ZD-tester is a measurement technique for rapid compression in Z-direction. The strain rate of compression of this device is far beyond the ordinary mechanical testing methods applied in papermaking industries. Thus, it provides insights to the material responses which are relevant to industrial applications, e. g. calendaring, printing, etc where the strain rate ranges from hundreds to thousands per second. A physics model that describes the dynamic process of the probe has been developed, where a linear Maxwell model is used to account for the viscoelasticity of paperboard. The simulation has successfully reproduced both the general features and quantitative details of the experiment. The model reveals that the ratio of the elastic modulus to the viscosity modulus of the material governs the amplitude attenuation while the angular frequency of the striking-rebounding cycle depends mainly on the elastic modulus. The dropping height determines the initial striking velocity but has no direct impact on either attenuation or angular frequency. The model and simulation provided interpretations of both experimental observations and dynamic behaviours of the material. With help of simulation, the impacts of the individual parameters, e. g. the Young's modulus, E, the viscosity modulus, η, and the drop height, H, were also explored.