Current location:	Colchester, England
Current mood:	indescribable
Current music:	Day and Night~The club downstairs
Entry tags:	dodge ball, essex, rules

Now The Loud Ref. Fighting American
So...

I think I just made a complete fool of myself in front of the whole school standing up for what I knew was right.

We were in a dodge ball competition (with my flat mates, and we were team Elephant!) and they'd been changing the rules from the ball bouncing and hitting you to be out, and then it to bouncing the ground and hitting you and you not being out. That was the first frustrating part of the game, that the rules were being changed in the middle of play. And then, the referee doesn't even play the rules followed. So none of the teams knew what rules were.

Granted I probably should NOT have yelled at the crowd for acting like the ref. That didn't help. But had the game been, and I quote, "Just for fun", then who got out wouldn't have mattered all that much- or even how. I was suprised I didn't get hit by the ball while I yelled at them (I would have hit me, it's a fucking great target).

But then, the ball clearly hit the ground and hit me. A dead ball. Then everyone starts yelling, "she's out she's out!" and I wasn't. The rule was no longer in play.

And then I fought with the ref...I tried to be polite, but he got in my face. I made my point very clear, that we can't have a real game if the rules keep changing. Then he told me I was out, but I kept arguing the point.

Also, I concede that I probably shouldn't have told him (as he was about to blow the whistle and really call me out) to, "Go ahead and fucking blow the fucking whistle and tell me I'm fucking out. I fucking dare you". I admit that was a little too far (but if felt and still feels like the BEST thing to come out of the conversation).

So I walked off the court. I told the Essex Jets (the students who were running it) that they cannot have a game with out rules and they cannot change the rules in the middle of the game. They then told me that "it is just a game" and "we are here to have fun".

But not many of us were having fun with being confused. Nor is it a game without rules.

If I get out I will take myself out of the game. That is how I was raised, I would never fudge lines or anything so un-sportsman like. I've played with a crowd jeering.

I just can't handle it not being fair.

Where is the fun in that?

So know, I'm pretty sure I've become the loud American that fights with the ref.

Which, I'm not actually loud. I'm pretty quiet and chill.

But as I left the game (after I gave the Essex Jets a piece of my mind) a young man (Rachel then informed be his name is Raj) came after me. I was fucking pissed so I just kept walking away (I was near tears as I left the court). He called me miss and asked me to wait up. I just waved my hand and told him I was leaving. But then he must of stopped and apologized, "If it's anything, I'm sorry. What he did to you was wrong. He's just having a hard time." and then Rachel came and I told them that I was going home, because by then I had started to cry.

So I went back to the towers (which is what I meant by home, what other home do I have in England?) and cried. After that I felt better.

Then Lisa came home and asked me what had happened, and I related my story to her. She told me that the ref was sorry, and that he was aparantly near tears as well and wanted to come immediately and apologize. Which I'm glad that Lisa said no to, because I would have felt uncomfortable and am still pretty upset about it.

Not that I would rub it in his face, /: That would be me. I will apologize for swearing at him. That was uncalled for- and I wasn't trying to challenge him exactly, I just wanted the game to be fair. And I understand his position.

I'm just upset that no one believes me and trusts my judgement. I really am an honest player- and I was having fun.

On the up side, I got four people out in our four matches...until I got kick out. I technically got two guys out at the same time, but only one went out, but I didn't really care. It was cool, I just was glad SOMEONE was out. Stefan was the last person standing three times, and I was the last one once. I got hit in the arm when I could have caught the ball, but I was too slow and tired. It was like a "fuck it" stage.

So that's dodge ball.