Camera Report by David Shead
Dear Arm Wrestlers
As there seems to be a great deal of confusion as to why we are using cameras let me start by explaining, the camera system is being used because our top armwrestling promoters that work with T.V like Igor Mazurenko are convinced that if we want more T.V coverage we must move the second referee out of the way. Hence the camera system we used at the World championship in the finals of the senior classes this year, it is similar to the one used in the Nemiroff for many years now. So if we want more T.V coverage we have to start liking the cameras.
Monica Duma, Alexsandr Jakovac, & Myself (David Shead) worked the cameras on both days of the championships, and this is our conclusions,
The 1st question you will all want to know is, do they work? The answer is yes, very well in fact this is a negative point they work to well, when we slow motion review the elbows we see every foul even ones you would not see if you were standing at the table, and as referees we have to call every foul we see, but we believe there are solutions to this, one being a softer elbow pad. We will be asking Igor to try this over the next year, The 2nd problem is reviewing takes too long, and again we will be trying some new set ups that should help with this but it’s never going to be that fast, because looking for the moment of a foul in slow motion will always take a little time, it will never be as fast as a referees call at the table, but it is more accurate.
Its also not as much fun for the referees, just focusing on the elbows and nothing else.
We are confidant the system works and no elbow fouls where missed and the best Armwrestlers one, and that counts for a great deal.
David Shead WAF Master Referee - EAF Assistant director of referees
Monika Duma WAF Master Referee - Head Referee for Poland
Alexsandar Jakovac WAF Senior Referee - President of Croatian Armwrestling Federation and Head Referee for Croatia