The tape (the outside playing edge of the paintball field) is typically critical to any game. If you lose control of either tape, you will find your opposition at your back as they run the fallen tape and grab ground.
Defending a tape and being able to make aggressive moves to take the tape can be the difference between winning and losing. We call this action "working the tape".
Any field will have two tape lines, the far left of the field and the far right of the field.
Most fields are set up to have at least one push side and one hold side, but this can vary. Typically a snake bunker set up on one side usually indicates the push side. This is the side a team will try to aggressively take or "push"--but don't let that fool you. Just about any side can be the push side, depending on your game plan.
Your hold side should be just that, the side where you set up in a defensive posture. One or two players should be able to hold this side. Their job is to prevent your opposition from taking any ground on that tape.
Front & Mid Tape Front players play to the front of the field. Their job is to take ground. They will usually push the tape and generally the snake. The player just behind the front player, typically a mid player, is the lifeline for the front players. The mid and front player must move together and communicate constantly.
The front player will take their first bunker and depend on the mid player to lay down paint, to put
in the opponents so they cannot shoot at the front player. Once this is done, the front player will take their second bunker and start to work the tape.
The mid player's job is to act as a support person. They will talk to their front player constantly. "What do you need?" is a typical question. The answer from the front player might be, "Shoot the 40 cross" (suppress the opponent at their 40 yard line across the field), or "head of the snake" (shoot at the opponent who is at the head of the snake bunker).
Leapfrogging A good team of tape players will leapfrog up the field. "Leapfrogging" is a method of movement. The front player moves up and shoots to keep the opposition in, while the back player moves ahead of the front player and takes a shooting position. This trading of positions will continue on, as both players will move up the field. The leapfrog requires not only trust but also a very clear understanding of what needs to be done.
Dynamics As your entire team works together, each element within the team must concentrate on specific jobs and goals. Built a good communication block between the front and the mid tape players, and you will take down your opponents faster. Your games will be shorter, and your end game will improve.
Kristen "Lady Attitude" Kleist writes from southern California, where she runs a tournament circuit (www.oldschoolchallenge.com). She competes and serves as a referee at major national level events.
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