general speedball questions

[theraidenproject]

hello. I have some general speedball questions, as the title says. I searched "speedball" in the main forum and the first 80 threads didn't have any answers, so here it goes... btw, sorry if these questions are stupid, i've never even stepped on a speedball field before, but I don't want to be clueless for the first time I play. OK, here are my questions...
1.) re: positioning, how important is size? I'm 6'1, and I will be 6'4-6'6, so does that basically eliminate my chance of being a front player?
2.) in case it does (see above), what is the role of the back player? is it just cover fire?
3.) how often do back players make eliminations?
4.) about how many rounds do you shoot in an average length game? and how long is said game?
5.) any one have any info on novice tournys in NJ, for once I get used to speedball?

Thank you, in advance, for your answers.

Will

[giant1515]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I will go with the height issue. I'm somewhere between 6'6 and 6'8 and i can manage alright anywhere on a field. I usually play middle or back simply because i'm too slow to make it real far off break. My size does make it somewhat difficult to deal with small bunkers, but i'm sure if i practice more it'd be alright. My only suggestion is that if you're fast enough, try front and see how you like it.

I haven't played tourneys or anything, but i play a lot of rec speedball and practice with some local teams sometimes for fun... I usually burn somewhere between 500 - 1500 rds a day depending how much I play back (I'm still not great at back...) again, try it and see... or find some players around you who are really good at the places you want to play and learn from them.

Giant

[bunkerking]

well the size doesn't eliminate the chance of you playing front, but it will be kinda difficult.
The role of the back player is to tell your front guys where the other team is and to tell your front guys where to shoot and when. Also your front guys need to do anything that you say. On my team, if my back guy tells me to go bunker some dude, I immediately get up and do it. If I get eliminated, I know that it was not my fault and so does he.
Back players don't make all that many eliminations, that is all the front players job.
If it is a five man game with a 10 min limit than I am guessing around 600-700 maybe less, maybe more.

[DarkRipper]

I'm only 6'0, but in really small bunkers I have a hard time getting in tight and still being able to play. I've been able to play small "crackpipe" style bunkers on hyperball, but smaller than that and I'm looking to move up to a little bigger bunker.

I normally play Mid, but I move to front if I have to.


DR

[covadsucks]

I am a bulldog, short(5'9") but loud and scary. So I play back and move up once my front players move to their designated spots. One thing I see though, most back players are big guys, meaning tall as they can use that height advantage on a sup air field to see movements I would normally miss. On an average day of playing speedball, each game will average some 400-600 balls spent if you remain in the back. Upfront i usally shoot a hopper and that's about it.

[Dubstar112]

im 15, 6'3, so what does me and this thread have in common? going up still!

Yeah, I have to be one of the most un coordinated things on the field, but i play front

My local field plays 5 minute speedball/rec games. This is unlimited paint and wiht my hyperframe i usually shoot about 350 400 rnds if im the Back of the pack, but when im in front ive counted on my hyper frame to around 150 or so.. yeah big difference to me. I move around a whole lot in one game though

[RaV3n_Pa1ntba||]

theraidenproject

Where in NJ are you.. how old are you...and ever play at ABC in Hewitt NJ?

Maybe we can meet up at the feild or something.

[~WarpedRT~]

I love being a front player, and I am 6'. If you play front, you will notice that in most fast paced speedball games, that you won't shoot very much paint. Maybe not evee a whole hopper. As for being a back player, you will waste alot of paint. Now, as for eliminations, back players can make some of the most important eliminations of the entire game.

If your a back player, try to get off the start line as fast as you can, and bring your gun up, and start shooting. Now i'll tell you one of the most simple and yet most useful things I have ever used in paintball, and it's something not alot of people know about. I'm surprised to see how many bakc players, actually shoot AT the opposing team.

BEFORE THE GAME, WALK THE FIELD!!!!! While doing this, look for straight paths so you can fire (from a back bunker) down when the game starts, you msut be able to fire straight down it, and hit THE BACK WALL OF THE ARENA!!! You will be firing right through a path that they will run through (shooting lanes). You see, in speedball, you can only really move left, right, straight, or stay in the back. Now, lets say you come out the right side of your back bunker, with every intention of staying there (back player) you want to look for the shooting lanes that you should have found when you walked the field.

The second you start, WHILE GETTING IN POSITION, shoot your brains out!!! I mean, go crazy with your trigger finger, but aim at the back wall!! Do not wait for them to get into your line of sight, or you will miss them due to the distance!!! Simply unload on a section of the back wall, and hope they run through it. This generaly gets out 2 or more players, and if you have more than one back player, and can do this with more than one player on your team, you will be unstoppable the rest of the game.

Front players simply get to the bunker they choose, and stay there until the back players tell them where the rest of the opposition is, and then choose where you need to be.

USE THIS TO COVER THE MOVEMENT OF AND PLAYERS WHO WILL MOVE UP.

[MajorDamage]

Well I play front, and I'm about 6'1. You can play front being taller, but it can be hard to play the small bunkers. I usually play standups and the sub. I usually use about a hopper and a 140 round pod or twp in a game(but usually have about half a hopper left over)
The backplayer off the break needs to shoot the lains. Shoot down where the path to the key bunkers so that they run into your paint. You need to lead communication. When someone yells where someone else is, you yell it back loud. When you see someone move or see where someone is, you yell it. Backplayers use a bunch of paint. Some can use from like 600 to 900 rounds in a game.
The average speedball game is about 4 to 12 minutes(usually about 7 minutes, they are timed most of the time).

ENDO!

[Nitroduck]

Lets see.......

Typically, the bigger you are....The more likely you'd need to stay back, but that doesnt mean you can't move up any.

The back players jobs are to

Cover fire during pushes

Communicate with the front players, let them know where the enemies are.

Watch over the front players and make sure enemies dont bunker your guys

Keep the other teams front guys down

Sweet spot..

Depends on how good the back player is. A very good backplayer should be able to take out 1 guy within 5 seconds of the game starting....After that, most really wont make many eliminations, but assist in thier teammates in getting alot.

Paint all depends on # of people playing, and time limit and if its a tourney...Anywhere from 150rds to 2000rds a game. Most games last from 3-20 minutes....Depending on size.

[~WarpedRT~]

Ok, MajorDamage just repeated what I said, but that's ok. You need to get that style of play into your head, and it is very affective.

[~WarpedRT~]

I just remembered a good front player tip I saw on an old Ironmen video. If you have several opponents out in front of you, all at different angles, you should back off of your bunker by about 4 feet, or so, so you can get an angle on one, two or all of them, and if they move up, you can simply slide back near your bunker, and wait on them.

Example: Off the break you run to the middle 50, and have the flag. Now, you are told by your back player(s) that you have one guy out in front of you (lets say 10 yards), one guy in the back right standup and another guy in the back left. Depending on how big your bunker is, you can move back. Being right up against the bunker won't let you see anything, and you have NO angles. Simply take a few steps back, so you can see them. Now you are free to engage one, two or all three guns, and keep them on you, giving your team time to move. If one of them happens to move up, you simply slide back closer to the bunker in front of you, keeping you nice and safe, giving your team more time.

Listen to the back players, and tell them, force them, punish them if they dont, but make the TALK. They are your eyes %80 of the time. You are virtually blind, while they can see the whole field.

Also, after the break, and you all make it to your first props, make sure you take a head count of the enemy, your own team, and where the enemy is. NEVER EVER EVER MOVE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHERE THE ENTIRE ENEMY TEAM IS,AND WHERE THEY ARE SHOOTING!!!! I have been caught off guard by some guy in the back standup who I never knew was there, because I was the last guy on my team. (had to move, a guy was on the right tape line about to tear me a new one from my unprotected right side) It was a bad day, and the rest of my team (rec ball players) got out in a few minutes, and I was the farthest forward.

Communication is the key. talk, set of codes for pushes, cover fire, bunkers, and movements. But always talk, even if it is about what movie you saw last weekend (my friends and I used to do stuff like that while we played) just talk! It have seen a player FAKE having a team. His entire team was eliminated, but he kept talking as if he still has his whole team there, and the other team was affraid to advance becasue they thought he still had cover.

Speedball is fast, so think faster than normal, and keep your team safe. You can't win without them.