The night the line was crossed...

I'm not sure if it's apparent in these posts, but I'm finding the rec level of dodgeball pretty challenging. Not because the level of play is too difficult, but because I want to hold back.

I need to hold back.

I'm sure my opponents will be able to handle my throws and tactics and the like, but I don't know that they can handle my level of competitiveness. I know that most, if not all, of the teams at the rec level are just playing for fun, so I don't want to be the ultra-competitive asshole who spoils everyone's fun.

Unfortunately, in my last game with the Moth Balls, I got a bit out of hand.

There was a guy on the other team (The Average Nunos) who was a bit douchey. He'd yell and scream to distract our players when they ran for the balls at the start of the round, and yell at us for holding the balls too long. One time, while he was already holding a ball, I picked up a ball and after about seven seconds he started yelling at me that I'd held my ball for too long. Obviously, if I'd held my ball too long, he'd definitely held his too long. When he threw his ball, he stepped way across the line. Later that same round, he bitched out one of our players for going to close to the line.

So, between rounds, I went over and spoke to the guy. "Hey, when you called me on having the ball for ten seconds, you'd had your ball a lot longer, and then you stepped waaay across the line. I don't mind you calling these things, but call it even." The guy looked at me like I was a lunatic.

Perhaps I am.

Later, I ran in on a strike on that same guy. He blocked my throw, but the deflection hit him squarely in the leg. He then went in to a wind-up and threw his ball at me. That's when I snapped.

"Oh, like that ball didn't hit you!"

"It hit my ball first."

"That doesn't matter, it's still live."

In my re-telling here, I may be playing down how strong and angry I was. In fact, if there was a font for Rage Black Out, I'd be using it. The guy did get off the court, but he was not pleased. Nor should he be, I was getting too wound up.

At the same time, he was using the rules as a sword, not a shield, and not at all playing fairly. But this is exactly the kind of challenge I was talking about... getting too wound up in the rec leagues leads to disputes much faster then they would in the competitive leagues. It's a combination, I think of unfamiliarity with the rules, as well as different levels of competitiveness. Even if that guy on the other team was more familiar with the rules, or didn't apply a double-standard, we'd still have issues with my level of intensity being way higher then his.

Like I said, holding back is the hardest part of playing rec, and it is something I need to work on.