Speedball centerman

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Paintball centerman is a player position in speedball, a game type of the sport of paintball. Mid players can be thought of as the utility player of a speedball team.

[edit] General

Mid players are almost exclusively used in 7 man games. 5 man games will sometimes use a mid depending on the field but it is rare. Mid players are adaptable, versatile, and patient. They perform whatever function is necessary for the team to advance through the game. If a front player is eliminated at the beginning of a game, mid or insert as they have been known to be called will try to take that place. The most important position for offense is usually snake, because of this a Snake Insert is usually assigned. When the field has a dominate snake, the team may even have two snake inserts.

When a back player is eliminated and leaves a blind spot on the field, a mid can fall back, if necessary, and take up that position. The most common fill is snake insert to snake corner. Some teams will move their mid back player into a corner that has been shot out. However the loss of a Mid Back position severely limits communication even with the best of teams.

Mid players also perform the vital function of a relay system late in the game. A front player who has progressed far down the field cannot hear his back. Mids will relay information between the two, so that the front player is not effectively blind. A mid player may also shut down a lane from a position farther down the field, where a back player does not have the correct angle - this maneuver is called zoning. Zoning is used to prevent the other team to reach important bunkers. Alternatively, mid players can also accompany a front player to a critical position, to up the odds of it being held successfully.

A mid or insert's attitude on the field should be cool, confident, and calculating. In his position he can see more of the field (and thus the opponent) than any other position on the field. This also means that more of the enemy can see him. He needs to stay focused and relay positions to teammates while watching for opportunities to take. The most important thing for a mid is to stay alive in case some part of the field is shot out by the opponent. The mid needs to fill that area as to prevent a situation allowing the other team to easily achieve victory.

[edit] Equipment

Mid players carry with them everything they think they're going to need for a given field. They may carry a variable amount of paintballs and different-sized air tanks. The mid player needs to determine what role is most important to effectively fill if necessary, and pack accordingly.

In general a centerman will carry a mid-range amount of paint with a mid-range tank. Too much paint or too large of a tank might hinder his movement, and if he has to fill the role of a frontman speed is essential. Not enough of these will result in him running out of paint or air if he tries to fill an eliminated backman's role. Generally, mid players will utilize a 68ci 4500psi tank.