Editing 2002 Pan Am Circuit (section)

== Background ==

The Pan Am Circuit developed from the Great Western Series, which had been founded in 1991. Dan Bonebrake became a partner in the Great Western Series in 1997, and the circuit became the Pan Am in 1999 when Liz Bonebrake and Jessica Sparks joined the promotional partnership.[6]

Pan Am competition included major tournaments produced by the circuit and affiliated events operated by participating teams, fields or stores. Teams could earn season points through both competition and tournament refereeing. Affiliated events used the Pan Am rules and player-identification system and provided a limited number of participation points.[6]

The circuit continued to use a bring-your-own-paint system. Its five-player tournaments restricted players to 200 paintballs per game, a format intended to reduce playing costs and encourage more conservative use of paint.[4][5]