How to change tournament paintball for the better of us all !

[Bunka Monky]

And breath.... lol

I think our sport is very unique due to the fact that game breakin moves and situation can happen all over the field at any time, this makes it very difficult to spectate and even more difficult to accuratly portray using television.
In any other sport Football, hockey you name it the cameras dont have to scan the whole field with the possibilty of people scoring in 2 goals at once. This essentially will be one of the large problems in televising paintball.
A network of camera's and player cam's will have to be utilised to gain the full intensity of the game we know.

Having said that X ball is a big step in the write direction its taken hundreds of years for many sports to evolve into what we see today.
Maybe some of the points outlines by nick will be the next steps taken....

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Hi Nick,

I have found your post to be very though evoking.

Having just come back from a day of viewing none paintball venues for the M25 7 man leauge, spectators and the user friendliness of the venues was very high on my criteria list.

I have some great ideas to get the public more aware of our sport and the M25 is only a small part of what I am personally doing to that end. I take on board your suggestions. This was one of my main reasons not to use existing paintball site for the leauge, the facilities are not suitable. We as players might be happy to put up with them but we can't expect the public to.

I think your point about explaining the tactics is an interesting one.......... sorry just having a brain wave there and no I’m not sharing it just yet sorry.

 

[We had Nexus first]

I say, make X-ball 7man(more intense, 5man to individual, 10man is to boring). But do like what the other sports have, a big TV/Viewing Screen up right above the scoreboard, and have camera men stationed around the field. Then just switch back and forth between camera men.

Also, give the judges mics so they can call penalties, and, I am not sure if this does happen or not already, but have the time stop for each penalty so you can actually see what happens.

Just my 2cents.

 

[Bobvannes]

X-Ball is fine as 5 man. 7 man would make it to slow and take way too many people.

Don't stop games for penalties. That slows it down again. Announce them at the break if you have to.

 

[We had Nexus first]

OR, if the big screen tv thing would work, put it up there and show the player going to the penatly box.

 

[KillerOnion]

Excellent insight, Nick. I agree that those are problems with the average non-playing spectator that need to be resolved, but points 1 and 2 I think should be handled in a different manner. Why not just include some tutorial notes in the programs at the events to help the audience learn what to look for? Implementing microphones on players would be disastrous. The game would be a garbled mess of shouting that would confuse both teams and the audiences, as they would have to sort out a tangle of directives, position calls, and so forth which were meant to be heard only by those addressed in the first place! An explaination of what certain positions are likely to say, when they'll be saying it, and what it means would take nothing more than a paragraph. Similarly, point 1 can be handled by explaining what each position must do, who and what they look for, and naming examples of each can be done with a short explaination and a couple of diagrams. Shooting lanes and such can even be highlighted on diagrams of the fields in such a program. With that, who is shooting at whom can be made predictable enough (as we know it already is) for a crowd to anticipate and easily follow.

What you suggest by solving with massive alterations, experimentation, expense, and inconvenience I suggest solving with a few pages of simple, inexpensive print.

 

[headrock6]

I think Nick's heading in the right direction but theres still alot of obstacles that need to be addressed...

Maybe we need to re-invent the game to become a dumb sport for the sake of spectators..Now while we know everyone loves a good bunkering,does anyone from a spectators point of view care what the mid and back guys did to help the bunker-munky pull it off??Just like in American Football,90% of the fans love when a running back scores,but couldnt care less that about 5 other players did the work to help spring him..And to be honest,all the explaining in the world aint gonna help people get excited about back players..We need something simple that everyone can understand and not the big mess of what we know today..

I mean, even an idiot can follow the basics of baseball..Hit the ball,run around the bases and try to get to home plate..With Soccer you try and kick the ball into the net..Hockey, a puck in the net..Sure thier are other major things involved but its very easy for someone with no knowledge of the game to get into..But unfortunately paintball offers just to many people doing way to many things at once..


Now this is my idea for a paintball game that keep the action fast and flowing and keeps the focus on 1 part of the game...The Flag!!5 on 5 center flag format...First grab of the flag starts the countdown of a 3 min clock..Now you have to get the flag to the opponents station in the alloted time..There is 2 designated flag carriers per team..Its the jobs of other players to protect them and move down the field..If the flag carrier gets shot,the flag is dropped...Next carrier to get the flag starts the 3 min clock again..The game stops after a team hangs the flag or if no one hangs the flag after 10 minutes..There would have to be a game clock and countdown clock..Players shot during play sit out for 1 min and then are reinserted into the game..4 quarters are played and 1 point for each hang...And penalties and so on..Paint and air consumption during the 10 min quarters are your responsibility..All huge ass bunkers are removed from play..What I think ya would get is fast games and also low scoring slugfests..

Now I havent given this much thought so dont bombard me with what about this and that questions..Im just trying to figure a way to give paintball a center of attention..If ya wanna add things on,be my guest...

-6

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by headrock6
Now this is my idea for a paintball game that keep the action fast and flowing and keeps the focus on 1 part of the game...The Flag!!5 on 5 center flag format...

Now I havent given this much thought so dont bombard me with what about this and that questions..Im just trying to figure a way to give paintball a center of attention..If ya wanna add things on,be my guest...
-6

Don't know, 6. Sounds kinda like USPL Redux to me. [and of course X-Ball has some USPL influences as well to begin with] And correct me if I's mistaken but isn't it Nick's hope that some hybrid can be conjured up that allows for the giant traveling circus 100+ team events to continue? And these games aren't conducive to that conception.

 

[headrock6]

Fair enough..Im looking at it from a spectators point of view...Cuz honestly,I dont think any format today,X-Ball included will ever make it to the mainstream..I just think you need a center of attention,like any sport,if its gonna work..

And maybe I did miss Nicks point..But a 100 team circus that draws spectator and tv interest will never happen..We've tried everything..3,5,7,and 10 man,center and dual flag..It seems were running outta options here...and that leaves us with what??X-Ball..And we all know its glorified 5 man,and that to the outside, is almost as confusing as the rest...Just because the top pros are playing it cant hide what it is..

I mean the points he made about white paint,miked up fields, and helmet cams are all valid but honestly,do u see it happening cuz I dont..Check out Weasels helmet cam on PUSH..It made me want to vomit..Maybe a taped and edited show,but Live??You would have to be living in ga ga land..


I dont know..Maybe we should just acccept X and keep to our formats..If ya want X ya gotta earn it..You want to play on tv and play if front of spectators,earn it..Hate to sound pessimistic but thats my feelings lately..I definately feel for the Euros not being able to play X but I just dont see paintball as ever being TV friendly to the rest of us..

-6

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by headrock6
I dont know..Maybe we should just acccept X and keep to our formats..If ya want X ya gotta earn it..You want to play on tv and play if front of spectators,earn it..Hate to sound pessimistic but thats my feelings lately..I definately feel for the Euros not being able to play X but I just dont see paintball as ever being TV friendly..

-6

Well, I just spent a weekend hanging around with loads of folks who knew less than nothing about paintball yet plenty of them found the games a heckuva lot more exciting to witness than lots of players do when they aren't playing. Just what that means and how to use it if it holds true in a larger context I couldn't tell ya. But considering the general pessimism expressed by paintballers about the spectator potential of paintball I found it pretty interesting.
But like you I have big reservations about traveling circus paintball being a viable avenue to the mainstream.