elsham marshalling

[my2pworth]

Post severely edited by moderator.

 

[Graham-DV8]

I'll have to agree with a few points such as the "bridge" since by the end of the day there were only a few wooden boards and some netting which did not really help at all.

I also felt that the netting was not strong enough due to at times strayballs would fly into the stalls of just and smartarts from the fields and sometimes even hwere the teams were setting there markers up under cover.

I felt the marshalling was spot on and I only had one problem when starting a game on field 4 I think the other team must of stated runing out on the break at about 2 on the count down and by the time "game on" was yelled they were already inside there bunkers and we then started, I think to sove this problem wishels should of being used instead of the "10 seconds" then a yell of "game on".

Anyways apart from those few things it was really a great tourny and even though the conditions were very bad, I still had a great time and will be there next year

All round a very good tourny and congrats to Bully

 

[Shuck]

Firstly let me say a big thanks to all that made the Elsham tourney possible, and a HUGE thanks to the marshalls. In weather like that we should be gratefull that we have marshalls, and without them we have no tourney!!!

With regards to all the numbered points you made "my2pworth" I cannot comment as I did not see any of them.

But Bridges??? Come on guys!!! Next thing you will want a boot cleaner at the exit of the field and someone to hold your marker when you pot up, or maybe someone to break out for you and slide in all that mud!!! Realistically, putting a bridge over the mud is stupid. Ok, there was loads of mud, but if you don't like it, don't play!!! Who could have predicted the weather?

The dead zone point I feel was changed after a couple of games when Marshalls realised that players were getting hit multiple times when in the original dead zones, behind the breakout fence. On fields where this happened, marshalls made the decision to move the eliminated players out of the field completely. I believe all players were told before the game commenced where the dead zone for that particular field is (I know we were). The moving of the dead box was in the players best interests and I can't believe people complain about it!!! Is there no pleasing some people?

I think it was an excellent tourney and I don't know about you, but I enjoyed playing in the mud Makes sliding much easier, problem is stopping Well done to all the people involved in setting it up, and to everyone involved in the running, INCLUDING the marshalls.

Look forward to seeing everyone at the next leg. Hopefully it will be less muddy, but if not, I'll be bringing flippers and a snorkel

 

[Russell Smith]

Originally posted by my2pworth
hi to all those who braved the mud and returned safely without getting stuck,

firstly i'd like to say congratulations to all who played for a great days ballin, looking at some of the teams a good start for 2003 and lots more to come.

but to my point in question, i'll have to admit the marshalling in general seemed crap with what we have come to expect.

1,some marshalls seemed scared to get in and pull players out incase they got hit themselve's, instead marked players were allowed to carry on and in some cases took out players on the other team,

2 it was said there would be a strict time limit, and no field wouldwait for anyone, if your late you forefeit, but several games where held up for upto ten min while waiting for teams who couldn't be arsed to leave the shelter, including one time where the team that had turned up where told they would not be allowed to alter and re chrono a gun running average 303 in the 10 min they were waiting.

3, marshalls following players on the field whenever they made a move, even if the other team hadn't seen it, this gave the new position away, and in some cases ruined some potentially great moves.

4 one player who i saw being eliminated for raising his arms when neutral for the marshal to check him.

5, another who was pulled and accused of wiping after he'd stripped his gun and wiped the bolt on his leg while the same marshal was watching.

6, other players being wiped down for no reason, one on the field closest the base camp where a player was obviosly hit the spectators started yelling the marshals to check him, when one did he looked at the spectators then wiped it straight off.

7, another player who was eliminated continued lighting up the guy who had just shot him,the marshal pulled the first, wiped the second, then decided to pull the second a few seconds after cuz one splat was a different colour, even though he'd been 2 foot away and saw it came from the first player, (the first player was seen as he walked of with about 3 types of paint in his pot.)

8,one marshal who wnet in to check a player, didn't call him neutral, ended up pushing the player out of the barricde resulting in him being shot and promptly pulled.

Now I didn't play, and i got a good look at most of the above although a couple i did hear from players. And i would just like to say that most of the marshalling was superb.

I noticed and other people commented on the amount of favouritsm that seemed to go off between ome marshalls and certain teams, now this shouldn't happed, but unfortunatly does and this can only be helped by those doing it. other points on marshalling can be put down to inexperience,whichshould improve with time, but some are just inexcuseable.

points on other stuff,

dead zones, can we mke these better, some fields sent players back to the safe zone, while another said wait behind the base, this led to confusion and in some cases threats of peanalisation.

netting, a coupleof occasions were noted when players where hit by stray balls from other fields, but also looking at the amount of splats on nearby cars, the netting could do with being improved,mainly for safety from a spectators point.

to all the guys at elsham, please can we have some sun, gravel or bridges for next time. lol, i'm sure you'll find a couple of people still swimming at the bottom when it dries out little.

Lastly, Thanks to bully for a good start to 2003, if the organisers can do it, it just leaves us, the players abd marshalls to make each event a little better than the last.

Tosser on his first post or am I allowed to say ****ER

 

[Russell Smith]

Apparently not.
I thought the mods where going to swoop on such posting from new tossers.

 

[Graham-DV8]

What I ment by the "bridge" was that it was a few board of wood and when the weater being how it was for a few days before and the forecast how it was it was easy to see that there was going to be very wet.

I've being told by people at the event that its the same every year with the drainage and that nothing is every done bout it.

I carn't coment on past events thought since it was my first time at Elsham.

Apart from my few points I though the event was great and the marshalling was top notice and I don't agree with most of the points that "my2pence worth" says but has siad the ones I did agree with.

Anyways good tournys and as a front guy the wetter the better for sliding

 

[Russell Smith]

I have said in another posting about the state of the ground and i DO agree that the the walkways were atrocious I asked very early in the morning if we could get some straw to put down to try and alleviate the conditions but i was told we could not do it because it would ruin the ground !!!!!!!!!!!.
Thats when i got the old netting to try and help and it did for about two minutes but i will be asking Bully to not use that site for the first three months of the year at all future seasons.

 

[H]

Of course, most of the marshalls did do a fantasticjob, but there were some issues that seemed well out of order.

I witnessed point #4 and it was apsolutely laughable the way the marshall pulled him. The whole issue of being called neutral needs to be addressed and clarified further. Maybe more marshalls on the fileds were needed, i'm not sure.

As always with any sport there will be disputes over calls and such like, but by discussing it and seeing wot went wrong stuff might get sorted. The attitude of 'sh*t happens, what u gonna do' isnt the way we should be thinking. lets at least make efforts to cut down on bad calls. Maybe more are needed, maybe a marshal on the outside of the field watching over and marshalling both players and marshals...i'm not sure.

The issue of netting was serious, i was walking back after playing a game on field 3 and as i was crossing the swamp back to the barn i got hit full-on in the goggles by a shot from field 1. If my gogles were not still over my face i would be blind. When trying to attract spectators to the sport this kind of problem needs to be resolved. It would not look good if some curious joe public lost an eye while they were watching tourney ball for the first time.

The drainage or somthing about the mud MUST be done, walking between fields became an expedition and i dont doubt that a few players may be nursing mild trench foot. Back to specators, if we want more people to watch tourneys (i guess we do) its not apealing if they need waders to walk about.

Aside from its problems (all events have them) the tourney was good fun and well run, congrats to Steve & Co. I cant wait till feb's event.....as its only 10mins down the road

 

[Graham-DV8]

Yup Yup and Yup

I agre the straw would of being good and the netting only helped as you said for about 10mins and by then it was a foot under the mud , also by then the ground was already a mess and straw will disapear over time, I also heared a few people having dropped there markers into the mud in that area due to the cross over, and some type of harder surface would of helped this I feel.

I still feel though that since the netting is there to stop paintballs when a paintball hits the netting and goes through you would think that they would use better quality stuff or thicker stuff.

From what I can remember of STC the netting was alot stronger there and no paintballs when through it at all and you could watch without the risk of an eye being taken out

 

[SUE]

At the end of the day no matter what sport you choose to play you get bad calls and this being no different. We've all seen it and experienced it but you do get calls go your way and then I don't see any of us complaining then! It's not the easiest job in the world to do - I did it once and never again(being hit in the butt a dozen times if your trying to check someone oouch) it happens I think you just have to live with it or quit playing. We all hate it but nobodys perfect and if you marshall teams you know can you say you won't favour them?