolving meta, opponent tendencies, and paint performance.