Any refs here?

[mikey101]

I was thinking of getting a job over the summer as being a ref at my local field, and was wondering if anyone here has any expirence in reffing. It would only be a weekend job, but does it kind of make you sick of the sport? Do you enjoy what you do? any info you could give me on how yours works and how you feel about reffin would be appreciated, thanks!

[M-a-s-sDriver]

I reff quite a bit, tournies now, but I used to do a lot of rec-ball.
Whether or not you enjoy it depends mostly on your attitude and work ethic. A trick I found that helps is to really get into it, almost like you are playing the game. (Which you are, in a very real sense) For instance, in rec-ball, I try to find those people that are scared or nervous, and guide them a little so they have a successful game. I also tell them how great they are doing. At tournies I show everyone the respect they deserve, which may be a little or a lot, just depends, get them hyped before the game, and get thier head into the game "business" afterwards by making them sign the scoresheets and check thier scores. That tends to level out emotions if someone got overshot or bunkered. When pulling players that are eliminated I ALWAYS get in between them and the flying paint, which keeps them from getting thrashed, therefore angry, and I say "Your Eliminated Player", and always thank them. Unless I find someone cheating, I never say "Your Gone" or " Get Outta There". But mostly, I try to get into it and have some fun.
Why not??
Brent Jackson, PFB.

[liigod]

good tips, very intelegent and well thought out. I wish u reffed at fairgrounds or sherwood :-). I miss jeff from sherwood :-(

[liigod]

SHeilds, those can help. Im serious the refs who dont get shot up on their body get closer in and make better calls.

[HoppysMag]

Im a ref.... my whole 7 months experiance.. you will never get sick of paintball. when reffing you learn especialy if your reffing for good players. you see what they do that gets them shot and you learn from it.

[bsolomon]

Reffing was one of the best things I ever did to improve my on-field performance.

Here are some examples:

When you play, you invariably get into situations where you can clearly see an opposing player that you can't shoot, and you need help from your buddy. For some reason, you can't get him to see this player. When you ref, you can take the opportunity during these situations to move from position to position and see for yourself how certain features in terrain, or a player's position in their bunker can allow them see/shoot a player, or completely miss the opportunity.

When reffing, you can take the opportunity to literally see the field from the players point of view, and then from above. Simply get a couple of feet behind a player during a shootout and align your view with theirs. You can look right down their barrel and see what they see. Then stand up and see what they don't see. You will quickly learn to cure problems such as tunnel vision and gain a far greater appreciation for the importance of on-field communications, especially for getting other players "views" of your situation.

When reffing, pay close attention to players who get hit quickly and easily. Always ask yourself why they got hit, what did they do wrong, what could they have done differently. Pay close attention to the players who seem to always survive each game. They fall into two classes, those who are too passive and those who are good players. Try to determine the difference between the two types.

Spend time during games working on your on-field strategies. Look at the situations as they unfold. Try to predict what will happen. Try to determine when mistakes are made that cost one team a game. What would you have done differently?


In short, if you take advantage of the learning experience that is right in front of you, reffing can be extremely rewarding.

[Jonno06]

i have been reffing for about 1 month now,and have to ref tomarrow from 2-11,and on sunday from 11-6....i dont carry around the shield b/c it slows me down while im trying to check for hits.....i love reffing...and i didnt know it was possible to get sick of paintball...

[~Backdraft~]

XspyX and I reffed a small tourney at our local field last summer...and I must say it was really fun, sometimes it is AS fun as playing. Its great because you get to see the game from a whole different perspective and learn from other people's mistakes. XspyX, -son-, and I will be reffing some tourney's and rec ball over the summer when we aren't playing. Another thing thats cool about it is the field owner cuts us deals where if we ref for the morning for free then we get to play the second half of the day for free. So we end up getting a free day of paintball! :D

[hitech]

Originally posted by bsolomon
Reffing was one of the best things I ever did to improve my on-field performance.

I would agree. Same thing happened to me. I couldn't have said it better myself. :D

[AdrenalineMag]

ever since i started reffin i have also noticed my ability to improve, cause you can watch people and learn from there mistakes. not to mention the pay. but look at the bottom line, YOU GET PAID TO WATCH PEOPLE SHOOT AT EACH OTHER!! god i love this job...

[MajorDamage]

I have been a ref since last fall, I helped ref when the other ref wanted to play a few, or had to go fill tanks or something, then they needed more refs and asked me if I could do it. I usually ref once or twice a month, and I find it fun, especially when no one shows up, then I get to leave(sometimes two hours early) with full pay lol :). But it's even more fun reffing people who know how to play, then you learn stuff :). Reffing newbies is just sorta boring, and you have to keep looking toi make sure everyone hast heir masks on, and they arnt wiping like crazy. But it's a good job, the perks are better than the pay I'd say tho(discounts on paint, free field fee, discounts on stuff in the store and air, I got a case of Anarchy for $47 last tourney, it's usually $57 at tourneys, I was happy about that lol :)).

ENDO!

[FatMan]

I love reffing - mostly because I love to help newbies learn the game and help experienced player improve their game, and reffing (if you do it right) is a great way to get into the game. You get to see the game from a broader perspective.

A lot of refs at commercial fields sit on the sidelines and try to do as little as possible. In that case, you don't get to see how player's techniques work or don't work and get a good feel for the tactics involved.

I suppose eventually you could get tired of anything. And work is work - but if I were a kid and looking for a great way to spend my summer, reffing at a field would seem like a great idea!

FatMan