M25 leauge

[Red_Merkin]

goals of the M25 league

I think this is a great idea, one thing i've noticed since i've moved to england is that there's a huge gap between punter paintball and tournament paintball.
Starting this league; what are the goals?
Are you trying to promote new players to get into tournament play?
Personally i feel that getting people who've only played punter paintball before to come play an organised tournament is vital to the growth of the sport. Perhaps a division for people who only use site equiptment would be in order? If site owners were to promote this on thier punter days, i'm sure that you could field a division of teams that are all first timers. And for goodness sakes, keep 'proper' novice teams out of this division. Nothing puts people off playing paintball again, like getting shot up by a bunch of guys with their own kit. Newbie teams will soon get to understand what tournament play can be like, when they see the teams in other divisions, how they play, and the kit they use.

Are you trying to compete with the SW paintball league, or the Midland masters series?
If you're going to compete with other series, we need someone to head up the league, a consistent rule book, consistent game formats, and published schedules for the season in advance. Basically you need to do things like the Millenium seires, only on a smaller scale. My 2 cents of course

Is the formation of the league going to be used to help promote the bit to have paintball recongised as a sort in Britian?
Again if this is part of the bit to have organised paintball recongised as a sport in britian, then having a proper league setup is esential. Being that the Millenium series is the benchmark for orgainsed paintball, this would be a good model to base the M25 league on (only smaller of course)

Personally, for a tournament format, i'd like to see; byop, with paint available on site. (the going price seems to be about £40 for a case of 2000)
Supair, and concept fields, or urban style woodland fields (the hut field at Campaign).
Air available to at lest 3000 psi all day, (paying for individual cylinders is not a good way to do this, clive's setup at the temple is better)
A seperate division for entry level players, dedicated to payers who are using mostly site guns.
Divisions for Novice and Am
No more than 8 games in a day (otherwise the paint bill gets out of hand)
Series points like the Millenium sieries, and Marshalling points too.
Some sort of prize packet, even if it's only jerseys, caps, or a few cases of paint. (people love to get free stuff)
Dedicated training days, where teams can come to hang about, practice, and scrimmage with each other, and have master classes with established players (like avalanche 101, but with Andy Piper instead of Chris Laysoya.)

The M25 league has great potential to evolve paintball in this part of England, so it's vital that the league gets started out on the right foot. It's comentable that site organisers are interested in starting this league, as it shows their commitment to the future of paintball in England, and us as players should do what we can to support this league.

This is just my opinion of couse,


Colin Graham
Campaign Power

 

[twinkle toes]

Here is my humble opinion....

Starting up a new league is a great idea. My team is based in Nottingham ( a long way from you I know ) , but we have been known to treck down to Bulls wood once or twice. ( Actually every leg they have done for the last two years , but whos counting ).

'So , what would you want' , that was your original question.

Without a doubt you will need to make as many Sup'Air events as possible. Woodland is nice and all , but tournament players in general want to play concept. If you have too many woodland only events , you are gonna cut your customer base in half straight away.

As for how many events to do. Thats a tough one. You say you have 4 site who have signed up for this series. In that case I would suggest 2 legs at each spread across the middle 8 months of the year March - October. Once a month and best chance of good weather. But when you choose your dates , ( if you want a lot of teams there , and especially new ones to come ) , make sure you pick dates that dont already have a tourny somewhere else. There has been talk in other threads of 'giving players the choice of where to play ' etc , but if you have 3 events on the same day ( like the Skirmish Angel Cup , Skirmish Gold Cup , and Zap Amateur in Portugal ) you are limiting the players choice. they can only play one event. put them on different dates , and they could play them all.

Format - go with a mix of 5 and 7 man events. ( how about 1 5man at each site and 1 7man at each site? ) Run it like two mini series inside the overall series.
Definately open format at every event. I know limited paint events are cheaper , but I think most players do prefer open events. ( any team using this as training or practice for millenium events are not gonna play limited ). Plus if you do a mixed 5man and 7man legs , if a team who has limited funds only want to do 5man , its gonna be once every two months.

Now what I would like to see at the events. The site must have good facilities , including good toilets , food available ( all day ) , a good floor ( by that I mean not 3" of mud if it has rained for 30 seconds two days ago ) , and most importantly , plenty of room for the teams. ( you need to have a reasnable size table for each team , and a bit of room around it , so youre not falling over each other ).
A trade stand or two is also very good to see. Music in the base camp. It does not hurt to have a bit of a party atmosphere if you can.
Air , would definately get you + points. Especially if you can get it via a 4500psi Pump. You would have to charge for this in the entry , but teams WILL pay extra for a continuos supply of high pressure air.

Finally ( phew ). If you have room on site , and are allowed to. Do over night camping on site the night before. Lots of people will come , especially if you do it as a players party kind of thing. You can make a bit of extra cash from alcohol/soft drinks(?)/food sales etc aswell.

I hope all this helps , if it does n't then O.K. I wont be hurt. But if I was going to run a series , and I could do the above , I think it would be a popular one.

p.s. Don't be put off if the first year does not give you a high profit , or was not over booked. Give it time to get known on the tourny circuit , then people will come. But reach for the highest standards you can , and then keep them , or improve on them.

Good luck. wob@ntlworld.com

 

[Jake]

Top 5

1) Unlimited B.Y.O paint (you wont get any PRO's and some am's attending if its site paint only)

2) Concept Fields

3) 7 man - All categories Novice, Am, Pro seeded by past form and team choice (not solely team choice)

4) Good Facilities

5) Series Finals event held somewhere cool - with shiny prizes - and a write up in PGI !!!!! if they cant send someone, pay someone to write the article and if its any good I'm sure it would get in

 

[Dave S ECI]

My 2 cents:

1. 7 man sup air on millenium size fields.

2. run as a series with worthwhile prizes at the end.

3.realistic running schedule, spaces between games etc.

4.Marshals who care, (possibly make it mandatory for teams to marshal one leg for no pay but they have to do a good job to get series points). I would suggest you use the guys who judged the 3 man as well.

5.Good air supply, little queues, 2800 psi minimum or so. Use bulk bottles and compressor? to keep lines short.

I would also say make all legs consistent in terms of rules, schedule, and fields (not identical but equal quality). It would help if this was consistent with the bigger picture as well, so no strange rules etc. millenium sized 7 man fields etc.

Entry fees, max of 30 per player (210 for a 7 man) includes air and co2. only extras say food and drinks.

Must be byop and no limitations on manufacturer or type, with the exception of say imperial due to staining.

 

[rick nash]

m25 league

o.k 7 man as many tourny,s as you like, sup air or woodland or both, unlimited paint ,1 day events. hope this helps.
Ricky
team Kool Running.

 

[markh]

How about 7 man sup air on millenium size fields unlimited paint with pro, am, nov divisions and a special 5 man limited paint division for new people basically punnters? This would allow experienced people to get that vital practice so us Brits can start winning the big Pro teams, while allowing new people to get a cheaper entry into paintball without getting litup. As somebody said we need to get new people into the sport.

Air is vital, we would all pay more so we dont have to lug dive tanks around.

link this league in with other leagues for some UK big final.

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Ok guys lets cut to the mustard

I am a relative newbie when it comes to running tourneys. But organising a great event and making things happen now thats a diffrent story.

Hence why I am asking the collective brains of the forum for their input, so I can put the results to Piper and Clive and with help from Liz get this ball rolling and make it what you the players want and coordinate with the rest of england.

I will hold my hands up I have not personally spoken to the south west leauge for a while, but I will also add this is not some I have not been thinking about for a while. It started for me origionally 2 years ago and I did speack to them then so in princaple they are or were in, any representatvies please get in touch.

I have been activly discusssing this with the midlands masters, steve bull (ukpsf and obviously his series) and also was at a meeting with sports england helping put our case to get the reconition as a sport we so justly deserve.

It' hard work I run my site, I put on and run tourneys, the accademy once a month and have two teams under my wind csws our marshalling team and my newly formed young guns. I still have a house, daughter and occasionally a life to get on with.

This is not just a whim it's a whole bigger picture, starting with my site and hopefully achiving as much as possible for the sport along the way.

Like I said I am a relitve newbie and a girl calling the shots I see things diffrently.

Right from the word go things started changing, as they say to copy an idear is the most sincerest form of flattery. So i must have been much complimented.

Back to business our new to paintball customer have as much access to knowledge of the sport as they want often more, Friday I had a group of convent girls voting who was the hotest bloke in the jt cataloge lol no they didn't pick la soya it was a talking point.

I and my team have introduced loads of new faces to paintball and helped those waivering on the edge of the sence get into it.

The M25 from my point of veiw is part of this, I can not speak for the others and we are yet to have our meeting so I need as much feed back as possible

I feel it would waste a great opertunity to go in to this half heartedly. I can see through your postings and some of the resent threads their really is a great need to do some thing to encorage more top end teams and get the levle of compertion to truly compete against the yanks. Will this be part of it you tell me.

I thought the idear for limited paint for 5 man entry teams a very sencible idear. Any one who wants to play and dosen't have kit can always borrow site kit I have no problem with this and alway bring markers pot battle packs and co2.
5 man limited paint would the novices also want to do this? every month or alternate months?
7 mans appear to be some thing that is lacking, to achive the yank bashing practice ( no offence)

None of the venues is all woodland nore will they be.

My site can not offer all sup air we do not have the space, we have one feild right next to the nutral zone and all the facilitys with some plans for making it all much more team friendly ie delux veiwing area more parking and nutral zone is turning into a butterfly to coring a phrase ie going to be bigger and beautiful. We are also having a hyper ball field and will have purpose bulit woodland all right next to eachother so no trecks to feilds.

I have a restriction on zap imposed by the land lord.

If this is going to be a problem then I shall have to hand this back to pipper, I have put a lot of effort into this and am being honest with you all. I can't see this being revoked (It was a matter of slander in court ) This is one of the reasons I have been running all expensese included tourneys at a very reasonable price so hopefull the paint is not an issue. I can not change this

The Sup air issue

This is partly why it's 4 venues, lack of sup air space, sites not wanting to lose proffits on customer days and the amount of work involved. From start to finish this weekends tourney was 15 hours for me I had my team behind me and they did a great deal running orders feild planning but some one has to co ordinate it all.

I really want this to happen I am looking to start it next year how soon depends on all the sites involved jan........ march and obviously you the players. So far we are talking one tourney per month.

I have alreday explained to the sports council this is something we are trying to get off the ground with an end of year finnal for all 4 leaugesinvolved.

This is a real possiblity not fiction.

Great prizes,
obviously we need the players support, the manufactures want good value for their freebies ie coverage which means you guys and gals supporting it

I have already got my site and real as it happened sup air coverage on the news A national leauge is some thing worthy of media coverage at all levels more exposure better for paintball more sponsorship ect

So please keep it coming give me some thing to get my teeth in to and be as honest as I have been with you.

Peace love hugs and of course cookies

sparklie

I can't work mirricles but I am going to do my best to try

 

[Liz]

"I have a restriction on zap imposed by the land lord.

If this is going to be a problem then I shall have to hand this back to pipper, I have put a lot of effort into this and am being honest with you all. I can't see this being revoked (It was a matter of slander in court ) This is one of the reasons I have been running all expensese included tourneys at a very reasonable price so hopefull the paint is not an issue. "

Presumably this means any paint except Zap, not Diablo only then (e.g. RPS would be OK)?

 

[Tom Tom]

The way I understand it (could be wrong and am sure Sparklie will confirm later) but it is that the Site can only use Diablo so that means no Zap, RPS etc etc

Hope that helps Liz

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

The paint issue, I don't HAVE to use diablo but chose to.
As it's my NAME on the insurance I have been a site paint only site. Bully and i had a lengthy chat about this one. Their are insurance issues here and I did disscuse them at lengh here on the boards.

I know how I store my paint, were it came from and thats it's safe and won't hurt any one. In theory tourney player should all be usuing quality safe paint too. If some thing happens and there is a claim the person shooting their own paint can be sued. How many of you have the finaces to cover 500,000 compensation. So it comes down to me and the site.


I have used RPS on severl occasions and still have the scarrs from the last time. I dout I will ever buy it again for site.
I am aware that there are lots of other brands out there and that many teams are lucky enough to be sponsored.

The paint issue is something that needs to be disscussed as I said earlier I have a completly dirfent all in price sytsem noramlly, but I also take on board that this is for fun tourneys not something trying to develope in to part of a national leauge.

Zap is the only paint baned, so to senior staff ( phonix) as they caused the problem in the first place.

This is some thing I have inherited not caused and have to work round. You can't have every thing in this world, so I am asking for your input to see how to best "work round" it.

So far one team has emailed me on this.

I am being honest with you all so please treat me with the same cutisy and help me work this one out. If you don't present your veiws I can't act on them and then it's one less site and a whole heap of motervation not being channled into this.

Sparklie