Pre-Game Inspections & Briefings

Overview

The procedures officials use before games to verify equipment compliance, confirm safety requirements, and communicate key rule reminders.

Key Points

• Pre-game steps include equipment spot checks and velocity tests
• Officials verify protective gear and basic field awareness
• Briefings highlight format-specific and safety-critical rules
• Inspections reduce in-game disputes over basic compliance

Details

Pre-game inspections and briefings allow officiating crews to address compliance and communication before play begins. This reduces the likelihood of safety violations and rule misunderstandings during live points.

Inspections typically include spot checking markers for maximum velocity compliance, verifying that required barrel covers and protective equipment are present, and confirming that air systems appear to meet event standards. In some formats, random or rotating checks are used to cover multiple teams and markers across an event.

Briefings focus on clarifying how specific rules will be applied at the event, including penalty structures, boundary enforcement, surrender policies where applicable, and any local or temporary modifications. Officials may also remind teams about protest procedures and expectations for interactions with referees.

These pre-game processes do not replace comprehensive rule knowledge, but they help align participants and officials on key points before matches start.

Related Topics

• Equipment Rules & Legality in 1v1 Paintball
• Rules, Safety & Player Conduct
• Refereeing & Officiating Standards
• governance