An X Ball match consists of a series of games – each ending with a point being scored, or the end of regulation game time (or in rare circumstances the elimination of all players on the field.) The original X-Ball format played in four quarters of 10 minutes each for a total of 40 minutes regulation play. After Nations Cup it was decided that this was too long, and it was changed to two 15 minute halves for a total of 30 minutes regulation play. Each team plays with the goal of capturing the central flag and running it across the field. Hanging a flag scores a single point for that team, and puts the game into a three minute timeout. No points are awarded for eliminated players, live players, or “first pull” of the flag. The two game halves were separated by a 10 minute halftime. One of the other major features that makes X Ball different from traditional tournament paintball is the penalty system. Players pulled on penalties sit in the penalty box for a specified amount of time (depending on the infraction) and if the team comes back after a timeout, they play short until that player is released from the penalty box. A rule change after Nation’s Cup made the penalty rules similar to professional hockey – when a team had a score earned against them, a player was automatically released from penalty. The penalty box can create an exciting new dimension in the game – seeing games go down with 2 players against 5 (as happened at Nation’s Cup) is amazing, when the team that started with two players wins. When a player’s penalty expires, and they are let loose onto the field mid-game it adds another twist. In 1994, the first intercollegiate paintball tournament was held at Sherwood Forest paintball in Indiana. In the following years, successive intercollegiate tournaments led to the formation of the National Collegiate Paintball Association in August of 2000. The NCPA now coordinates communication and tournament organization between over 100 college paintball teams and clubs. Heres a little bit of recent info that I thought everyone might be interested in. The first X Ball World Cup tournaments marked the end of the 2002 World Cup. With the NXL in the process of forming, and plans for a national series of X Ball tournaments in 2003, it also marked a new beginning.
