Woodsball, and its related variant, scenarioball, are the two paintball variants which see paintball 'snipers', players who concentrate on honing their marksmanship and tuning their markers more for accuracy than for speed, as in speedball. Paintball snipers are a rather controversial issue in paintball, as they cannot attain the range of fire that military snipers can. In order to compensate for their lack of range capability, paintball snipers often use stealth to get them into a position close enough to ambush an enemy with one carefully placed shot.

Many different game types may be played in woodsball. Center flag, capture the flag, total elimination, protect the president, hopperball, 21, civil war, and many other games limited only by the players' imagination.

The close quarters foster a lot of movement and "bunkering", or running up to an opposing player's bunker and eliminating them from close range. Attributes concerning marker preference usually include high rate of fire or cycle rate (BPS, or balls per second), reduced weight and compact. Thus typically players shoot much more paint in this style of play. Most national and local tournaments and leagues are built around speedball and incorporate different skill levels. Teams are 3 man, 5 man, and 7 man. There are regulation size fields for speedball. Bunkers include Doritos, dollhouses, car washes, Cans, giant cans, snakes, enchanted snakes, bricks, blocks, refrigerators, and cubes. (These are nicknames). Speedball is referred to oftentimes as airball, or x-ball (In which a large inflated x is put in the middle of the field.)

A popular style of pump play is the use of what is referred to as a Stock Class marker. Stock Class refers to the marker configuration, reminiscent of the original paintball markers of the early to mid 1980's, and forsakes the use of hoppers and a constant propellant source. Stock Class play utilizes a ten to fifteen round tube parallel to the barrel of the marker. Typically, the feed tube of paintballs is mounted over the top of the marker running flush with the body of the marker so as not to allow any stacking of paintballs over the chamber and hence requiring the marker to be tipped (rocked) forward or backward before being pumped (cocked). The complete action for loading another paintball into the chamber of a Stock Class marker is called "Rock & Cock". 12 gram CO2 powerlets are also incorporated into Stock Class rules so as to require the player to recharge the marker with propellant after roughly 20-40 shots depending on the efficiency of the marker.

Although this style has lost popularity due to modern paintball technology greatly increasing the speed of paintball guns as well as their overall performance, pump tournaments in both the Stock Class and in another class, in which hoppers and propellant other than 12 gram cartridges, continue to be held and in fact attract some of the most popular professional tournament players to guest play on these pump teams.

The majority of modern paintball markers are semi-automatic, falling under the classification of either "open" or "closed" bolt firing positions, relying on one of 3 major design structures. The first is a gas blowback design whereby the trigger releases a hammer which sends the bolt forward and simultaneously knocks open a valve releasing gas to fire the paintball as well as recock the marker. Autococking markers use a complicated gas pneumatic system to drive a cocking knob back AFTER firing, allowing the marker to fire in a "closed-bolt" format. This is generally more accurate, though not under higher rates of fire because there is much more mass in motion. The third and most advanced type of semi-auto paintball marker is the electropneumatic. Here, the trigger trips an electronic microswitch and information is passed to a computer controlled solenoid which releases the propellant to drive the bolt forward and fire the paintball, again simultaneously, most often from the "open-bolt" position. This microswitch operation makes the trigger pull very light, and allows for extreme rates of fire. These markers are the most expensive (usually) and advanced of the 3 types and are generally used for tournament play where rates of fire can reach and exceed 25 balls per second.

There is, also, a strong following of stock-class and "pump" players who use markers with a purposefully low rate of fire and ammo capacity. Pump guns use a mostly self explanatory format, forcing the player to slide a pump back and forth to load each shot before firing. Stock-class guns are essentially the same, with a few extra restrictions. They are exclusively pump-action paintball guns powered by 12-gram CO₂ cartridges only. Also, stock class markers have only a 10 round ammo tube that is not spring loaded and must be fixed to the marker, parallel to the barrel. This leads to what is known as the "Rock and Cock" action, because a player needs to rock the marker back for a ball to drop into the chamber before recocking the marker.

With normal back-bottle setups (or, air systems utilizing a horizontal air source adapter, more commonly called an ASA), the less dense gaseous CO₂ will rise to the top half of the tank. Normally, ASA's are angled with very slight angles so the gaseous CO₂ is always available at the valve of the tank. Special devices known as anti-siphon tubes extend the mouth of the valve, and provide only CO₂ from the top part of the tank.

During rapid successions of shots, gaseous CO₂ is used up. Liquid CO₂ will take some time to evaporate and rebuild the internal pressure. This process causes potentially large changes in velocity and therefore, in accuracy and range.

High Pressure Air or N₂: When HPA (High Pressure Air) is compressed, it remains a gas. When it expands, it also cools the tank, but at a far lower rate than liquid CO₂ because it does not have to transition from liquid to gas. The lack of this transition, reduces the variation in pressure associated with rapid successions of firing cycles, improving accuracy. Therefore it is viewed as a superior source of propulsion.

However, because these propellants are stored at higher pressures (up to 5000 lb/in² or 34.47 MPa) while liquid CO₂ is stored at around 1200 lb/in² (eight MPa), tanks for nitrogen and HPA are more expensive and heavier. Modern designs are usually wrapped in carbon fiber or other composite materials, to allow for thinner walls (thus, lighter weights) while withstanding the greater pressure. The tanks for themselves can either be filled with pure N₂ or compressed air, which is 79% N₂. These air sources have traditionally been used primarily by people who play often and have tournament-grade markers; however, they are becoming more popular among casual players.

Double-layered or "thermal" lenses are also available. These lenses are much less prone to fogging. These work by separating an inside and an outside lens with an air chamber, that allows for the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the mask without forming condensation.

The exterior of the thermal lenses (or the lenses, in non-thermal masks) is usually made of Polycarbonate or Lexan®. This provides impact resistance. An unfortunate side effect is that those materials are very easily scratched by dirt and debris, so care must be taken to keep proper care of the lenses. Many vendors recommend the immediate replacement of very scratched lenses, or lenses subjected to very strong impacts.

Some masks include electric fans that cool the player's face while wearing it. This is useful for situations that require wearing the mask for extended periods of time, such as wood play, large games, or being a referee.

Generally, more expensive masks tend to be smaller (which in turn makes the player a smaller target), more comfortable, and have more interchangeable parts.

Hoppers are the older and less advanced means of supplying paint to the marker. The most basic and common is a simple black shell with a hinged lid on the back so the hopper can be filled, and a necked down area which slides down into the markers "feedneck" and is just wide enough for one ball at a time to fall through. Some of these hoppers include some form of battery powered "agitation" to keep the mouth of the hoppers feedneck from becoming clogged with balls so that there is always a supply of paintballs into the feedneck. The key distinction for a hopper is eventually it relies solely on gravity to get a ball into the chamber

Loaders are similar to hoppers, but all use some sort of electronic or mechanical means of forcing balls into the feedneck, and down into the chamber, resulting in a much faster and more steady supply of ammunition to the marker. These are generally found more often in tournament settings paired with electropneumatic markers to achieve the extremely high rates of fire used to suppress the opposition.

Most common paintballs and paintball markers are described as .68 caliber. However many factors affect their exact dimensions. The vast majority of paintballs are larger than .68 caliber and may in fact meet or exceed .69 caliber. In addition, paintballs are very sensitive to heat and moisture. A hot or humid day may result in paint swelling or becoming misshapen. Care should be taken to keep paintballs out of the sun and away from moisture. An insulated cooler works well for this on the field.

Generally speaking, more expensive paintballs are subjected to more stringent manufacturing processes and quality checks, to their size is more consistent. This is very important for accuracy. More expensive paintballs also tend to have higher quality fills and more brittle shells for maximum breaks.

Rail: An alternative to a Drop Forward. A rail system allows a tank regulator or ASA to be mounted directly at the base of the grip. Depending on several factors, including player size and tank size, a rail may be preferable to a drop forward.

Remote line: A remote line is a cable or tube hooked up from the marker to the tank, which allows the user more freedom of movement while handling the marker. They may get caught in trees and shrub, and if hit, is considered an out. A technique to avoid such issues with remotes is to thread the line into your sleeve and down your shirt to the tank. Remote lines are not frequently used by tournament players.

Pod: Pods are simply rigid tubular plastic containers which hold paintballs. A normal pod holds about 140-200 paintballs; however, smaller sizes are available, and 100 paintball pods are common at rental sites. Standard pods use a plastic top and a spring to open them quickly and with less effort. There are variations - for example, Dye Lock Lid pods which use a simple locking mechanism to ensure they won't open accidentally, or Syn Shockpods, which are engineered to be able to be shaken vigorously without the paint inside breaking.

Harness: Harnesses, or packs, hold pods full of paintballs. Most hoppers hold about 200 paintballs and some markers can empty them in 10 seconds of sustained fire. In woodsball, and especially in scenario paintball, a player may be away from their reloading supplies for an extended period of time. A harness with pods allows a player to have a portable supply of paint, without weighing down their marker with an enormous hopper. Many harnesses also have a pouch to hold the tank when using a remote setup. These harnesses are usually labeled with a +1 (e.g. A harness capable of carrying four pods and a tank would be labeled 4+1).

Harnesses for Speedball or Tourney ball tend to consist of a bellyband with hoops in the back for the pods. Harnesses for Woodsball may follow a more military look with pockets for maps, radios, and hydration pouches. The players in the above pictures are using the Speedball type harness.

Squeegee: Squeegees are used to clean out debris from the barrel and breach, often a broken paintball. Most squeegees are a hinge-mounted rubber disc on the end of a plastic rod of sufficient length to reach the full length of the barrel. The rubber washer end is inserted sideways into the barrel, pushed to the bottom and subsequently withdrawn with the rubber disc rotated ninety degrees (so that the disc now touches the inner circumference of the barrel).

For paintball markers with an open breech or removable bolt, a "cable squeegee" may be used - a cable squeegee is a rubber disc is mounted perpendicularly on the end of the cable. The non-rubber-disc end (the "pull end") is inserted through the breech (or through the back once the bolt is removed, whichever is appropriate) and pushed fully in such that the pull end extends out the front of the barrel. The squeegee is then drawn through the gun by pulling on the pull end.

A " Battle Swab " is used commonly in speedball for extremely quick cleaning; a double ended stick with soft absorbent fur is shoved down the length of the barrel to remove any performance hindering paint or shell. The swab often has a bendable rubber section in the middle so that it can be folded over and stored in a pocket.

Regardless of the design, as the squeegee is withdrawn, the barrel is perfunctorily cleaned to allow continued use of the marker. A more thorough cleaning is recommended when time allows.

Barrel covers/condoms/socks: A safety device comprised of a cloth or neoprene pouch placed over the opening of the barrel and attached to the marker via a cord. These are to be used whenever you are not on a field. They prevent an accidentally discharged paintball from leaving the barrel and causing injury. Forgetting to replace it after leaving a game and entering a safe zone will usually get you a warning. Repeated infractions will usually result in being ejected from the field.

Barrel socks (formerly condoms, but the name has changed for the sake of younger players) are usually preferred over barrel plugs because of the reduced possibility of discharging the safety equipment from the marker. When using a barrel plug, only one shot is necessary to displace the plug allowing following shots to escape. Furthermore, a discharging plug is a hazard itself.

"Cover" can also mean laying down suppressive fire in order to aid teammates. Both speedball and woodsball require the use of covering tactics in order to achieve victory. In order to advance and attack a position, players need to have as few enemies shooting at them as possible. To make this happen, other team members can fire at the enemy while the attackers make their move. If the covering fire was successful, the enemy will have been suppressed, making the attack easier.

Even if the player is not marked, exclaiming "I'm hit" will eliminate him from the game. Players should always check to see if a paintball that has hit them has indeed broken. A paintball may simply bounce off a player’s body, and will not count as a hit. Players should always call for a paint check on another player, if they believe they have marked an opponent as some players will wipe off the paint and continue playing. This practice is widely considered cheating and may result in the player being banned from the field. In most instances a penalty of “1 for 1” will be called. This is where the cheating player and an additional teammate are eliminated from the current round. Paintball, like most sports, is considered a game of honor and the player has to judge himself first and then ask a ref if they are unsure.

In almost all tournament play, there is no surrender rule. If a player catches an opponent off guard, they are free to fire at him. Moves such as a 'run through', where a player sprints down the field shooting as many of the opposing team as he can, have developed over time and are now very important plays. Another popular move is "bunkering" this refers to running/charging up to the bunker or barricade that an opposing player is behind and tagging them at very close range. The offensive player moves as close to the opponent as possible, so that they can catch the defensive player off guard, giving them little to no time to react, and minimizing their chance of missing.