Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2014 Paintball Resolutions

Depending on how celebratory your New Year's Eve was it may take a day or two before you can focus on this post. No worries. Take all the time you need. Part of ringing in a new year is that it provides an arbitrary place to start over or begin again (or at least feel like we can.) Typically all those positive (and determined) feelings fade about as quickly as our resolutions--which is kind of a bummer. VFTD's gift to all our readers is a chance to approach the whole resolution thing from a different perspective. Instead of resolving to be a better person, whatever that may mean, or to do something you obviously don't want to do otherwise you would have done it already--like lose weight or quit smoking--this is your opportunity to resolve to have some fun, paintball style.
What do you want from paintball in 2014? Now's the time to get out in front of it and resolve to see it happen. Want to play Oklahoma D-Day? Or PSP World Cup 10-man? Or play paintball in as many different states as possible this year? The sky's the limit and best of all if you get going today you've got 364 more days to make it happen.
What's your paintball resolution for 2014?

6 comments:

Larry said...

I will play paintball at least once in 2014. Breaking my two year dry spell.

NewPro said...

I will do my absolute best to point out PSP company policies coach is forced to adopt as his own for fear of losing his new job

splatkid10 said...

Sort of related…the minor flag for talking to the ref after your out…that penalty happens too much - especially after a point is over. It's retarded. Should someone be given a penalty for abusing the ref, absolutely, but arguing your point doesn't warrant a penalty. Does every player/coach get ejected from a baseball game or get T'd up at a b-ball game?

All I'm really saying…is the trigger on that penalty is way too sensitive. Can the rules man change it?

Nick Brockdorff said...

You are SO right!

The rule was put in place for 2 reasons:

1. To stop the rampant abuse of refs - and players refusing to leave the field in an orderly manner

2. To stop players from relaying information to live players (which isn't really relevant these days, with coaching in place).

Now, that rule could easily be changed, so that you are allowed to (for instance) ask why you were eliminated.... which is often a topic.

It's silly that paintball matches see both players and spectators screaming and shouting... but as soon as you are eliminated, it suddenly becomes "tennis".... and all too often you see players penalized for something that, for all intends and purposes was not an attempt to cheat.

Another thing that would be nice to see, would be getting rid of the flag..... we have used buzzers in Europe for years, and they work great, especially when they are tied into the game timer, so it is absolutely clear if the buzzer was pressed before or after game over.

NStoer said...

I'm all for the no talk when your dead rule, as far as I'm concerned its not enforced enough.

In CXBL pointing while hit can get you a penalty.

It's simple, if the ref calls you out then don't talk until the buzzer goes. Refs need to concentrate on the rest of the point, not argue with players once a call has been made.

Sometimes if I have an issue with a call I'll just stand on the sidelines and wait for the point to end but that can be abused. Regardless, the time to argue a call is after the point, not during.

splatkid10 said...

NStoer -

I understand what you are saying, but let's face it, paintball referees are the most vindictive/unfair referees to officiate a sport (certain exceptions may occur ;) ).

I've found most refs in my regional league and at PSP events I have played to WANT to throw flags. Football refs don't sit there like "oh I'm gonna get you good player..." They throw a flag when they believe a penalty has truly occurred. I feel this is evident at the divisional pb level and at the pro level as well. Look at their body language and how they argue with players sometimes when they throw penalties...it appears they are trying to show them (the players) up. Also, when a player is pleading his case that he was hit after he was spun on, it shouldn't be an automatic yellow flag like it can be. That should be reserved for when I say "hey ref, you blind fucking donkey, he spun!"

I hope Baca can improve the professionalism of the refs top to bottom. I've seen refs tell fans to STFU and that they would throw penalties if fans kept going at it...really? really? You get a call wrong - fine, you yell at fans...take off your ref jersey because you have no idea what a ref does. Enforce fair play and safety, that's it. If the fans act up, tell the promoter and don't continue play until the issue is resolved. I learned that when I was 13 reffing soccer!

So now I've expanded my wish list...adjust the talking after you're hit penalty to not throw minor's for someone saying "he spun" or "why am I out?" (when pulled on a penalty) AND train the refs at the local, regional, and national levels to be both professional and courteous.

...That is all!