The scenario between Team A and Team B was exactly what happened to Blitz in Chicago. Match was won by Blitz, CEP complained about the score, Blitz disagreed, then Dan and the ultimate came in to review footage and turned over the score. They even made up a penalty that happened several points back to reverse the outcome of the match giving CEP the win. All of this was decided over the course of the next 2 matches after the fact. Let’s Talk Paintball posted a video about it and nearly got burned for it because the league wanted to sweep it under the rug. Even though they admitted fault for giving CEP the win and settled with Blitz. This ref is right. Love the reffing crew, but there is something very wrong with the leadership of the league.

Shout out to all the refs in paintball across the world. We as players know that is a thankless job, but some of us really appreciate you. Paintball has to be one of the hardest sports to ref ever for so many reasons, so you guys def need to be paid for any extra work. This isn’t charity. Good for you guys setting your foot down.

great video! 💯🔥🔥

Would really like to hear the full 45 minute interview. Could you make that available as well?

Thank you for Inside information

Makes me sad to hear this. I love this game but damn, refs are underpaid, pros are underpaid, local fields/stores barely break even and the prize money for a first place divisional win at a national event can’t even cover the flights to get there in the first place. The worst part is, I have no clue what the solution to any of those problems are.

I can't agree more with everything he said! Especially how these players an spector talk to the reffs and get away with it. An reffs are expected to just take it.

I just listened to this interview. If the ref in the interview was referring to me being the ref manager that supposedly got fired, he has no idea what he is talking about. I did not get fired, I left because I did not agree with how Tom was running the league. I believe CJ took over at that time. I initially worked on developing a league to compete with the NXL and was gaining a lot of traction until a significant situation in my personal life caused me to reflect on what is truly important. It was at that time I walked away from everything paintball. Also, at PSP Philly we had games go till 1:30am. Still have horribly nightmares from that one. I have to stand up for Chris Raehl, the number of teams playing an event is decided by the league, not Chris. Chris provides the league with all the variables and the league decides what option they want to take. The younger guys around most likely have no idea who I am, or was, but I promise you, there are very few people who know more than I about what truly happens behind the scene of tournament paintball.

PAINTBALL REFS UNION

Not sure who this guy is but he would have hated PSP Galveston 2012 (6am start 1am end and back at 6am) , Worldcup 2012 or 2013 (115+ heat index), and the numerous other shit shows we had back in the day. It was a bad event, but you will all be back like always. I left last year because of leadership I can agree with that. NXL is a big show to look good and not be good.

“Rahel. Really. It’s a Rahel thing”

I agree with getting players to act more professional with being the biggest tournament or national championship tournament for paintball. I was always curious on why can’t paintball be an Olympic sport? If the game was pushed more professional we would have more players and more money and better organization with the sport. But to backtrack, I do disagree with working over 12+ hours with out a break or more money, I believe the NXL can afford to pay the referees an hourly wage, But I also don’t know the full scope of the position. Thought 💭??? Love the channel btw , I also watch the new and old videos

I'e always said PB has too many division and formats. Gotta cut it down or up the charges. A lot of pump touries out west have no talk no jesture rules once a player is called dead. If they keep chirping or tossin hostility toward refs it is basically a minor. Only the Team captain/coach can adress a ref.

some of the info conflicts with what actually happened…

There use to be MANY places around Atlanta, GA 10 years ago to play paintball. Now there hardly any and especially anywhere to play XBALL or NXL style air fields. Paintball IS dead, but there is a lingering handful of folks thats keeping it alive. Now there is Gel Ball markers coming out. I dont know what to say about the sport anymore. I use to play NPPL and MSPA. I miss it very much.

Players could all chip in $2 to $5 and add that to the reffs take home. Split the pot between every reff there. Just brainstorming but it could work if they added it to the entry by appa player count per event. Not to mention reffs would appreciate the ballers more….and me for coming up with the idea😉😂 shoutout team Tantrum! Remember I through of this first 🤣✊

bruv how is Dan Perez still around

Great video! I always think about the refs in the NXL and how rough of a job it must be. So many tough decisions need to be made and only some matches have a video replay available. I really hope they come to an agreement with the NXL and get fair wages. Pretty savage how little they are getting paid it sounds like and refs are so vital in speedball.

Make Reffing teams and have the "reffing team" charge per game reffed. Such as a per game reffed price. That might take care of the overworked reffing problem. As for the treatment of refs, you could fine the teams playing or disqualify them. Not the best idea for treatment of refs but just a suggestion.

Times are tough everywhere. Im sure there are greater issues than you understand at play though. At the end of the day, its the worldcup of paintball. You dealt with a hurricane and the aftermath before and during the tournament. There were already plenty of teams and people that couldn't fly in to world cup because of it. They had to squeeze the schedule into longer days with fewer hours. They definitely should compensate you fairly though for your hours and toughing it out, so i get it from the ref perspective too. Why dont you all get organized and unionize like the other refs in other pro sports? just a thought! Fair play with legit Refs are important to this game!

Pay refs on a match reffed basis. Teams pay an entrance fee to play a certain amount of games so this should be easily calculated by NXL to be beneficial to the ref as well as keep cost at a realistic level.

This aged well

I have been working events Sense 2003. There has been several management changes for obvious reasons. I made the decision not to return after last year.. there is evidently no value in having years of experience.

I feel so bad for these guys. I am a referee as well but I only ref recball and my job is nowhere's near as intense as these real tournament referees is, and I know what it's like to ref at least 11 straight hours running non-stop games the entire time without a break and I know how tired I get, and just having players give us a hard time makes the day so much worse so I can't imagine what these poor nxl refs are going through and the thought of a fixed pay per day sounds like a nightmare. F*** that

it sounds to me like peeps in charge are treating pro refs like most field owners treated player refs in the 90s. come on guys there is a better way, either hourly or have a second shit of fresh refs whos job it is to pick up those games specifically. sad to see the sport on such a struggle bus.

Hate hyperball fields, everyone has there barrels in-between the grooves of the pipee

paintball REFS union???

I feel this!!! I reffed ICPL Chicago this year. It was fucked up!!! I have a story for you.

Pretty sure team A is DST Semi-Pro lol

How much do refs even get paid for a day at NXL events, do refs have free lodging and transportation and free food for the work day? Do they get codes/ discounts from pb companies? Or is the reffing it just out of love and a quick buck 😮

NXL IS GOING TO GO UNDER!

The refs shouldn't be doing any additional work they were contracted to. Plain and simple. If they are working additional games at the end of the tournament they either need to be additionally compensated or more refs need to be brought in to handle the loser rounds.

Scotty ever considered doing radio or voice over? You got the voice for it

Great content as always brotha! Curious to see what next season holds?

I think anyone that wants to have an opinion on this should half to prove they reffed an event...

Make a video about the cs3 and its terrible air efficiency.

Idk what the leagues make in entry’s alone but everyone who plays/works the events doesn’t even see a percent of it. I know the leagues make money. And I’ve reffed a lot of different leagues for years and it sucks ass. So I feel Bro, these refs need some representation. The leagues need to make fundamental changes at some point. Or competition paintball will die out.

So he is complaining that he has to work. They know they have to work X days. "They add 300 3 man teams and 400 5 man teams" 5 man registration is closed off before the event starts, there is no adding more teams on Saturday. There were 71 teams in 3 man, not 300... Multiple fields on Sunday would not even be needed if these divisions were not a thing. Imagine if a group of refs have to go to the event and miss a day of working because they decide to not host these divisions. Yes, playing until 8:30PM is insane but it seems to be a one off issue. He brought up numerous times about changes with management, yet did not even say any reasons why there should be changes. This is a lot of bitching about having to work.

Rule 3.2.3 and Rule 14.3.3.

Honestly sounds like a lot of complaining the refs don’t really do that much they gotta stop crying and go ahead and leave they act like they’re not replaceable getting a new ref is like finding a new pod runner😂

Seems like the simple solution is to pay them hourly.

Imagine if that poor ref was a farmer and he had to work 90hrs week Bo fuckin who dude you picked to be a ref

Not justifiable what so ever. Guy just made him self sound lazy.

Hmmm

This sounds like pure cap, IMO. The PSP did the same stuff, any large tournament would. This isn’t anything new. And, if you really are an experienced head ref, you’d know there probably hasn’t been an event in the history of the league that games usually run on time. I’ve been playing in the PSP/NXL since the late 2000s, games always start late. As a ref you need to realize that when you sign up. Literally everything he says sounds like this is all a giant lie lmao.

the reffing at cup was absolute shit and they were CLEARLY favoring teams and giving them blatant big breaks. Literally started a point against narcos, got a kill 2 off break and were 5 up on them,. and the refs stopped the point and said we needed to play it over because "the other team wasn't ready". I did see some of them trying to rush to the box at the 10 second timer, but if they aren't there in time, then they're just considered out, never have i ever had refs stop a point for my team because we "Weren't ready" so why should they get such a luxury ? Shit was ridiculous.

Lol

Hmmmm, sounds rough, but NXL has been around much longer than 5 years. Classically, NXL was a category of play for the PSP. I think that 10 man and other forms of play are good for the sport. Reffing has never been for the money but to get awesome discounts for play and products at the event. Free paint and other incentives for young refs was always the incentive. It’s always been shitty, so not surprised to hear it’s still shitty and refs want to quit. If our sport wants to be taken seriously, we need more counters to cheating and to incorporate more cameras and review systems to have 2 or 3 highly trained and well paid refs per field instead of having 12+ refs per field that make bad calls in “boom boom” plays and allow cheating as a result of no reviews or just getting caught in the moment. Our sport has been plagued by poor planning since inception, and “national” level events at its core are run similar to local events and will keep people away from playing. But really, I think the really problem with paintball is speedball has been dead for a while now. Prizes suck, gear never gets cheaper, and incentive isn’t there unless you’re a die hard player and love the sport. New players are attracted to newly affordable mag fed and mech events. A push should be made to have our sport be more professional, allow more forms of play, and I think this rant is going on too long but yeah, not surprised shitty sport remains shitty to sum it up. I only play rec, mech, and casual speed ball after spending so many years trying to go pro and being forced to ref and travel thousands of miles for paint and Pennys like these refs who are walking out…

This is a lot of bitching about horrible refs who we are favorable to certain teams, don’t know the rules, don’t check players who are hit, and throw bullshit penalties