WHAT IS THE SPORT OF GEL BALL?

Sometimes also referred to as Gelsoft, Gel Ball is a sport similar to Paintball and Airsoft, however much safer and cheaper than Paintball. In Gel Ball, game participants compete against each other or towards set objectives and use gel blasters that shoot gel balls.

The gel balls shot by gel blasters are also commonly known as orbeez or silica beads. Gel balls range in size between 1-2 millimetres and are required to be placed in water to hydrate in order to reach their useful size of 7-8 millimetres. Once they reach their full size they weigh on average 0.2 grams, similar to Airsoft BBs and have different hardness levels, depending on the manufacturer. Due to their great water absorption and release capacity, gel balls of greater size are commonly used to water pot plants.

HISTORY OF THE SPORT OF GEL BALL

Gel Ball, as a sport, originated around 2015 in China as an alternative to Airsoft, which was not allowed. Gel Ball was permitted as the projectiles were soft and broke on impact, in comparison to plastic Airsoft BBs. The sport developed from the use of gel blasters, sold as children’s toys, into a competitive sport with numerous players attending organised events.

In Australia, Gel Ball only saw a real growth after 2017, following a court case in Queensland against the Australian Border Force for classifying gel blasters as firearms. The judge decided gel blasters are toys, regardless of a firearm appearance or not, based on the soft projectiles they shot not meeting the definition of a firearm.

The court case established the legality of Gel Ball in Queensland and the sport grew to an unprecedented scale with fields and vendors establishing businesses. As it were to be expected, Queensland vendors sold gel blaster outside of their State, to States and Territories with less permissive legal frameworks, thus promoting Gel Ball all over Australia.

WHAT ARE GEL BLASTERS?

Gel blasters, of firearm appearance or not, have generally copied the appearance and functioning of Airsoft devices. Most gel blasters are electric and use a a motor to wind back a piston against a spring, which when released compresses air in a piston and later propels the gel ball down the barrel. A device called a “hop up” is commonly placed at the end of the barrel in order to provide backspin on the gel ball and thus travels further and more accurate.

Gel blaster pistols are also available which are either electric, powered by compressed gas or 12g CO2 cartridges.

The most common material of construction is nylon / plastic and in the case when metal external or internals are used, they are usually made of low quality aluminium or metal alloys. The possibility of converting a gel blaster to fire real ammunition is virtually nil as the effort required is grossly disproportionate to using plumbing components or similar to achieve the same result.

"MY BLASTER, MY RESPONSIBILITY" SAFETY CAMPAIGN

The Club has launched a safety campaign targeting the safe use of Gel Blasters both on and off the field. The campaign aims to educate current and future players on the legal requirements, associated penalties and the safe use and storage of Gel Blasters. The campaign aims to replicate the success of the Queensland Police “STOP and Think” campaign and:

  • minimise incidents where Gel Blasters are portrayed in public; and
  • minimise the risk of injury on the playing field.

The legal requirements and associated penalties have been developed from professional legal advice contracted by the Club, which can be downloaded here.

The above flyer, as well as the benefits of joining the Club can be downloaded from the links below:

WHY WE ENJOY GEL BALL?

Mateship (our Australian pride)

We often hear stories and see hero and team based action movies portraying acts of valour and sacrifice, friendships beyond words, teamwork, suspense, courage and fear. We wish to experience all of these feelings in a safe environment and this is what Gel Ball re-enactments / skirmish games offer us.

Physical exercise

The sport of Gel Ball is a very enjoyable outdoor activity with friends, requiring good stamina and endurance. The sport provides for full body workout: running, crawling, kneeling, jumping, etc. The usual games go on for 3-4 hours and large events go on for several days. The weight of the average Gel Ball kit carried by a player is around 5-10 kilograms.

Stress relief

Complete detachment from reality and everyday worries coupled with outdoor physical activity surrounded by friends and family.

Safer, Cheaper and more Convenient than Paintball

  • Safer: the energy of a shooting gel ball is 10 times lower than a shooting paintball (average of 1.3 Joules). This is equivalent to dropping 5 x 50 cent coins from a height of 2 meters vs. dropping a metal bocce ball from the same height;
  • Cheaper: about 3.5-4 times cheaper, mostly due to the lower cost of gel balls;
  • More convenient: no attached air tank, no magazine on top, smaller size of gels, etc.

Cosplay, Escapism and LARP

  • Cosplay: the activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction;
  • Escapism: habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine;
  • LARP (live-action role-playing): a type of game where a group of people wear costumes representing a character they create to participate in an agreed fantasy world.

Tinkering

Gel Blasters are complex, encompassing mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and electronic components.

Repairing and tuning them can be challenging, rewarding and great fun.

Gel Ball Venues

The following WA / Perth Gel Ball venues have offered their support for our “My Blaster, My Responsibility” safety campaign by:

  • Allowing educational banners to be raised at their venues;
  • Allowing Club Ambassadors to address their clients regarding the “My Blaster, My Responsibility” safety campaign, the Club’s activities, Gel Blaster legal requirements, code of conduct, etc.; and
  • Providing “My Blaster, My Responsibility” flyers to their clients.

D.A.S.H. Paintball

Perth GelBlasting Underground (PGBU)

Perth Gel Ball / Gel Blaster Events

DOWNLOADS

“My Blaster, My Responsibility” Safety Campaign Flyer, A4 landscape (PDF)

Download

“My Blaster, My Responsibility” Safety Campaign Flyer, A5 landscape (PDF)

Download

Updated 6 February 2021