A rant......

[the JoKeR]

Amen on your post, across the board. This is a game, not a tournament, and we're all out there to have fun.

Originally posted by RobAGD
At my local field I am flat out not allowed to play with ANY of my friend because and 2 of us are worth 5 to 10 walks typically. We don't abuse people, we dont over shoot, we are just very effictive at working down the field and shooting out people.

That happens regularly at the indoor field I play at. Animal and I are usually split up, probably because we're on the same 3 man team. Although it's nice knowing somebody has your back and won't shoot it, it's also fun to go up against an "enemy" of a comparable skill level. I wouldn't mind more time practing as a team, but nobody else is there to be our practice targets.

[hitech]

Originally posted by the JoKeR
I wouldn't mind more time practing as a team, but nobody else is there to be our practice targets. [/B]

Too bad you're not around here. I LOVE being a torunament teams target pratice. It's much more competive, therefore much more fun.

[MPC-Tim]

We offer team practices on Sunday afternoons at $5 a person and $60 a case of paint so that advanced players have a place to go all out. We've had few takers so far though. I expect that number will go up with Sup Air and winter.

[the JoKeR]

Originally posted by hitech
Too bad you're not around here. I LOVE being a torunament teams target pratice. It's much more competive, therefore much more fun.

I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm Mr. Tournament or anything. I just play some 3 man local tourneys, and we hold our own. Put me up against a REAL tourney player and I'll wet my pants!

[hitech]

Originally posted by the JoKeR
I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm Mr. Tournament or anything. I just play some 3 man local tourneys, and we hold our own. Put me up against a REAL tourney player and I'll wet my pants!

Me either. The last tournament I played in was in 1991. Things have changed a little since then!

[skipdogg]

My opinion on what to do with newbies and advanced players is this: If at all possible split up the players into two groups, and have them play on separate fields. With a 2+ field facility, this can be easily done with simultanious games. I suppose the dilema here is; what if there are only 20 total players? Spliting it up to two games would be pointless. Well, then i would say the "advanced" people will be so few in number (maybe 10-15 of them out of the 20) that you can take them aside during orientation, or before the game to say "take it easy on the newbies" My suspicion is that most players would respond to that. We were all newbies once. And if an "advanced" player doesn't seem to get that during a game, then the point either needs to be made stronger with him/her individually, or they get tossed. Some people are just "unpleasent" people anyway, and it may be someone that would be good to ban. a normal person is going to listen to the field. a jerk isn't.
As for Tim at MPC about the orientation times. I would definatley say that multiple orientations are needed througout the night. The people that come on time or early want to play. People that come late are obviously not in a hurry to play. So, yeah it would suck to give 10 or so orientations a night, but it would get the games started right away for the people there!! im a person that hates latness also. if i went to a field that was constantly late and i didnt feel i was getting my money's worth, i would stop going!

just my .02

[the JoKeR]

That works for most players, but I'd guess we've all seen players who think they're God's gift to the sport and are above the rules. It's players like that that I can't stand. I know I've overshot people, or accidently shot a ref or somebody who is already out. We all have. It's when somebody does it on purpose and repeatedly that problems arise.

[FatMan]

Tim, a few thoughts:

- If you are offering teams practice time, you are doing the right thing. A REAL team doesn't want to practice with or around the newbies.

- Even if you have one field - if the teams are out, alternate newbies and teams on the field (works fine indoors anyway - the teams reload while the newbies play). Any newbies who WANT to play with the teams can - but they take their own risks.

- REAL teams don't WANT to play with newbies - it actually HURTS your game. It makes you sloppy. People who like to shoot up newbies are just bullies (and yeah, you know who you are).

- If team players and/or experienced rec players must play with newbies due to low numbers, they must be divided up, they must follow newbie rules (no bunkering, 10ft rule, no overshooting, etc.), the rules must be well enforced by a competent ref - and they need to understand its RECBALL not a tourney. It's just a game and not worth yelling or cursing or otherwise loosing control.

- A tried and true mechanism is to have the ref choose the two best players and let them act as captains and alternate choosing players (the PE method). After those teams play each way, redivide the teams - possibly with different captains.

- Any loss of business due to players who won't deal with these issues reasonably is money well invested in your field's reputation.

Finally, I'd like to bring up another dilemma: there are the bullies who like to beat up on newbies - then there are the whiners who call everyone a cheater at the drop of a hat. This makes the ref's job really hard. Just because some guy comes up and says - hey that guy's wiping or shot me in the head on purpose or stepped out and then kept shooting - doesn't always mean that's exactly what happened. I'm lucky that I haven't seen TOO many of the newbie killers in my time playing ball - but I've seen a lot of the whiners. This is where you REALLY rely on your refs being serious about their job. They have to get to know the personalities on the field and keep and eye on things. I've heard quite a few people complain that it was that guy with the Angel and there was no way they could beat him, when in fact, they made a stupid move. The guy could have had a pump and it was going to be the same. It's not much fun when someone wants you off the field because he's a poor player - when playing with you MIGHT help him improve his game (I've never had this happen to me, but I've seen it - and it was NOT a case that I thought warranted the complaint).

Anyway, chew on that for a while.

FatMan

[Steve Crush]

When i'm a ref take last week for example heres what i usually do. Like in fatmans thread. I'll usually make captains " ok who wants to be captain" whoever raises hands i choose captains. They choose teams. Or when i choose teams i usually go from skill lvl and split up from the top down. Then it's game time they run some games 2 maybe 3 if there not fair, we do it all over. I was refing a game and it was like 4 against 1 the one was a 10 yr old newb with a talon. I was right there by the kids side ready to call him out the second i knew he was gonna get hit. well naturally he's getting flanked on both sides next i here "take it easy it's a little kid"(he eventaually called himself out). About the whiners i know all about it All i here is "he's hit REF go check that guyy WAAAAYYYYY over there he's wiping paint" I'm like ok (knowing he prolly didn't wipe). When my field had a tourney team the owner wouldn't let them play with the rec ballers period.


steve