US low division tourneys?????

[JoseDominguez]

Just wondering........ what's the US tourney scene like for the newer/novice players? something I really know nothing about......... what sort of kit gets used? as over here even a bottom division team is fielding E-blades and stuff. Thinking about it, we don't really have an "entry level" tourney scene.. unless you are kitted up you can't really compete. Is it different stateside....... could a team with spyders and tippys enter a tourney and be in the running (against equal ability)?
I think I've been assuming it's similar to over here, but if it's different it would explain a few things (particularly new marker advice etc.... in newbies).

 

[Tommy Gun-Nexus]

From what I understand the rec-scene in the states is out of this world. With teams playing woodland of airball almost every week with tippy/spyper level guns. Not sure about entry level tournaments (tho it's likely), but there are enough reguler rec players to have some regular entry level competition.

I think the big difference between here and the states is that loads of rec-playas' it the US are content with playing walkons and rec days, with no want to step up a level and play tourneys. I know hardly anyone in the uk who is content with just playing rec.. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing tho

 

[JoseDominguez]

Never though of that. Could it be a price thing?

 

[Mark]

Originally posted by Tommy Gun-Nexus
I think the big difference between here and the states is that loads of rec-playas' it the US are content with playing walkons and rec days, with no want to step up a level and play tourneys. I know hardly anyone in the uk who is content with just playing rec.. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing tho

Being content to play rec is not an option in this country as you can't just go play at the drop of a hat with your own equipment of whatever standard...there are way too few walkon days available within the UK....the states however don't seem to care and the only stipulation on a great many sites is site only paint.
when i first started to play in the UK you were allowed to be a walkon all the time at every site I went to...not the case anymore as users with their own equipment in the UK tend to have mid to high end gear and it would be a little nasty to say the least to light up a newbie..but even the few days that anything goes is allowed are very very few.

 

[pb-afroman]

Well being as I am part of that low-mid level tourny scene here in the US, I have a pretty good idea of what its like Most teams here in the rookie-novice division are shooting high end guns, best of everything. Of course there are some exceptions, usually a group of friends will get together or something and play with spyders or whatever; almost every tournament there is a team or two like that around. By far though, most people who are playing tournaments are playing them with high end gear. By far the most popular high end marker (at least in So. Cal) are timmies. I was at a 3 man today and virtually everyone was shooting a timmy there.

In a low level tournament, i.e. rookie or young guns, a team with Tippmans or spyders can definitely be competative, but when you get up into the nov division I doubt there are many teams like that in the running. Nov is absolutely fierce around here, even in the local tourny scene. Then again since CA is such a hotbed for paintball it may not be that way all over the US. Overall I think that things are pretty much the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

[JoseDominguez]

Even a rookie team i.e. never taken to a tourney field before will be up against top end kit in the UK........... we don't seem to have any "entry level"

So, the big question............... do we need one?

How about, a stock tournament (air ball but with markers provided by the site/sponsor ) for pure novice players? I think it would work.......... how about it? no players who've played tournament allowed.
Maybe sponsored by established teams who help them train?
Can we give this a go? A truly even tournament with level ground for the new players? I know I've lost prospective players when they've been slaughtered by ringers. We have no where for the new starters to get into tourney........ I'm bringing six new players to a tourney next week, I've got no doubt they'll end up running into a re-branded B-div team that's had a winter re-organise and registered as new.

 

[pb-afroman]

I think that we are talking about two different kinds of rookie teams. Around here at least, a rookie team has played tournaments before, and is nearly as skilled as any novice team (which is as high as local teams will go, after that they have to go to national events for competition).

Something like what you are talking about would be a good idea, but I think that there is one that would be little less restrictive. Here, the Best in the West tournament circuit has a below rookie division called beginner. They play 3 man, unlimited paint, centerflag format. The trick is that you can only play in this division for one year no matter how well you do in it. Something like that would allow people with little to no experience stay on a relatively level playing field. If possible, a stock class tournament like you said would level things out even more. I think something like that would get a higher turnout than if it was required that the player have no tournament experience. It would also give newer players a better feeling as to what tournaments are really like.

 

[sjt19]

Originally posted by JoseDominguez
Is it different stateside....... could a team with spyders and tippys enter a tourney and be in the running (against equal ability)?

Bad Company and Tippman Effect.......

 

[JoseDominguez]

not the point I was trying to make........ what I mean is, where is the affordable end of the sport in the UK? it would help us get lots of new players if someone could play on equal terms with a marker worth less than his/her car
And I'm not whining about the cost....... i've got all the shiney stuff and wouldn't go back.........but lots of new players are scared off by the cash thing.

 

[Graham-DV8]

I can see where your coming from on this one.

Atm for rookie/Starter teams there KOTH (that comes to mind) where as you said you do get teams filed with E-Blades/Angels etc which cost an arm and a leg, but you also get teams that are using just blowbacks/Spyders etc.

I think if the sport was bigger and had a larger "New Players" / "Never played tourny ball before" player base, then your plan would work , but as it stands there's no where near enough new blood coming into paintball, this is show when teams are trying to step up from 5man to 7man teams and they carn't find the players.

So YES its a good idea, would it work? Atm probs not, unless your only expecting a few teams.....