Tampa brief on the road to Connecticut
- Thread starter Baca Loco
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duffistuta
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The US seems rapidly to be turning into a country of haves and have-nots, and that gap appears to be widening at some speed. I wouldn't expect to see the minimum wage shoot up any time soon...although I agree, it's a ****ing joke.
Interestingly though, some States and cities have chosen to change their own min levels - LA has a min. wage of $10.33.
Interestingly though, some States and cities have chosen to change their own min levels - LA has a min. wage of $10.33.
I don't think it's all about salary, reffing 12 hrs/day for three days is just too much, it's close to slavery. 7-man has also these mind numbing side jobs like arm bands, chronoing etc, X-ball is much more referee friendly.
It's just no fun, I wonder how many return after reffing one NPPL event. Half day sessions would be nice, but that would double the reffing expenses.
It's just no fun, I wonder how many return after reffing one NPPL event. Half day sessions would be nice, but that would double the reffing expenses.
I'm on record as having paid the highest wages for reffing in our history (so far) and I can state categorically that pay scale does not buy you a decent reffing crew.
PaintFest 2000 offered the refs the following: $15 to $20 bucks per hour (12 to 14 hours per day), PLUS meals, PLUS hotel rooms, PLUS travel stipend if they were driving more than an hour; a few of the referees flew in and we picked that up as well. Plus mask, jersey, etc.
We had 8 to 12 refs per field, plus a whole additional crew who sat around and rested and hour at a time.
After the first day of the event, we canned the entire crew and replaced it with event staff and friends who had experience (even my attorney reffed), they did it on a volunteer basis and everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief after the first game with that crew because they got the job done.
I attended, as an interested party (doing an NPPL feeder circuit) the PRO ref clinic prior to Tampa. Chuck and Shawn were both there to teach, as was Boogie (and, as someone stated earlier, Mike IS an excellent referee trainer).
The class was opened with what I believe to have been a sincere acknowledgement of the current state of affairs and a committment to fixing the problem.
Part of the issue is cultural. Its just not cool to be a referee anymore. Only 7 people signed up to attend the class. Prior experience with paintball ranged from none to very. Prior experience with reffing ranged from none to very.
Mastery following the class ranged from 'ok to ?'
We all know that training a really good tournament referee is a task limited by the need for extensive on-field experience. You can show someone how and where to position themselves and you can book learn the ins and outs of the rules, but knowing when someone is going to make a move and anticipating the needed call (not to mention the way you handle yourself and deliver calls) only really comes from hours on the field.
Even if the magic bank vault opened tomorrow and funds were unlimited, it would still take at least a season to get a fully-functional crew out there.
I've thrown my fortunes NPPL way, if only for personal and historical reasons. I believe that they are conscious of the problem and are looking for solutions. I'll be hosting as many ref classes as I can in FL and the surrounding area the remainder of this year. I expect that I'll need to go through somewhere close to ten bodies before I find one decent referee.
I have also urged NPPL to affiliate with a national officiating organization that numbers tens of thousands of sports officials nationwide, in the hopes that some of those people will decide to give paintball officiating a try.
For the record, I believe that officials should be given the following compensation:
all equipment needed for the job
lodging
transportation
meals
per diem based upon position and experience, starting at 80/day (ten bucks per hour)
guarantee of not working more than 8 hours per day on the field
rotation during the day to different jobs with differing stress levels (commensurate with training and experience)
Of course, that means there is a need to double up on reffing crews if the days are 12 to 14 hours long. Most other sports, including their tournaments, only allow officials to work 1 or 2 games during a day (which translates into about 6 hours on the field, max).
I'd ref, happily, for no compensation, so long as I was already going to be at the event. I'd stand across the field from Boogie and trade old school stories, briefly interrupted by the few calls we would have to make...
PaintFest 2000 offered the refs the following: $15 to $20 bucks per hour (12 to 14 hours per day), PLUS meals, PLUS hotel rooms, PLUS travel stipend if they were driving more than an hour; a few of the referees flew in and we picked that up as well. Plus mask, jersey, etc.
We had 8 to 12 refs per field, plus a whole additional crew who sat around and rested and hour at a time.
After the first day of the event, we canned the entire crew and replaced it with event staff and friends who had experience (even my attorney reffed), they did it on a volunteer basis and everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief after the first game with that crew because they got the job done.
I attended, as an interested party (doing an NPPL feeder circuit) the PRO ref clinic prior to Tampa. Chuck and Shawn were both there to teach, as was Boogie (and, as someone stated earlier, Mike IS an excellent referee trainer).
The class was opened with what I believe to have been a sincere acknowledgement of the current state of affairs and a committment to fixing the problem.
Part of the issue is cultural. Its just not cool to be a referee anymore. Only 7 people signed up to attend the class. Prior experience with paintball ranged from none to very. Prior experience with reffing ranged from none to very.
Mastery following the class ranged from 'ok to ?'
We all know that training a really good tournament referee is a task limited by the need for extensive on-field experience. You can show someone how and where to position themselves and you can book learn the ins and outs of the rules, but knowing when someone is going to make a move and anticipating the needed call (not to mention the way you handle yourself and deliver calls) only really comes from hours on the field.
Even if the magic bank vault opened tomorrow and funds were unlimited, it would still take at least a season to get a fully-functional crew out there.
I've thrown my fortunes NPPL way, if only for personal and historical reasons. I believe that they are conscious of the problem and are looking for solutions. I'll be hosting as many ref classes as I can in FL and the surrounding area the remainder of this year. I expect that I'll need to go through somewhere close to ten bodies before I find one decent referee.
I have also urged NPPL to affiliate with a national officiating organization that numbers tens of thousands of sports officials nationwide, in the hopes that some of those people will decide to give paintball officiating a try.
For the record, I believe that officials should be given the following compensation:
all equipment needed for the job
lodging
transportation
meals
per diem based upon position and experience, starting at 80/day (ten bucks per hour)
guarantee of not working more than 8 hours per day on the field
rotation during the day to different jobs with differing stress levels (commensurate with training and experience)
Of course, that means there is a need to double up on reffing crews if the days are 12 to 14 hours long. Most other sports, including their tournaments, only allow officials to work 1 or 2 games during a day (which translates into about 6 hours on the field, max).
I'd ref, happily, for no compensation, so long as I was already going to be at the event. I'd stand across the field from Boogie and trade old school stories, briefly interrupted by the few calls we would have to make...
Ok - it seems people are missing the point here.
Obviously paying high wages won't do you any good, if you pay them to the wrong people
The whole point of increasing reffing wages, is that it will create more interest from more qualified individuals... so that you are - over time - able to create a good reffing corps.
Creating a good reffing corps takes time - just as creating a good paintball team does....
If money was not an issue, you might as well not pay refs at all
Nick
Obviously paying high wages won't do you any good, if you pay them to the wrong people
The whole point of increasing reffing wages, is that it will create more interest from more qualified individuals... so that you are - over time - able to create a good reffing corps.
Creating a good reffing corps takes time - just as creating a good paintball team does....
If money was not an issue, you might as well not pay refs at all
Nick
Nick,
I know that. What I didn't state was that during our training sessions, everyone was happy with the performance of the first crew we trained. It wasn't until they hit the field that we knew we had a problem.
(It ranged from 'my job is to get those cheating pros' to 'gee, I just can't seem to remember when to blow my whistle when I'm under pressure...')
I know that. What I didn't state was that during our training sessions, everyone was happy with the performance of the first crew we trained. It wasn't until they hit the field that we knew we had a problem.
(It ranged from 'my job is to get those cheating pros' to 'gee, I just can't seem to remember when to blow my whistle when I'm under pressure...')
Well - without knowing what the content of your clinic was (an if it included the very important part about mentality and decorum), I am ofcourse unable to comment on why you were unable to weed them out earlier... but that having been said.... just as in paintball - some people are good at training and then crack under pressure... and you always get your fair share of refs that have enterily the wrong mentality for the job...... so you will never really be able to weed out the bad apples until you have seen them perform at an event.
Anyway - there is not ONE thing to fix the reffing issue... as said in my first post, fixing the problem takes a number of initiatives - but my point is that all of them cost money
- it costs money to hire the right people to train the refs
- it costs money to run a proper clinic for them
- it costs money to hire the extra refs you need to get them the breaks they need during an event
- it costs money to increase the salary level so that more quality refs want the job and you create competition for the spots, rather than take what you get
- it costs money to properly monitor and rate refs at events, so that you are always on top of the situation and can weed out the bad refs before it is too late
Nick
Anyway - there is not ONE thing to fix the reffing issue... as said in my first post, fixing the problem takes a number of initiatives - but my point is that all of them cost money
- it costs money to hire the right people to train the refs
- it costs money to run a proper clinic for them
- it costs money to hire the extra refs you need to get them the breaks they need during an event
- it costs money to increase the salary level so that more quality refs want the job and you create competition for the spots, rather than take what you get
- it costs money to properly monitor and rate refs at events, so that you are always on top of the situation and can weed out the bad refs before it is too late
Nick
$11.25 is pretty good for anyone who doesn't have a better job (although if you were to apply overtime, it's more of a base wage of $10, but still fine for people whose other skills include fast food restaurants or low-end factory work.)
Not sure where was I wrong? I said an average compensation of $130. It looks like compensation according to the scale posted is $125->$160 including the $25/day food stipend, with most people at $125 - so might have been off $5 or $10 or right on depending on the number of Level I refs (for Tampa, let's hope is a lot).
I understand there's a travel reimbursement available, but how often is it actually paid? How many refs from Tampa were from out-of-town? It seems NPPL has a LOT of refs that are local to the events, and I have a suspicion tha may be (pehaps unconsciously) intentional.
But, if it it true that NPPL pays travel reimbursement on top of the wage, and is trying to get as many of the refs (who are any good from the previous event) to come back, then I am wrong in that money is definitely not the problem. Clearing $125/day in pure profit is a 'good enough' wage that you should be able to get 'career flexible' people with experience to ref.
So if that's the case, and it's still not happening, it's got to be either the conditions are too unfavorable (day too long, not enough breaks, etc) or there's some organizational problems (not hiring refs early enough, or not having a good way of identifying them, or your certification class price being too high to let you get talent.) Or some of both.
Not sure where was I wrong? I said an average compensation of $130. It looks like compensation according to the scale posted is $125->$160 including the $25/day food stipend, with most people at $125 - so might have been off $5 or $10 or right on depending on the number of Level I refs (for Tampa, let's hope is a lot).
I understand there's a travel reimbursement available, but how often is it actually paid? How many refs from Tampa were from out-of-town? It seems NPPL has a LOT of refs that are local to the events, and I have a suspicion tha may be (pehaps unconsciously) intentional.
But, if it it true that NPPL pays travel reimbursement on top of the wage, and is trying to get as many of the refs (who are any good from the previous event) to come back, then I am wrong in that money is definitely not the problem. Clearing $125/day in pure profit is a 'good enough' wage that you should be able to get 'career flexible' people with experience to ref.
So if that's the case, and it's still not happening, it's got to be either the conditions are too unfavorable (day too long, not enough breaks, etc) or there's some organizational problems (not hiring refs early enough, or not having a good way of identifying them, or your certification class price being too high to let you get talent.) Or some of both.
This is true, but not all of those pay out the same rewards for the same expense. Rating refs, if done right, should be much cheaper than giving everyone a significant pay bump, and should get you much better results: If you just bump everyon'es pay, all you get is well-paid bad refs; if you rate them, you get poorly paid good refs. I think previous suggestions in this thread are probably on the right track given resources available: Rate refs and give people who do well bonuses.Nick Brockdorff said:
Anybody remember Bill Bryant (I think I got that right)? He had a ref core system a while back with different levels of compensation with clearly defined goals and measurements for how a ref could move up the scale.
Nick,
truth to tell, the original crew were field referees, some with multi-years experience, tempered by having been a travelling referee crew for two prior years supporting a regional series.
Our training involved: making sure that we knew they knew what they were talking about, watching them referee an indoor tournament (acceptable) and then tests after explanation and review of the new/different rules.
It didn't work - so ok. Would have been nice if it did, but what the heck (we paid them anyway, just to keep the bit***ng to a minimum).
Money, money, money. Yep. Money doesn't solve all of life's problems, but the kind of problems I have, it will take care of just fine...
I'm strongly urging everyone who is looking for a comprehensive solution to the problem to work with an already existent officiating org that is well versed in training, recruitment, review, and also brings along excellent services like liability coverage, hospitalization coverage, seminars on general issues facing all sports officials (how to deal with unruly crowds, the 'psychology' of being an official), with a base membership in the tens of thousands.
Most of those guys live to ref and happily pick up additional sports to add to their certifications and qualifications.
If they only had 10,000 members, and only 1 percent of them got interested in paintball, we'd be 100 officials ahead of the game...without a lot of additional expense...
truth to tell, the original crew were field referees, some with multi-years experience, tempered by having been a travelling referee crew for two prior years supporting a regional series.
Our training involved: making sure that we knew they knew what they were talking about, watching them referee an indoor tournament (acceptable) and then tests after explanation and review of the new/different rules.
It didn't work - so ok. Would have been nice if it did, but what the heck (we paid them anyway, just to keep the bit***ng to a minimum).
Money, money, money. Yep. Money doesn't solve all of life's problems, but the kind of problems I have, it will take care of just fine...
I'm strongly urging everyone who is looking for a comprehensive solution to the problem to work with an already existent officiating org that is well versed in training, recruitment, review, and also brings along excellent services like liability coverage, hospitalization coverage, seminars on general issues facing all sports officials (how to deal with unruly crowds, the 'psychology' of being an official), with a base membership in the tens of thousands.
Most of those guys live to ref and happily pick up additional sports to add to their certifications and qualifications.
If they only had 10,000 members, and only 1 percent of them got interested in paintball, we'd be 100 officials ahead of the game...without a lot of additional expense...