Why The Backplayer IS KING
June 16, 2008
There have been many debates about this, and I figured it was time to bust in and finally shut it down. Its time everyone knew which player on the speedball field is the most important.
In paintball there are basically three positions on the paintball field...
- Front
- Mid
- Back
Pretty basic and straight forward right? Each position has their own purpose and value to the team, but only one position in my mind is the most important, and thats Back. Now before you get upset and start harassing me with comments for basically saying Front and Mid players suck beans compared to Back players, think of a really good comment to write below, because I'd rather see a rebuttal that actually has some thought put into it.
Here's my reasoning for why Back players are the most valuable players in a speedball match...
The break determines the outcome, it presents both teams with a chance to get the other out before they reach a bunker. While the Front and Mid players are busy running to their bunkers, Back players are working for outs, shooting lanes and covering their players move. The more tagged off the break, or the better your Back players cover your movement, the better your chances will be during the game.
You can superman slide into the snake, but if you can't read the game your done. I've seen plenty of fast players make it to the snake and make ridiculous mistakes because they suck at reading the game, and I've seen Back players win matches with all odds against them because they could read the game and respond accordingly with instinct like movement. Back players are the eyes for the team and need to read the game and communicate effectively for it to capture a victory. if your Back player does not communicate well, and cannot fill in positions as Front players make moves or get eliminated, then you'll lose.
Contest this if you will, but Back players are the most valuable players on the paintball field; they lead the team through communication, cover teammates moves, fill in positions as teammates drop out, and practically determine the outcome of the game during the break.
Which position would you want your best player to play at?
[…] Rob Rubin, author of a couple paintball books and writer for Splat Magazines Tyger’s Den, as well as creator of countless helpful paintball videos, has a pretty decent walkthrough of the front, mid and back player positions on the paintball field. For more on paintball positions, check out my article on the back player paintball position. […]
[…] the strategy behind putting your best player as your back player. I wrote an article about the back player, and how crucial they are to the teams success, and Its good to see someone else stress the […]