When you're playing with rental equipment, it's easy to admire experienced players with their own kit and wish you knew their tactics.

But paintball isn't just for tournament players.

A few simple tips can make the game more rewarding and help your team succeed.

Before the game, agree on your teams, where you'll move and the tactics you want to use.

• Work in pairs so you can watch each other's sides. As play begins, cover the important routes across the field.
• Moving towards the sides can give you a better view of the playing area. Allow for the paintballs' curved flight path when aiming.
• Don't fire blindly over cover. Apart from being poor technique, it wastes paintballs.
• A player who has been hit puts a hand on their head to show they are out.
• Stop firing at them as soon as they do this. Fair play matters in paintball.
• If you are less than 1 metre behind an opponent, say “Gotcha” instead of firing: a hit at that distance can be very painful.

These simple tips help you understand the game, enjoy the challenge and build confidence as a player.