ICPL 2022 rule change sparks controversy

 23 Pro Team Captains of the ICPL voted and the rule on NXL pros playing is changing. The rate of fire rules will remain the same, but the ICPL reserves the right to modify the rules. These are the results of the ICPL Rule Change vote.

Number of NXL players per team:

• Option 1: Continue with the current rules - Pro teams are allowed to have as many pro rank players as they would like but the combined pro players classification points cannot exceed 62,000. VOTES: 9
• Option 2: Pro teams may have up to 3 NXL pro ranked players. VOTES: 14
• Players over the age of 44 will not be counted as a pro.

Mechanical Marker Rate of Fire:

• Option 1: Keep the current rules for mechanical markers. VOTES: 17
• Option 2: Create more restrictions on mechanical markers. VOTES: 6

The votes tell us a story on what kind of paintball the players are looking to play. Although the rules on pros per team is changing, it’s difficult to ignore the 9 teams voting for a 10-man Pro league with no restrictions. If that league were to manifest, what then would we call the pro division in the ICPL? There are 6 teams voting to slow down the rate of fire. Could there be enough demand for a slowed down mechanical league?

The question comes up, and some try to ignore it, as answering the question means more change. If the pro division in the ICPL only allows 3 pros per team, is that team a pro team? Can you call that division Pro? The answer seems obvious, but executing the obvious - isn’t so obvious. One thing is certainly clear; The NXL/ICPL is making a statement that Pro Paintball is X-Ball style play. If the ICPL fails to create a new pro division without restrictions, another league may jump at the opportunity. We may end up seeing a battle of formats after all. It’s said that ego is the enemy and pride comes before the fall. It’s also said to respect thy elders. The reality is, the heroes from yesteryear don’t want to be called amateur or divisional. Do we really want to call them that? Is creating a “Legends” classification too much hassle? We’ll find out what the ICPL decides to do.  

It looks like there are 6 teams wanting to slow down the rate of fire. Is pump-gun too obvious of a suggestion? Perhaps something in between? The mechanical markers today such as the Emek, Shocker, and Luxe are absolute machine guns. Pulling the trigger requires minimal effort and players are capable of shooting them well over the NXL’s capped 10.5 balls per second. A Autococker-Only league may satiate those who want something faster than pump, but feel the mechanical guns today are too fast. The Autococker resurgence is an interesting phenomenon in paintball, but that may be a story for another time. There’s certainly enough Autococker enthusiasts out there to throw a successful tournament, isn't there? Okay, paintball leagues; Build it!

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