What your NF gains

This page covers:
  • the benefits NFs find from having their own GAs
  • why this will not guarantee you WFDF events

A GA gives a clear signal.A GA gives a clear signal. (Philippines)

Why GAs exist

WFDF introduced GAs after a few widely watched games in 2012 and 2013, where aggressive play, retaliatory calls and long, heated discussions made games hard to watch and hard to play in. Players already had volunteers, Spirit scores and people to deal with misconduct, but nobody could help during a game, when a call got stuck. To read more, see Chapter 1, "Why have GAs?", of the WFDF Game Advisor Manual.

A closer link between Spirit and the game

Supporting the Spirit of the Game is the reason GAs exist.

  • GAs see the detail. A GA works inside one game. They watch each play, the flow of the game, and how players treat each other. They see things a Spirit score from the other team can miss.
  • GAs help during the game. Decisions always stay with the players. GAs learn to help players stay in a good frame of mind. Sometimes a GA being there is enough. Sometimes a reminder of the tools players already have helps keep Spirit high. A Spirit Director usually only hears about a problem after it has happened.
  • GAs can help a team, or a whole country, improve. You may know that one team has had problems. But your whole playing community may also have an issue, for example with travel calls, double teams, or just how to resolve calls calmly and respectfully. GAs can help your players improve by clarifying and showing good practice.

Keeping players in the sport

Many GAs are players who can no longer play at the top level, but still want to be involved in the sport. Being a GA gives them a way to stay involved, and your community keeps their experience.

Better rules knowledge

Most players learn the rules by word of mouth. So your community only knows the rules as well as its best-informed players do. GAs must know the correct rules and how they are interpreted, and they spread that knowledge.

This will not guarantee you WFDF events

If you bid to host WFDF regional or world events, saying you can supply some GAs locally will not hurt your bid. But it is not a good reason to build a programme on. A programme built only for one event will not last.