Goggle Safety

[npp]

Why is it that at the last three events I have been to, the Marshals insist on lifting their goggles immediately before and after the games, to the point where one well known ultimate had his goggles on his head as he shouted 10 seconds and a spectator had to tell him to put them on. What makes it worse they received marshal of the day! I am not disputing his skill as a marshal because yes he was the best marshal on the day but obviously thinks he has steel eyeballs. This is not a good example to spectators and players alike.

This is not just at any tournament but at a big sereies in the South and also at the Amsterdam Millenium. Now we should all know better than to shoot a marshal, but who can honestly say they have not shot a team mate or marshal by mistake, twitchy electros and soft eyeballs don't go together.

Now when I broached the subject with one tournment organiser I was informed it was a hot day and what could they do. Well I have 20,000 people a year and 80 marshals at my sites and I will never let someone lift their goggles whatever the weather. Do we now as teams have to get liability insurance in case we accidentally shoot a marshal wearing no goggles for fear of being sued?

As people we should ask the organisers to produce their liability documents at the start of events. As players we should get people to keep their masks on or expect to see the ambulance chasers at the next event.

 

[Gups]

yeah I saw that too, at the start of a game we were playing in recently (maybe against you??) the head marshal in question still had gogs on his forehead as he called out '10 seconds'. Scary!! No way was i starting that game while he had them off, 'game on' or not! I found it very distracting as i wasn't focusing on getting ready to breakout/starting game timer etc, but on the refs eyes and stopping my team if he didnt put them on!! And yes, they won refs of the day.

 

[npp]

I think you guys were playing and we were next on. I think it was the RPS field on the right.

 

[sjt19]

you talkin bout HG?

 

[npp]

This particular instance was at the M25 Bricket Wood

 

[Gups]

Are we allowed to say as that would identify the marshal in question... we don't want to go upsetting people!! It didnt involve a Shockwave ref. The incident i witnessed was not at the M25.

 

[npp]

It's not a question of upsetting people just trying to make sure that everyone gets to keep their eyeballs and take part in a safe environment. It doesn't matter if you are the best marshal in the world with great people skills and field awareness if you can't keep your goggles on your face.

 

[sjt19]

Originally posted by Unnamed Tsunami Player
It didnt involve a Shockwave ref. The .

Thats cool guppy, i didnt think it had, i was just curious what event it was at

sam

 

[npp]

It's not a question of throwing stones for the sake of it, it's just site operators have seen their liability insurance go up in excess of 20 times in 12 months therefore anyone that risks accidents is putting the sport and operators livelihoods at risk.

An accident for one event or site effects everyone within the industry.

The point is don't go on a field with marshals that have their goggles up and warn people to put them on if you see them lifted. It doesn't matter who you are, your eyes can not take an impact from a paintballs and reputations are not taken into account.

I mean no disrespect to any individual but I will take offence at any person putting mine and other peoples livelihoods at risk within the sport.

 

[Gups]

I also depend on the paintball industry for my livlihood, npp. To be fair it was a hot day, the only chance refs got to get some fresh air was between games. In all other instances players were asked to /used common sense and, kept barrel condoms on their markers until they went to their flag stations. In this one instance the ref WAS late in putting his gogs on.. the point i was trying to make is that it was confusing to hear the 10 second call while my barrel sock was still on!! (It was like your driving instructor telling you to go thru a red light!) Obviously, the ref should have replaced his gogs once the players started to move towards their flag stations and certainly before the 10 second call.