Watch players like a hawk and ref them hard! Photos by Marc Gottfried.
What the paintball world doesn’t need is another “What’s wrong with the sport?” commentary. I’ll do my best here, but when surfing the forum boards recently, I saw an entire thread dedicated to cheating techniques, and it just about ripped my heart out. I think the original poster was looking to stir the pot, and get some colorful responses from both camps. He was successful in that effort, but also received nearly 400 posts, many of which were in support of cheating and intimately detailed those players’ preferred methods. I think the following posts sum up the overall feeling of the thread quite well:
1) “In my mind wiping paint or losing hits is kind of like holding in football. Everyone does it, but you have to hold a guy real close to you so the ref doesn’t see you doing it, just like wiping. It gives an extra element to the game. Why do you think that you can wipe in Greg Hastings [Tournament Paintball video game for Xbox]? He wanted it that way to add another element to the game. That is why you have to shoot people a lot. Don’t exactly bonus-ball them, but don’t go out there and try to one ball them, either.”
2) “My team actually had a wiping practice. As soon as you get hit in the chest you have to go down your side with your hand. Keep doing that until it becomes first nature. Also, putting bits of brushes or sponges helps A LOT.”
Today’s players are competing against two forces on the field: the opposing team and the refs. As it becomes more accepted among their ranks, and more glamorous, to be an effective cheater, we as refs must adapt or become extinct. In business, companies must stay at the cutting edge of their market, or they will be passed up by progress and fall victim to the competition. We as refs are no different, since our primary objective is to keep the game “right.”
I can study rulebooks, run tournaments, practice reffing rec-ball, and sit here writing articles until I’m blue in the face and none of it will matter one bit if I am not educated on the current culture and state of affairs on the field.
I’m calling for all refs to get in players’ faces! Wear protective gear, and put yourself in the game. The only way we will stop this ball from rolling even further out of control is to fight fire with fire.
This round ref shield offers some protection from paintball hits, but can?t protect the ref from players? verbal abuse. Photo by Dave ?Landshark? Norman.
Use your head, and don’t become an annoyance to those who follow the rules. Regulate your “reffing effort” to match the game you are officiating. If you are working a game and the participants’ play has proven questionable, then get enough ref power on the field, and watch them like a hawk. Stick on them like glue; don’t leave their side; become their shadow.
Don’t be a passive ref! These people who actually practice cheating are a joke and nuisance to the sport. Show them no mercy and ref them with an iron fist. Make your presence known by ripping armbands off, not by opening your mouth.
I’m serious here, folks. You don’t usually hear me going off like this, but we’ve got to save the sport. I am thoroughly disgusted with tournament players who lack honor, sportsmanship, or even simple maturity! These mental children will only understand an equal and opposite reaction to their behavior. Intense, legal, and in-your-face reffing can make cheating nearly impossible.
Through increased awareness on our part, I am confident that we can make a difference. It is literally them versus us. Game strategy has strangely come to involve the referees, a previously transparent governing force on the field. They have involved all of us who ref, so get involved, and support sportsmanship and the very foundation this and all sports were founded on!
My good friend Glenn Remick is the president of the American Darters Association. He promotes the sport of darts, organizes tournaments, writes rulebooks, and hosts events. In many ways, we do a lot of the same things for our respective sports. One day I was at his house and he proceeded to tell me about an ID card system he was using for one of his leagues. This is a professional league and the ID card is backed by a certification that designates the holder as a “pro.” My mind went to the NPPL or PSP systems of ID cards, and how they designate a player’s division and loosely, the player’s skill level.
There are several requirements to be met if a person wishes to become an ADA Professional Darter. He or she must be a member of the organization, play in a minimum number of events every year, have skill of a certain caliber according to the ADA’s charts, and adhere to a code of conduct and ethics—WHOA! That’s where the similarities end, huh?
Exhaustion results from the high stress and demands of reffing in paintball?s major events and leagues. Photo by Dave ?Landshark? Norman.
Glenn explained how their refs will punch a hole in a player’s membership card when he commits an infraction. Swearing, gross intoxication, and bad sportsmanship are some of the things that will land you a punched card. Glenn said, “That way when the player comes to register for a tournament, everyone will see that his card is punched and know that he has committed an infraction.” We’re talking about honor here, folks! His players would be looked down upon if they showed up with a punched card. This is because the participants would frown on troublemakers. An interesting contrast, since our sport puts troublemakers on a pedestal.
How do you think that would work for paintball? It’s laughable. I’ll tell you exactly what would happen: The players would wear a punched card like a badge of honor. I can just imagine certain pro players walking around with hole-riddled cards hanging on lanyards around their necks like stripes on a military uniform.
What the heck is going on with paintball? Why are cheater, punk kids looked upon as gods of the field? If you’re a ref, please think about this. I want to hear from you. The tournament side of the sport is going down the toilet, with playing practices that are more dangerous than holding in football. Paintball is evolving into a competition between the wrong two parties. Watch a paintball DVD and listen to how the commentator talks about the refs. If you hear me and stand for what I’m saying here, then take action this season, and make a statement with your officiating. For all those who plan to cheat on my fields this year, watch out. I’m coming for you. Game on.
Marc Gottfried has been playing the sport with Total Greif Paintball Team (totalgreif.com) since 1989 and his home field is Xtreme Paintball Park, Millstadt, Illinois (xtremepaintballpark.com). Marc is a world champion brewmaster who operates a state-of-the-art brewery/nightclub in St. Louis, Missouri (morganstreetbrewery.com). Comments to Marc can be e-mailed to co2@actionpursuit games.com.
