General

[wolf13]

Originally Posted by Dylan6-0

Almost any ref really doesn't do it for the money, unless you really young. You do it to help the sport. They just need better classes, and people that actually care.

and THAT is the problem. the people doing the reffing are NOT professionals. they screw up, so what, it really doesn't end up being a big deal, and right now, paintball can't make it a big deal.

[Tallen702]

So, my question is this. We apparently realize where the NPPL has made some wrong moves with the reffing issue (staffing, training, etc). What is it that the guys in the Millennium or any of the other series are doing right if they aren't having the same reffing issues?

Why doesn't the NPPL invite some of their guys over to guest-judge some of the matches and compare notes?

Obviously Mr. Walker knows that the system needs fixed, so why not take advantage of all the resources available to the NPPL, and not just the internal ones.

[b to the a to the k]

How many of you actually participate in the NPPL?

I switched from the PSP to the NPPL last season and have been to the last 6 events. Played in 5 and coached KC.

From a D3 level I have seen a consistent improvement @ each stop.

+ The new best of 3 format for quarters/semis/finals (best thing ever!)
+ The new turf
+ Moving to 4 field layouts instead of 6.
+ Faster registration, I haven't waited in line for more than 30 minutes with the exception of HB.

People get all excited about this Pro level BS. Whatever, they will whine/bitch/moan no matter what the circumstances.

I have personally talked with Shawn Walker and witnessed him throughout events checking on fields and interacting with everyone at these events.

Basically, I'm happy with the NPPL and consider it an improvement over the PSP.

--Brent Kotchman
Air Assault Factory (currently ranked #2 in D3 NPPL)

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by b to the a to the k

How many of you actually participate in the NPPL?

A better question: Is the NPPL for the players or the fans?

If it's for the players then the NPPL shouldn't care what they do or how it's percieved outside the event as long as the players leave the event satisfied.

If it's for the fans then they need to make sure the fans feel like the events are being run as fairly as possible so they know the team or player that they follow has just as much a chance of winning as any other team. I'm not just talking about fans in the stands. I'm talking about the fans who buy the markers, loaders, paint, jerseys, pants, barrels, boards, cleats, masks, squeegies, headbands, shoe laces and whatever other thing their favorite team or player has on or near their person. Pro sports exist to sell stuff. From Pro Bowling to NASCAR the adverising dollars are the only reason pro sports exist. The reason the NPPL exists as it does is due to the smallest contingent of players(the top level pro's) and all the money they bring to the tournaments. If the fans aren't happy with the NPPL and begin ignoring it, the sponsors will not think the money they spend on sponsoring the teams and events is worthwhile and they will abandon the series for a series where they think their money will be be better spent.

Whether you as a player think the NPPL is fine or not the perception of the fans in the stands, reading the magazines and chatting on the internet is the most important thing to the series.

[sdawg]

b to the a to the k: I'm glad that you are giving us your first hand opinion as a competitor in the NPPL. What do you think about the complaints about the NPPL referees? That seems to be the biggest problem with the NPPL at this point. I would like to reiterate that *all* sports have this problem (not enough referees, poor training for referees).

Mr. Furious: Good points. It seems like the divisional levels of the NPPL are for the players. Semi-pro is in the middle. The Professional level of play *should* be for the fans. But, what I took away from KC as a member of the audience who waited for 2 hours for the final match (that didn't happen), the pro teams are taking the opportunities they've been given for granted.

[kodiak61]

I have the following teams in the NPPL:

Pbwarehouse Squadron Red D1 (On feild Captain)
Pbwarehouse Squadron Blue D3

Primary Sponsor of:

Sniper Force D2
FYT D3 (Currently in 1st Place)

I also sponsor:

La Distraction D3


I have spent more then my fair share of money with the NPPL. I also give the organization plenty of money for the XPSL circuits that my teams enter.

So I speak from a player's perspective first, then as a money sponsor.

I agree with the points you have made B to the A to the K about the events and formats. I also love those things you pointed out and agree its much better for the league. However the reffing consistency and BS has been horrible on much more levels then just the pro. The pro's just get the attention. Tampa event D1 Team Nurv ( I use to sponsor and am still friends with) had a Impact/Ironmen like situation happen to them, and only because Fernando went to the magazines did anything happen for them.

I have yet to "bash" the ref's or fly off the handle. I respect the job they try to do. And their are some really good ones who do try very hard. I just want a different level of professionalism and want consistency between the feilds and the league in general.

Again, there is a lengthy thread on this subject on PBN with pro players, nppl refs and many team owners revising what they think the the problem is. Its probably the only thread worth reading on PBN at this moment. Its in the NPPL section under Tournements.

I love the 7 man and the NPPL format. I a NEVER played nor sponsored a team in the PSP. If the NPPL continues to not changes the priority placed on the reffing professionalism, I will be playing the first PSP event of my life next season.

Andrew Kerns
Pbwarehouse Squadron Red D1

[b to the a to the k]

My opinion: Reffing is reffing.
I've reffed local events for the last 5 years and make decent money off it and even when its down to perfection, people still bitch.

Case in point: How many calls are made in an typical 7man game? Lets see some math:

AVERAGE:

10 elminations
10 paint checks

Thats 20 "calls" per each game. I would call 20 unique calls per game a conservative estimate.

In D3 alone, there's usually around 40ish teams. Each team playing 8 prelim games.

40 x 8 = 320 games.

320 x 20 (average "calls" per game) = 6400.

Six thousand and four hundred decisions made in the lowest division ALONE.

Lets say these refs are beyond human and make 99% of the calls absolutely right.

Thats still 64 calls that are absolutely WRONG. 64 players on 64 teams that feel they got screwed each and every event....The problem is people focus on that 1% and let it eclipse the 6336 right calls.

Throw in a 10 hour day in the hot sun with people shooting you non-stop and then add in each player trying to push the boundaries and play the gray and you begin to appreciate the absolute horror that is reffing @ the national level.

Basically, losers blame the reffing.

Winners don't let the refs impact the game.

[wolf13]

a bad call is a bad call on the field, i can agree with that; but when it comes to basic, game required things like proper placement of flags, basic rules knowledge and timekeeping, how can there be an excuse? thats not a mistake in the moment when things go wrong, thats a problem that could and should have been avoided. things like the screw up at the kc finals has no excuse. as for your last two lines, sorry, but that I can't agree with. refs can easily keep a superior team from winning through inaction, mistakes or deliberate malice, and when teams are close in skill, its all to easy for the refs to be the deciding factor if they even slightly favor a team.

[Drachen]

Wow, can you be any more rude b to the a to the k? If you're going to be playing a sport professionally, and have so many people watching you, you'd think that the refs, and players would push themselves to help give the sport a good reputation. More than half of the players now-a-days cheat any way they can get away with. They "play the gray" to try to get the best of their opponent. BY CHEATING. Yeah, go ahead and act like we're making a big deal out of something small. Cheating is hardly frowned upon anymore. "It's a part of the game". Yeah, good job on that one. It makes me proud to be playing in the same sport as people like you.

[b to the a to the k]

I never said anything about cheating. I don't do it and I don't condone it. It's not worth the risk.

I used it in the context of what the refs have to deal with.

Please re-read my post before flying off the keyboard....