National Series 2011

thanks jon.

I thought Erin from tornadoes did a really impressive job reffing. Others did fantastic job too. I'm going to read the rules very soon which I should of done a year ago but put it off.

I love the fact that uk polo this time next year will be so much more awesome as scenes grow and develop. The national series is here to stay!

I thought Erin from tornadoes did a really impressive job reffing.

Erin definitely impressed me, which is why I asked her to do the final.

I was disappointed that she didn't throw the final in our favour.

(She knows the rules better than me.)

i have spoken to jono about this but think that not only bill are you right that every team should have a ref, but that the other two members should goal ref. Then you have a team communicating with each other and lessens the chances of mistakes, but means that if every team has to ref and it is distributed evenly, they will naturally select amongst themselves who takes line ref duty. I want to see this instituted in the league more. 9 players play a fixture, each team refs for the other. #gosymbolicfraternitysorority

Yep, solid idea, Bill was talking about it too. (Also easier to schedule your refs/goal refs at tournies.)

• 1
  
  

Makes a lot of sense to have a team of officials who know and can work together - giving support and boosting confidence, along with ease of planning/organisation on the day.

Great idea. Especially for the league. Some times other players may be busy with other tournament related things, however, and won't have the time to ref (at least, at the moment their scheduled for. Perhaps at all).

Also, there are some jobs (especially whipping) that are as important as anything else which we could use more volunteers for.

i have spoken to jono about this but think that not only bill are you right that every team should have a ref, but that the other two members should goal ref. Then you have a team communicating with each other and lessens the chances of mistakes, but means that if every team has to ref and it is distributed evenly, they will naturally select amongst themselves who takes line ref duty.

Exactly. Solves the 'who's going to goal ref?' question. I have asked the National Series committee to make it clear to all teams that they will be expected to do this.

It makes weekend single court & single day double court tournament so much easier - I think we could have got the Brighton tourney done before dark if I hadn't been drunk at the end, and we had fucked around less getting 3 refs on court for every game. If we wasted 1 minute on every changeover getting refs, we wasted 90 mins on Saturday.

I was disappointed that she didn't throw the final in our favour.

:-)

May as well add my 2pence for what it's worth, having had a go at reffing and done quite a lot of goal reffing, I was surprised that goal refs weren't more pro-active in helping to call fouls, my understanding of the rules was that goal refs were pretty much to award/disallow goals/tend to goal issues and change score board.

From reffing/linesman(ing) football and umpiring cricket conversation between all officials is achieves the most consistent/fair result. Problem is trying to minimise ruining the flow of the game.

I found it slightly daunting (having only played for 6 weeks!) but really informative, I wouldn't have any qualms about reffing at another tournament, might even practice at throw ins! :P

Thanks to Bill and everyone else that helped me out!

I thought Erin from tornadoes did a really impressive job reffing. Others did fantastic job too. I'm going to read the rules very soon which I should of done a year ago but put it off.

I love the fact that uk polo this time next year will be so much more awesome as scenes grow and develop. The national series is here to stay!

agreed, she called a delayed penalty in our game when a dude coldnt hear her/wouldn't tap out and the ball turned over, awesome reffing.

really like the every team reffing/goal reffing idea, solid.

everybody needs to step up and help in some way, whipping is an essential role that isnt filled nearly enough, amongst heaps of other responsibilities.

DiceFace and Tenderloin did a sterling job at reffing having never done so before. They both said it was quite unnerving and were hesitant to ref games with players who are vocally dismissive of their decisions (naming no names).

this is my problem

I did two games early on, just goal reffing, and did no more. purely due to getting shouted at for not repositioning the goal right away (or so it seemed to me) when i'd have been in the path of a bike, no a wise place to be

I don't play bike polo to get shouted at buy wankers, if i want that i can join the Sunday league round the corner.

While i agree maybe having teams all submit a ref, thats only gonna lead to people who don't want to do it. as surely there will be teams where all 3 players don't want to ref. If i'd been told 'you have to ref' on Saturday I'd probably not go, or at lest no compete.

Updated schedule:

May: Brighton
June: Manchester (UK Champs 2011)
July: Edinburgh
August: London Open 2011
September: TBC
October: TBC (Cambridge approached)

Been giving some thought to the 3/4 scores issue...

I ran a few models using weighted random data and found that on average ~20% of teams would finish in a different place. Neither is perfect but using 4 is more likely to give us accurate placings. It may also provide an incentive for people to play more tournaments or it may make them think there's no point. Not sure and I think it's close between the two. The consensus on here seems to be that 4 is fine (remember you can use a sub), so for this year I think it would be prudent to lean towards accurate final standings and stick with 4 scores.

Just wondering is it best of 4 scores but do you still qualify if you only play in 3 or do you have to play in 4?

this is my problem

I did two games early on, just goal reffing, and did no more. purely due to getting shouted at for not repositioning the goal right away (or so it seemed to me) when i'd have been in the path of a bike, no a wise place to be

I don't play bike polo to get shouted at buy wankers, if i want that i can join the Sunday league round the corner.

While i agree maybe having teams all submit a ref, thats only gonna lead to people who don't want to do it. as surely there will be teams where all 3 players don't want to ref. If i'd been told 'you have to ref' on Saturday I'd probably not go, or at lest no compete.

The guy who yelled at you is a wanker (but we all do it sometimes in the heat of the moment). Unfortunately it's what happens. However, to say you're willing to play, but only until the moment the community asks that you have a go and help out, is a bit lame, no?

Also, there are some jobs (especially whipping) that are as important as anything else which we could use more volunteers for.

def. why not assign the 'team' to whip (goal refs) and make sure all their games. Say 4 on the trot eg, that they who's playing on their court for the next 4 games and its their responsibility to get those teams..on court and off again.

Like Tim says I was hesitant to ref games, but more due to my lack of polo noobness, seeing the ease with which some of the more experienced guys reffed, made me realise there's no point getting all worked up about it. You haz the whistle, you've read the rulez, you're the one in charge. The more vocal you are in why you made/making/allowing things to happen the better, it's just having the confidence to do so.

I also liked the way Bill talked to people/teams after the game to explain some decisions, rather than get into discourse mid game.

I learned lotz innit.

I also liked the way Bill talked to people/teams after the game to explain some decisions, rather than get into discourse mid game.

We had a refs meeting in London, and this was one of the things we agreed we should do - not discuss decisions during a match. I badly messed up a game in KH last year (DTGP vs Toros, if any of you remember it) by getting into a row with Andi & Kev whilst the match was going on.

Is there any info on UK Champs at Manchester?

Currently there are no national series events scheduled beyond Edinburgh or the London open.

But edinburgh will be the UK Champs?

Is there any info on UK Champs at Manchester?

The UK Champs at the Polodrome will now be going ahead for 2012 (with support from Sport England and British Cycling).

UK Champs for this year is still up for grabs...

However, to say you're willing to play, but only until the moment the community asks that you have a go and help out, is a bit lame, no?

that's not quite what i meant, I'm willing to help out where needed. I'll round up teams, clean up, fix bits of wood and anything else that comes up should i/it be needed.

My point a more just about compulsory reffing, i should have made that clearer.

i think H means that, in some senses if you are playing in a competition and you know the rules enough to play it, you should know the rules enough to ref it and be committed enough to do that too. #sorryifthatsnotwhatyoumeantH

, whipping is an essential role that isnt filled nearly enough, amongst heaps of other responsibilities.
Beer hat + Megaphone = whipping fun.

Its worth trying to have teams goal/line ref games. I'm not sure it'll be any more efficient though. Its hard enough getting two teams on court, on time, when they know theyre playing next, without adding a third team to the list for every game.

I know its annoying having to find goal refs at the start of every game, but theres usually people willing to do it, and I suspect we'd waste less time than having to wait for JB to find his hobnobs and beer and finish rolling his cigarette and borrow a lighter and. Wait. Is it dark yet?

Some times other players may be busy with other tournament related things, however, and won't have the time to ref (at least, at the moment their scheduled for. Perhaps at all)

+1. You/James/Josh/Tim/etc were way too busy to have time to goal ref, so that leaves your whole teams off the list for team ref duty. I'm sure there are others who'd rather help out (or who already do) in ways that arent reffing.