Paintball Hand Signals

Anybody that has played some kind of recreational paintball understands the need for silence on the field. Anybody that has played paintball understands the need for communication between team members. Hand signals provide that option, provided that each team member knows and understands them.

Most of us have played in some game where there is one guy that is just a little bit more into it then everybody else. He’s always trying to communicate with the team with hand signals. More than once have I looked to another member of the team and lamented, “It sure we be nice to know what he was saying”. Hopefully, this 50 card set will keep you from ever saying or thinking that again.

The Basics

Each card displays the hand signal on one side with the name of the command. On the other side, you will find an explanation of how to perform the signal as well as more in-depth information about when you might use the signal and how to make it most effective. They also offer examples of how signals might be used together to form full commands.

Signal Origins

One of the issues with hand signals is that many of them are not standard, merely signals that have been made up by one of those intense paintballers and have continued on by one means or another. Some of the signals on these cards would fall under that category. In another region of the country, some of these cards may not be compatible with signals of the area.

There are some standard signals that are used by members of the military, S.W.A.T., and other task forces that operate close range missions. These groups use standardized hand signals for close range engagement, also known as C.R.E. Many of the hand signals for paintball are the same as the C.R.E. hand signals and so many of the signals included in these cards are taken from the C.R.E. Each C.R.E. signal is indicated with a C.R.E. stamp in the bottom corner on the information side of the card.