(972) 956-5500

Check out our new Webcam!

What's New at GatSplat! Indoor is Safer!

How did paintball start?

Most people say the start of paintball was lumberjacks that used a single shot air gun, with a paintball to mark trees for cutting. Next thing you know, lumberjacks are hiding behind the trees shooting at each other, and paintball was born. Back then, paintball guns were single shot markers, and a paintball cost nearly a dollar each! Today, they are only a few cents each, which is good as newer semi-automatic paintball markers can shoot 10 to 20 balls a second or more!

Is Paintball Safe?

Yes, paintball is a very safe sport to play. Being a non-contact sport, it does not have anywhere near the injuries of other sports like football, soccer, and basketball. When playing under supervised conditions with the proper equipment, it is statistically safer than golf or bowling!

And we feel our indoor facility is the Safest Field Around! Read Why!

But does it hurt?

No. Well, maybe just a little. A paintball is actually made in the same machine that makes bath oil beads, or Advil caplets - so it's a relatively soft shell filled with vegetable oil and food coloring. Shot from a paintball marker at 260 feet per second, when hit, it will sting for a second - about like getting snapped with a towel, or with a rubber band. But with the adrenaline, and excitement, you may not even feel the hit. That why we have refs to help determine if you are "clean" or "out". And depending where you get hit, it can leave a little mark which will go away in a day or so, and by simply wearing the proper clothing, you can minimize or eliminate this.

What Should I wear?

For example, you must wear an approved mask that will protect your face, and you may also opt for gloves, a neck protector, or even full armor. This equipment is available for rent or sale in our on site pro shop. But many just choose to layer on a heavy sweatshirt or two. Of course, layering on a heavy sweatshirt to protect yourself is not that much fun on an 100 degree Texas summer day, but in our air conditioned indoor facility, you can wear any protection you want, summer or winter and be comfortable.

Isn't paintball teaching violence?

No, I'm sure you will be very impressed with how well behaved paintball players are - especially when in a nice controlled environment where fun and exercise are promoted, and any violence is not tolerated. Actually paintball teaches lots of useful team skills like communication, trust, healthy competition and organization. It's why paintball outings are very popular with church groups, and as corporate team building outings from companies such as Cisco Systems, Home Depot, IBM, and Microsoft.

What age are most paintball players?

You name it! You must be at least 10 to participate, but you will find pre-teen, teenagers, young adults, and men and women in their 40's, 50's and 60's on the field. You will be amazed how many parents came to watch their son or daughter, then thought it looked like fun, and now you can't get them off the field!

What if I bring my child, but I don't want to play?

No problem at all. In fact we have built a parents lounge inside our facility. This room is for non-playing adults only. It is outfitted has comfortable chairs and couches, a big screen flat panel HD TV, WIFI internet access and a large window that looks over the playing field. Feel free to come on in, kick back, watch what ever game is on TV, or send some emails on your laptop over our T1 connection. Make yourself at home while your child plays.

Can I come check it out without paying?

Sure! Come on down and see our facility, we're sure you'll be impressed with how much fun Paintball is, and will want to play!

Ok, you've got me talked into this. I've never played before - what can I expect when I show up at your place?

Let me walk you through the process. You show up, and we have a video briefing that will run you through the basics. It will show you how the equipment works, how the game is played, etc. It will also highlight all the important safety aspects of the game. You will watch this DVD - about 10 minutes - then fill out your paperwork, pay for your session (and what ever rental equipment and paint you might need.)

Find a table (not hard to do... there are 20 of them!) to put your stuff, then if you wish, head into the target range, and take a few shots at some of the targets that don't shoot back! When you feel good, head back into the staging area. We have a Public Address system that allows us to call the games, which we do by level of experience. So for example, you might hear, "Beginning Players, we willl be going to the Wild West town in 2 minutes - get ready!", or "Advanced players, last call to the X Ball field. All advanced players that want to play to the X Ball Field." Then one of the refs will walk you onto the field, and help divide the group into two teams. Then the ref will make sure everyone is ready, and then it's game on! Start shooting!

Or if you feel like you're getting a bit better, and you want to try playing with more advanced players on the Wild West field, a game will start there in just a few minutes. And after each of those games, the fields will switch from beginner to advanced, so it should never be more than a few minutes that you can get on one or the other fields, and compete with players at your level.

Games will normally be in the 5 against 5, or 8 against 8 type numbers. We will avoid cramming a ton of people on the field at one time. I've found - that is just not as much fun! And by having a new game starting every few minutes, it is not necessary. When you get hit, and a paintball marks you by making a splat the size of a quarter, you raise your gun - signifying you are "out", and walk to one of the "dead zones" behind a net so you will not get shot any more. The game will probably last 3 - 10 minutes until one team is out, and the refs will signal when the game is over.

At that time, you leave the field, refill your air and paint with our self service air station, and prepare for the next game. Just check the monitors to see when you want to go next. Or kick back, and watch a game or two either through the large viewing windows, or on the monitors displaying web cams throughout the fields.

Feel free to play 5, 10, or 30 or more games throughout the day. All the fun you want is included in the one Price.

Can I bring my own equipment?

Sure! Feel free to use your own marker, goggles, tank, any gear you have as long as it is approved for paintball use. We must make sure they are paintball goggles, and if bringing your own tank, pull back any cover upon check in so we can see the model and hydro date on the tank. Then it will be marked so you can use it the rest of the day.

The only exception to using your own stuff is paint. This is a FPO Field. You can only use paint purchased at our field for use in our facility.