What Is the YPC 1989 Club
The YPC 1989 Club is a monthly paintball walk on event designed to bring the game back to its roots. It focuses on slower, more tactical play where skill, positioning, and decision making matter more than raw rate of fire.
The club has been running for well over a decade and originally started as a side event alongside regular YPC walk ons. It was created for players who wanted a level playing field using magfed, pump, and pistol markers, without being overwhelmed by high rate of fire electronic markers.
After all, there is not much fun in turning up with a pistol or magfed marker and being pinned down by a modern super semi within seconds.
Why the 1989 Club Exists
The idea behind the 1989 Club is simple.
Slow the game down.
Level the field.
Make every shot count.
As magfed paintball grew in the UK, driven by players like Alex Munro and Paul Strutt, demand increased for events where realistic loadouts and limited paint mattered. The 1989 Club grew alongside that movement and remains one of the longest running rule sets of its kind.
Today, magfed paintball is bigger than ever, and so is the appetite for games that reward patience and teamwork over volume of fire.
How the Rules Keep Things Fair
Over time, some players using electronic markers asked if they could join in. Many were older players who loved the idea of a more civilised, tactical game but did not want to switch platforms entirely.
Allowing unrestricted electronic markers was never going to work.
Instead, YPC introduced a simple and effective solution.
All electronic markers are run using gravity fed 50 shot hoppers, supplied on the day. These hoppers feed slowly, usually around four balls per second. They are not great hoppers, and that is exactly the point.
Their limitations naturally cap rate of fire and paint usage without relying on electronic limits that are hard to police.
This keeps gameplay honest, simple, and fair for everyone involved.
Why Not Just Cap Rate of Fire
Electronic rate of fire caps sound good on paper, but in reality they are difficult to marshal consistently. Someone always tries to push the limits, whether intentionally or not.
The gravity hopper removes that problem completely.
No software.
No grey areas.
No arguments.
Just simple mechanical limitations that everyone understands.
That philosophy sums up the 1989 Club perfectly.
It Is Not for Everyone
The 1989 Club is not designed to replace other formats.
It is not trying to convert anyone or divide paintball into camps. In the same way that tournament paintball is not for everyone, neither is this.
Some of the best games ever played at YPC, including All the Fun of the Fair 1 and 2, were run under 1989 Club rules and were hugely popular.
Play the 1989 Club one month.
Play CPPS the next.
Enjoy both.
That freedom is exactly what the club is about.
When the 1989 Club Runs
The YPC 1989 Club takes place on the last Sunday of every month as part of the regular walk on calendar.
December’s event is the legendary Crimbogeddon, held in the quiet no man’s land between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, and it is always a highlight of the year.
Full details of walk on paintball sessions, including the 1989 Club, can be found here:
What Is the YPC 1989 Club
The YPC 1989 Club is a monthly paintball walk on event designed to bring the game back to its roots. It focuses on slower, more tactical play where skill, positioning, and decision making matter more than raw rate of fire.
The club has been running for well over a decade and originally started as a side event alongside regular YPC walk ons. It was created for players who wanted a level playing field using magfed, pump, and pistol markers, without being overwhelmed by high rate of fire electronic markers.
After all, there is not much fun in turning up with a pistol or magfed marker and being pinned down by a modern super semi within seconds.
Why the 1989 Club Exists
The idea behind the 1989 Club is simple.
Slow the game down.
Level the field.
Make every shot count.
As magfed paintball grew in the UK, driven by players like Alex Munro and Paul Strutt, demand increased for events where realistic loadouts and limited paint mattered. The 1989 Club grew alongside that movement and remains one of the longest running rule sets of its kind.
Today, magfed paintball is bigger than ever, and so is the appetite for games that reward patience and teamwork over volume of fire.
How the Rules Keep Things Fair
Over time, some players using electronic markers asked if they could join in. Many were older players who loved the idea of a more civilised, tactical game but did not want to switch platforms entirely.
Allowing unrestricted electronic markers was never going to work.
Instead, YPC introduced a simple and effective solution.
All electronic markers are run using gravity fed 50 shot hoppers, supplied on the day. These hoppers feed slowly, usually around four balls per second. They are not great hoppers, and that is exactly the point.
Their limitations naturally cap rate of fire and paint usage without relying on electronic limits that are hard to police.
This keeps gameplay honest, simple, and fair for everyone involved.
Why Not Just Cap Rate of Fire
Electronic rate of fire caps sound good on paper, but in reality they are difficult to marshal consistently. Someone always tries to push the limits, whether intentionally or not.
The gravity hopper removes that problem completely.
No software.
No grey areas.
No arguments.
Just simple mechanical limitations that everyone understands.
That philosophy sums up the 1989 Club perfectly.
It Is Not for Everyone
The 1989 Club is not designed to replace other formats.
It is not trying to convert anyone or divide paintball into camps. In the same way that tournament paintball is not for everyone, neither is this.
Some of the best games ever played at YPC, including All the Fun of the Fair 1 and 2, were run under 1989 Club rules and were hugely popular.
Play the 1989 Club one month.
Play CPPS the next.
Enjoy both.
That freedom is exactly what the club is about.
When the 1989 Club Runs
The YPC 1989 Club takes place on the last Sunday of every month as part of the regular walk on calendar.
December’s event is the legendary Crimbogeddon, held in the quiet no man’s land between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, and it is always a highlight of the year.
Full details of walk on paintball sessions, including the 1989 Club, can be found here:
https://www.ypc.co.uk/walkon-paintball-games/
Should You Try It
If you enjoy paintball that rewards movement, timing, communication, and restraint, then yes.
If you fancy playing paintball a little differently, without giving up competitiveness or intensity, then absolutely.
Turn up.
Play a few games.
See what you think.
You might be surprised how much fun slowing things down can be.
