. As a ref , you can not allow that to continue . Now the most common practice is to switch players around on teams . That works but it makes some people feel like losers . So , what do you do ? Keep your eye on the timid players . If they get a random hit that most people can not see , run in , wipe the hit and tell them to get back in the game , all the while complimenting them and encouraging them . Maybe even give them a pointer or two to help them be more successful moving forward . Another thing I like to do is throw the stopwatch away . If blue is winning over and over but red just needs 30 more seconds to pull off a Hollywood victory … do not call the game , let red win and then tell them it was down to the final 5 seconds . Or same scenario except blue is about to win for its fourth time in a row and there is only 30 seconds in the game , blow the whistle early and call the game dead . Give red a tie . You do this because winning really does not matter in rec games and it especially does not matter with rental parties . What matters is the stories of glory . These stories will live long after the day has gone by . Nobody will remember which team was better , but everyone will remember the moment that they got to be a hero of the team for a game .
I will freely admit that this is not an easy line to walk . Wipe too many hits or change too many rules and your group will catch on . You need to be subtle . If you do get caught , be honest , take the observant player aside as best you can and tell them , with a huge smile on your face that your job is to keep everyone safe and happy . Then give ‘ em a wink , punch them on the arm gently to break space like a friend and walk away . KEEP IT SIMPLE … never explain . If you explain , you are asking for the player ’ s approval . You do not need their approval ; you are in charge .
Be in charge . You are the one that controls the chaos . What you say goes and everyone on the field understands that you are in complete control of the rules . Their whole happiness is riding on your actions . Even if you do not alter the course of the games , everyone is looking to you to lead them .
This leads into my next point and that is your attitude . If you think walking around yelling at people like a war movie drill sergeant is the way to be in charge , do everyone a favour and just go home . Nobody likes being yelled at . This will only discourage the meeker players and the cause the alpha players to rebel and basically ignore you . So , what do you do ? Smile ! Everyone on the paintball field is your friend . Think about your favourite high school teachers . How would they handle the situation ? Remember , if this is a rental party , chances are many have never played before and if they have , it will only be a handful of times . So have fun ! Smile ! Everyone is looking to you to set the tone of the day . Maybe sing a song badly , and dance along with it badly . Why ? Because it is fun and shows complete self confidence . It shows that you are not looking for their approval , you do not need their approval , you are having a great time and inviting them to join you .
Well , that is my basic view points on how to be a better recreational ref . I could honestly talk about moments being a referee for hours so this is by no means complete . It is just meant to be thought provoking . So many field owners and referees miss this perspective about the job . People usually feel that the job is usually “ rules , rules , rules ” and it needs to be “ safety , fun , fun .”
And with that … I ’ m done … --Steve
096 paintball . media magazine