PSP Vs Millennium

[Wadidiz]

I don't think it matters whether or not paintball is a physical sport or not, and I don't think we have to get hung up in comparisons to other sports. Of course the comparisons can enlighten our discussions but paintball is truly unique. I've already got rightly beat up about comparing paintball with lasertag, just over the physicality of paintball.

To address Recoil's points:

Decent pay does not a good ref make. But it can help attract some decent people to an unattractive job. And what's wrong with getting rewarded for this often thankless job? I've said elsewhere on these forums that we ought to have different levels of pay also, so there is an incentive to get seniority and do a better job. And to give proper respect to the head-field-refs and the ultimates.

Concerning training: I would entertain the idea of starting training courses for Millennium or NPPL refs. There are more experienced and better refs out there but I think my background in training and teaching adults plus my reffing experience give me the confidence that I need to do a good job.

I would love a good excuse to travel over for another visit with my British cousins. I'd be glad to put something together. Just make sure that my expenses are covered and give me a little pub money and I'm down for it.

Combine it with some kinda amateur and/or pro practice and we could add some hands-on to the whole thing.

Maybe it could lead to some kind of certificate program?

So, as you can see from all my posts, I'm anxious to do whatever I can to improve things in our sport. Since I'm advancing in age, don't have a team right now, and really want to be in the middle of what's happening in 2003, maybe this is the future role for me. Who knows?

Steve

 

[Recoil]

Liz

I fully understand what can potentially happen to a tourney marshall... Its no different from any other sport where referees are involved, why would people want to referee sunday league football? The threat of 11 grown blokes bearing down on you in a highly charged game when you are on your own in a park in the middle of no where? It doesnt matter what the sport is really, where there are referees there is the potential of physical and verbal abuse. Yet these same sports have people who are willing to referee.. why isnt paintball the same?

As I said it appears I am wasting my time in trying to get people to think about this, our sport will not move forward to the supposed holy grail of TV and popularity without some sort of proffesional marshalling body who are only answerable to some sort of Paintball association.

Mores the pity cause I want to see my ugly mug on Sky sports as much as anyone does

 

[Liz]

Not quite the same as Sunday League soccer (or any level of soccer for that matter).
Kick off at 2.00pm, roll up at 1.30pm. ---- Start at 8.00am, turn up at 7.00am
1 game lasting 2 x 45 minutes. ---- Up to 30 x 10 minute games
Game over 3.45, leave by 4.00pm if desired. ---- Last game 6.00pm (if you're lucky), then take down the Sup'air fields, maybe leave by 7.30pm (again, if you're lucky)
Typical journey time to event, 30-45 mins. ---- Typical time to event, 1-2 hours

Another difference is that people only retire from paintball when they lose interest completely, or are completely unable to compete for some reason. Most soccer refs are retired from playing, but still interested. So in paintball you get to ref the guys you could well be playing against next week.

Another potential issue with current players judging is the whole sponsorship deal. Say you're judging a game where 'Lanche are playing & Ed Poorman is your main sponsor, you can see a potential conflict of interest and potential for bias. Whether this happens or not (& I'm certainly NOT picking on 'Lanche here for any reason, only 'cause most of us know who they are), the possibility is there & that's enough.

 

[acsik]

Liz


You're absolutely right!

The tough part is: How do you fund pro reffing without manufacturers help? And manufacturers = sponsors.....


Peace

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by acsik
Liz


You're absolutely right!

The tough part is: How do you fund pro reffing without manufacturers help? And manufacturers = sponsors.....


Peace

The sponsors, with the exception of WDP, aren't putting their money where their mouths are. One of the top executives with WDP expressed disappointment with the lack of follow-through on the PRO thing by the others who had promised support.

 

[Liz]

Originally posted by acsik
Liz


You're absolutely right!

The tough part is: How do you fund pro reffing without manufacturers help? And manufacturers = sponsors.....


Peace

It's slightly different to my scenario above. I was talking about an individual person who's team is sponsored by the same company as the team he/she is reffing. Pro reffing should be paid for by a group who are sponsored by a number of companies, e.g. if Diablo, Zap, Nelson, RPS & Severe all put in the same amount towards a reffing fund or pool, then a pro ref shouldn't have any particular loyalty to a paint brand.
Of course refs will always have some favorite teams (e.g. Man United or Liverpool fans in soccer), but the potential for sponsors putting pressure on refs, or refs thinking if they favour their sponsors they will get a better deal, is eliminated.

 

[TJ Lambini]

Nah

make Pros and top Ams ALL ref one event a year and have an independent ultimate or governing body judge their performances and award them points on a sliding scale - that way they all have to bust their balls to get more series points. And since everyone has to do it once, it should be self-safeguarded - as long as the ultimate/governing body is truly independent.

Howzat?

 

[Wadidiz]

Nah

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
make Pros and top Ams ALL ref one event a year and have an independent ultimate or governing body judge their performances and award them points on a sliding scale - that way they all have to bust their balls to get more series points. And since everyone has to do it once, it should be self-safeguarded - as long as the ultimate/governing body is truly independent.

Howzat?

I don't know about the reffing requirement. Setting proper point incentives should make it a carrot rather than a stick. Maybe we need both. But what about the many teams who only attend one or two events?

The variable points thing is way too vague and hard to standardize IMO. I'll go back to what's been suggested earlier on the "Enforcing the rules..." thread:

_________________________________

9. Assign a head-judge to every field who is independent of any player/ref team and who has the authority to maintain quality and consistency and to assess penalties for infractions committed by judges (such penalty assessments shall be reported to the ultimate judge who shall then, after verification, apply the penalties).
_________________________________

Combine that with training courses, pre-tourney briefings and new, tougher rules and we may get somewhere.

(By the way, is it a sign of megalomania to quote oneself, like what I wrote is some kinda constitution or something?)

Maybe give those reffing for points bonuses, like the IRS people get. 5 points for every 1-4-1, 10 for every 2-4-1, 15 for every 3-4-1, 50 for every tournament kick-out (I woulda got around 150 for my last Millennium!) and 500 for a one-year suspension.

Stevie

 

[TJ Lambini]

u wanna get series points, you have to comit to reffing an event...

 

[acsik]

Why dont organizers pay the refs from the team entry fees. Then there is no sponsor interference/pressure......


Just a tought