Editing Paintball (section)

=== Germany ===
In Germany, paintball is restricted to players over 18 years of age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090514-19275.html|title=MPs rush new gun law but back down from paintball ban|date=May 14, 2009|access-date=April 13, 2010|archive-date=May 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517100530/http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090514-19275.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Paintball markers are classified as weapons that do not require a license or permit; they are legal to buy and use, but restricted to adults. Markers are limited to a kinetic energy of 7.5 J.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bundesrecht.juris.de/waffg_2002/anlage_2_84.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140908122145/http://bundesrecht.juris.de/waffg_2002/anlage_2_84.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 8, 2014|title=Anlage 2 zu § 2 Abs. 2 bis 4 WaffG Abschnitt 2, Nummer 1.1|access-date=September 8, 2014}}</ref> Tampering with the marker to increase muzzle velocity above 280 fps can lead to confiscation/destruction of the marker and a fine. All paintball markers sold officially in Germany must be certified by the government ''Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt'' (PTB; English translation: "Federal Physical and Technical Institute") to operate within these limits and must have a registered serial number and an official stamp on the firing mechanism. In May 2009, reacting to the [[Winnenden school shooting]], German lawmakers announced plans to ban games such as paintball as they allegedly trivialized and encouraged violence<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8041320.stm |title=World &#124; Europe &#124; Germany moves to outlaw paintball |work=BBC News |date=May 9, 2009 |access-date=May 27, 2009 |archive-date=May 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514020904/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8041320.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5291891/Germany-to-ban-paintball-in-wake-of-high-school-shooting.html |title=Germany to ban paintball in wake of high school shooting |newspaper=Telegraph |date=May 7, 2009 |access-date=May 27, 2009 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511071321/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5291891/Germany-to-ban-paintball-in-wake-of-high-school-shooting.html |archive-date=May 11, 2009 }}</ref> but the plans were retracted a few days later. Most indoor paintball areas in Germany have a strict "no [[Military simulation|mil-sim]]" policy, meaning that no camouflage clothing or real-life looking markers are allowed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gVwFCPxg2H79qj6jNVgw2MljMRzw |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124195214/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gVwFCPxg2H79qj6jNVgw2MljMRzw |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |title=AFP: Paintball dodges bullet in Germany |date=May 14, 2009 |access-date=May 27, 2009 }}</ref>