To Marshal or Not To Marshal?

[Jinxy]

I was marshalling a paintball event this weekend and I came away considering is it worth marshalling any more.

Got up at 05:30, drove 90 mile to the site ready to marshal a paintball event that until now I have always found to be fun.

Two hours into this event I was shoot 8 times in the back of the head & neck, 6 times in the back, 5 times on my legs, 3 times in the hand and to top it off once in the throat.

Now I know your going to get shoot sometimes, but when your 6 feet away from any players and most are laying on the ground and I am wearing the loudest, brightest colours you can think of and then get shoot in the throat, well that is just getting abused by the players.

To top off the matter, one player in the safe zone, after a conversation telling him how much and were I had been shot, the player said “BUT IT’S FUN”!!

Option 1
Now if I give up enjoying this, the prize prat will then shoot some other marshal and then he will give up and then so will another and so on. Next you will have no marshals and then no paintball events.

Option 2
I could wait until I am marshalling an event and shoot the crap out of him. But then that makes me as bad as he is.

Option 3
I could forget about it, and then he has gotten away with abusing the marshal and will carry on with it until someone gets seriously hurt!! Our sport will look bad and we all lose out.

I believe until players start respecting the marshals, we will always have problems finding marshals willing to marshal these events. Everyone needs to stamp on these prats that are killing our sport just to have some fun by shooting the marshals.

Now you could say I’m making a fuss about this, but where do you draw the line? Until someone says it’s got to stop, we will always have this problem.

So what do you think and what should we do to stamp this out. If you don’t wish to add you comment on this board, and then e-mail me on:

jinxy@sadworld.co.uk

 

[crom-dubh]

If someone is taking the piss with shooting the marshals then look at it as a safety infringment. The site I use has the "3 strikes policy" Break the rules once, you go out with a day-glo jacket on or a dress if they are feeling really mean. twice and you go out in the day-glo jacket and no marker. Thrice and you are asked to leave the site and are not allowed on again.

Or option two, shoot the bugger back.

 

[Russell Smith]

Jinxy,

1, If you for one second thought the player shot at you and not at the player you was near and missed you should have taken his armband and after the game tell the ultimate what happened who has the power to ban him from the tournement and if its as you said it i'm sure would have.

2, We all - well those of us who marshal at a good level respect other marshals and the problems that happen during a days paintball - on the day in question over sixty players attended and you had trouble with just that arsehole.

3, The best tip i can give you is use a shield and sometimes it's great to stop being so dam proffesional and just kick the twat in the balls.

Respect is due.

Russ

 

[Philip]

3, The best tip i can give you is use a shield and sometimes it's great to stop being so dam proffesional and just kick the twat in the balls.

Word.

 

[Tony]

If he's using site equipment, you could find out the number of his gun, and burst a ball in his full hopper...... then stroll off thinking how much he's spent on useless balls......

But that would be evil...... and not very fair.....

 

[Robinator]

i always find....

remember the old towel in the shower trick, well take on a towel to 'wipe hits' and then whip the begger all the way to the dead box. or threaten to use a fluffy stick on him lol
just my 1p (scrimping cos i'm a student)

 

[Gogger]

I've got to say that the best option would be:- Mr Smiths first suggestion. But OK, it's way to late for that now. So how about naming and shaming, thats gotta put a stop to it, or at least let the rest of us know who to watch out for.

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Jinxy you have my sympathy I am sure you have all seen my welts, the result of marshalling the world cup. Some of that was down to my inexperience, I am sure. I also had my own personall belive confirmed, Iwas going to have to do a better job than the blokes just not to get complaints. This came from the top.

Looking back some players tried to take the piss, I chose not to use an umbrealla, this was what had been offered to us I found they obstructed the veiw of the feild both for the players and the marshals. I had intedned to carry a big towel and hide behind that but 90+ degrees heat and me with on going injuries there was no way I could hold that up for 10 hours.

I did thankfully pad up but as you can see the worst ones are above the padding line. On the whole I really enjoyed the refing but it was my first time at this level and I had a truly great buch of guys with me. The welts I took as part of the job all 41 of them. I expected to get shot, I don't think anyone shot at me on purpose, I know it did happen on other feilds. Dynasty used some really bad language but as they were gettiing one for oned it was not exactly suprising.

I do belive for the sport to progress we all have to stick togther, When running my site, my staff know I am 110% behind them we have rules and I like to stick to them. Any one purposly lighting up a marshal will be asked to leave. We are there primarly for their saftey. With toruneys we hope this is not the case we are there to run the feild in the way we as refs see best and by the rules of the tourney. I think if more players reffed it would open their eyes. I have been in paintball now 4 years 24 7 and ok so it's a short length of time compared to some of you and I can't say I rember pump guns but I have spent a lot of time on my feilds watched a lot of games and been to a few world class events.

Refing the world cup opened my eyes to the job the guys and girls in the frount line do. Its long long hours and often a thankess task with bitching and shouting to contend with. For what ever reason we had very little of that and even some good reffing coments I would like to think we did a good job I know I did the best job I could at the time. I agree for the sport to move on these and other issues need to be resolved we all know when we have stood in the worng palce at the wrong time we know when we have been shot on purpose. With more and more out side intrest and a move to make paintball more sepctator freindly these issues have to be addressed. We have all shot refs by mistake I know I have you say sorry it dosen't take the pain away but a mistake is just that.

I hope the sport dose not lose you jinxy from what I have seen your part of a dedicated back bone of regular tourney refs with out which no tourneys of worse self marsahling.

I find it intresting so far with only a couple of exceptions its fellow refs that have replyed players what are your veiws on this ?

 

[ices]

Jinx why in the hell did u take that kinda insult?
Ecspecially that "It was fun!" comment.

If the little ****e that he is did that to me, i would have no qualms about puttin 100 pp's on him.

And if i do that, thats very rare, as i dont make a scene of myself very often.


And jinx, what does your callsign name mean?
It means cursed.
Next time you see him, and he shoots you, just put a wee little 200 pp's to make his team hate him even more.
Curse the little runt 4 all the marshalls out there!!!

Im sure he will change.

 

[MrPink]

My two pence:

I have shot a Marshal before , both in Tournys and Rec-ball and I have, without exception, shouted an apology both at the time and if possible, gone up to the Marshal afterwards and said sorry.
It's only polite and without Marshals, It wouldn't be as fun to play, thats for sure