Schuda introduced the world of Rollerchairball to the ancient Native American practice of “counting coup.” In the days when Native Americans roamed freely on this continent, some warriors would engage in this unique custom during battle. When a Native American would place a hand or a special stick to the body of an enemy, he would count one coup. The maneuver was essentially a slap in the face to the opponent. The more coup you counted, the greater your bravery and cunning were revered.

Asked about the notion of bringing the tradition to Rollerchairball, Schuda responded, “Counting coup is pretty much the biggest disgrace you could bring to the enemy. Essentially you’re saying, ‘I could have killed you, but I decided to ridicule you instead.’ You can easily see how that fits into Rollerchairball. It seems to me counting coup was destined to become an integral part of our game.”

Schuda obviously employs the hand version of counting coup, as all types of sticks are illegal on the court during play.

To amass one coup-counted, Schuda places her hands near the back of an offensive player’s chair, mere inches from downing the player, but holds off and instead sounds the coup via a guttural emission. The play remains in action, which many claim to be a blatant hole in the strategy of demeaning an opponent.

Andrew Wood remarked, “Sure, I feel like a sissy when someone counts a coup on me, but they could have downed me and they let me continue playing. I even scored a touchdown on a play where Schuda could have downed me. Where’s the smarts in that?”

Schuda will have none of it, however. “The spirit of counting coup has nothing to do with scoring touchdowns or stopping teams on defense,” she explained. “Even if someone scores on me, if I got a coup on him or her, then they are mine forever. And I’ll never let them forget that.”

The practice became widespread over the summer. It was not unusual to hear several players counting coup during a game or even a play. Kyle Stout even took the whole thing one step further.

“I find the most humiliating thing in the world to be when you have the ball and, instead of attempting to score, you try to down the defensive player. Once Debi introduced counting coup, it was only a matter of time until I married that practice with my own. Now when I have the ball, I try to down the guy or gal guarding me and I let everyone know when I could have done it, but didn’t. More than once I’ve sent Doug Tatz away with his tail between his legs because I reverse-counted-coup on him.”

Will the practice endure? Schuda believes so: “I think counting coup is here to stay. It takes the embarrassment level of RCB to new heights. And that’s always a good thing.”

1st – United Rollerchairball Club – $1000
2nd – Buddy Savage – $250
3rd – IDK Sisterhood – $100
4th – Team USA – $80
5th – Team Amanda Bynes – $50
6th – Princeton English – $20

High School Division (U-19)

1st – Princeton English – $100
2nd – Mean Greene – $60
3rd – Kwok Kwok Noon – $40

Stagnation is the name of the game following the NLR’s July 15th ratings update. Maggie Cellar moved onto the homepage, knocking Kevin Shaw from the Top 15. Taylor Greene became the first woman and fourth player overall to crest over 1800 points on the ratings list. Players gained or ceded points, but few spots switched on the ladder.

01 . Stout, Kyle – 2243.08
02 . Tatz, Douglas – 1891.52
03 . Lock, Brandon – 1873.84
04 . Greene, Taylor – 1807.96
05 . Wood, Andrew – 1777.03
06 . Stout, Brianna – 1724.90
07 . Olsavsky, Jon – 1711.13
08 . Kelly, Daniel – 1671.98
09 . Doyle, George – 1666.81
10 . Eckert, Craig – 1666.33
11 . Tatz, Becky – 1665.79
12 . Wilt, Jonny – 1663.97
13 . Cellar, Maggie – 1659.68
14 . Ford, Michael – 1659.03
15 . Brewer, JR – 1659.03
16 . Shaw, Kevin – 1652.02
17 . Hughes, Cole – 1646.46
18 . Schuda, Debi – 1639.46
19 . Scherer, Brandon – 1629.96
20 . Rutter, Gavin – 1627.35
21 . Eckert, Mackenzie – 1627.02
22 . Eckert, Greg – 1625.08
23 . Gasman, PJ – 1624.14
24 . Rosmarin, Michelle – 1623.79
25 . Stone, Laura – 1621.10
26 . Turner, Jason – 1619.69
27 . McMannis, Jason – 1619.69
28 . Ødegaard, Anja – 1619.31
29 . Gasman, Paul – 1616.14
30 . Jamison, Melissa – 1615.14
31 . Barone, Mike – 1614.14
32 . Vincent, Brian – 1612.39
33 . Tatz, Steven – 1610.01
34 . Marin, Andrew – 1609.36
35 . Eckert, Margie – 1608.30
36 . Brown, Zach – 1608.00
37 . Doyle, Claudia – 1606.77
38 . Vinny Sanfillipo – 1606.43
39 . Griffin, Heather – 1606.25
40 . Doyle, Maria – 1606.06
41 . Shoemaker, Broderick – 1605.07
42 . David – 1605.07
43 . Long, Jason – 1602.20
44 . Paxia, Becky – 1601.14
45 . Hirsel, Laura – 1601.01
46 . Chipotle, Caitlyn – 1599.86
47 . Eckert, Mary – 1598.61
48 . Zang, Doug – 1598.47
49 . Doyle, Katie – 1598.04
50 . Hirsel, Suzanne – 1597.78
51 . Barr, Julie – 1594.37
52 . Rutkowski, Ben – 1594.24
53 . Liston, Molly – 1594.02
54 . Madler, Graham – 1593.60
55 . Kettler, Alec – 1593.60
56 . Zang, Walt – 1592.99
57 . Leo – 1592.99
58 . Rosmarin, Nathan – 1592.94
59 . Schtiven – 1592.00
60 . Amanda – 1592.00
61 . Matthew – 1591.35
62 . Stewart, Mark – 1589.30
63 . Gallaher, Katie – 1589.24
64 . Rutter, Lark – 1588.96
65 . Rosmarin, David – 1588.83
66 . Kiggens, Kathryn – 1588.48
67 . Alshy, Michael – 1585.97
68 . McClure, Scott – 1584.19
69 . Potenza, Sara – 1584.04
70 . Hartley, Alycia – 1582.78
71 . Compton, Anné – 1580.98
72 . Bush, Ellen – 1576.81
73 . Anna – 1571.59
74 . Walker, Mark – 1571.48

The delay in updates of the NLR’s ratings list might have caused consternation for players eager to sniff their point totals, but it certainly created a lot of action on the ladder. The biggest story is the rise of Jon Olsavsky, who moved from 17th to the front page and Top 10, where he settled at number seven. Olsavsky has been on a tear for the past month, steadily moving into the upper echelon of the league.

Top-rated Kyle Stout became the first player to cross the 2200-point threshold, as he continued solid results since the last update. Second-rated Doug Tatz is mere points from becoming the second player to hit 1900 points, but league legend and third-rated Brandon Lock has closed the gap on Tatz, moving to within 25 points of the youngster. Fourth-rated Taylor Greene adds to the list of those nearly eclipsing plateaus, as she is within two points of hitting 1800 points. Should see eclipse the barrier, she would be just the fourth player to do so.

Founding Father Brandon Scherer logged his first matches in a year since the last update and produced some positive gains, moving from 24th to 20th. Inside the Top 15, Craig Eckert moved up, while Becky Tatz slid outside the Top 10. Maggie Cellar fell off the main page despite improved skill. Notable players who have resided in the Top 15 for years find their positions threatened by several players. Johny Wilt, Kevin Shaw, JR Brewer, and Michael Ford could all miss the marquee as Cellar, Scherer, and Debi Schuda posture at the homepage. Cole Hughes has already dropped off.

Elsewhere, Heather Griffin debuted at number 39. Mark Stewart, long languishing in last place, moved from the basement all the way to 62nd, on the strength of big wins in the last few weeks.

01 . Stout, Kyle – 2217.81
02 . Tatz, Douglas – 1898.60
03 . Lock, Brandon – 1873.84
04 . Greene, Taylor – 1798.35
05 . Wood, Andrew – 1777.03
06 . Stout, Brianna – 1727.22
07 . Olsavsky, Jon – 1701.24
08 . Kelly, Daniel – 1671.98
09 . Doyle, George – 1666.81
10 . Eckert, Craig – 1666.33
11 . Tatz, Becky – 1665.79
12 . Wilt, Jonny – 1663.97
13 . Ford, Michael – 1659.03
14 . Brewer, JR – 1659.03
15 . Shaw, Kevin – 1652.02
16 . Cellar, Maggie – 1649.11
17 . Hughes, Cole – 1646.46
18 . Schuda, Debi – 1639.46
19 . Eckert, Mackenzie – 1631.93
20 . Scherer, Brandon – 1629.96
21 . Rutter, Gavin – 1627.35
22 . Eckert, Greg – 1625.08
23 . Gasman, PJ – 1624.14
24 . Rosmarin, Michelle – 1623.79
25 . Stone, Laura – 1621.10
26 . Turner, Jason – 1619.69
27 . McMannis, Jason – 1619.69
28 . Ødegaard, Anja – 1619.31
29 . Gasman, Paul – 1616.14
30 . Jamison, Melissa – 1615.14
31 . Barone, Mike – 1614.14
32 . Vincent, Brian – 1612.39
33 . Tatz, Steven – 1610.01
34 . Marin, Andrew – 1609.36
35 . Eckert, Margie – 1608.30
36 . Brown, Zach – 1608.00
37 . Doyle, Claudia – 1606.77
38 . Vinny/Vinnie – 1606.43
39 . Griffin, Heather – 1606.25
40 . Doyle, Maria – 1606.06
41 . Shoemaker, Broderick – 1605.07
42 . David – 1605.07
43 . Long, Jason – 1602.20
44 . Paxia, Becky – 1601.14
45 . Chipotle, Caitlyn – 1599.86
46 . Eckert, Mary – 1598.61
47 . Zang, Doug – 1598.47
48 . Doyle, Katie – 1598.04
49 . Hirsel, Suzanne – 1597.78
50 . Hirsel, Laura – 1596.10
51 . Barr, Julie – 1594.37
52 . Ben – 1594.24
53 . Liston, Molly – 1594.02
54 . Madler, Graham – 1593.60
55 . Kettler, Alec – 1593.60
56 . Zang, Walt – 1592.99
57 . Leo – 1592.99
58 . Rosmarin, Nathan – 1592.94
59 . Schtiven – 1592.00
60 . Amanda – 1592.00
61 . Matthew – 1591.35
62 . Stewart, Mark – 1589.30
63 . Katie – 1589.24
64 . Rutter, Lark – 1588.96
65 . Rosmarin, David – 1588.83
66 . Kiggens, Kathryn – 1588.48
67 . Alshy, Michael – 1585.97
68 . McClure, Scott – 1584.19
69 . Potenza, Sara – 1584.04
70 . Hartley, Alycia – 1582.78
71 . Compton, Anné – 1580.98
72 . Bush, Ellen – 1576.81
73 . Anna – 1571.59
74 . Walker, Mark – 1571.48

The past two weeks have been packed with excitement, as players have made impressive debuts, established names have rocketed up the ranks, and old names emerged from dormancy to protect their spots.

Faced with losing his spot on the coveted front page, Kevin Shaw emerged from nearly a year-long hiatus to hit the courts on Tuesday. Rated 15th, Shaw teamed with second-rated Doug Tatz to take down two Top 6 players in Brianna Stout and Taylor Greene. Though Shaw suffered a loss with George Doyle to Tatz and Gavin Rutter, he managed to move up a spot to 14th, allowing him to relinquish the chopping-block spot to Cole Hughes. Shaw looked sharp despite the lengthy absence. If he becomes a regular player, he could easily move into the Top 10.

A player from Pennsylvania, Jon Olsavsky, debuted with a bang two weeks ago. Olsavsky posted impressive wins and played well in losses to highly-ranked stars, allowing him to grab an initial spot on the ratings ladder in 33rd place. His 1608.79 rating is far above average for a first-time player. Olsavsky is reportedly in the process of a move to Columbus, Ohio, so he can live closer to the National League of Rollerchairball Headquarters. Playing more often can only lead to an excellent career for Olsavsky.

Mired in the lower half of the ladder, Gavin Rutter meteorically raced up the list in the past two weeks. A fortnight ago, Rutter was 40th, but excellent results propelled the youngster into the Top 20, where he currently resides in 19th. Has Rutter finally started to hit his groove in the league? If his results are the barometer, then the answer is yes. The sky is the limit for this young, long, talented player.

George Doyle also impressively made a move up the ladder. Doyle broke into the Top 10, briefly hitting ninth before a loss ultimately left him in 10th. Doyle has slowly and surely made his way up the ranks during 2008. He is filled with motivation to hit the Top 5, but obviously the top players are the toughest to unseat. Regardless of how high he can go, his game has improved dramatically and he is now an elite player.

At the top of the ranks, no movement occurred. Most of the Top 6 raised their ratings. Doug Tatz is within 20 points of becoming the second player to reach the 1900-point plateau.

A win in the delayed 2007 St. Nick Classic gave a nice bump in the ratings to Wood Would TV member Becky Tatz. She and Kyle Stout defeated Light, Heavy Expert (Maggie Cellar, Doug Tatz) in the Division A Finals. Becky Tatz jumped an amazing six spots in the Top 15, going from 13th to seventh.

Maggie Cellar moved up two spots from 18th to 16th, but still sits just outside of the homepage’s Top 15 players. Other than Tatz and Cellar, movement was limited during the week. The most significant happening came in the form of Brianna Stout, who became the sixth player and second woman in NLR history to break the 1700-point plateau.

Becky Tatz and Stout were strong on offense, never yielding a turnover that led to a score for Light, Heavy Expert. LHE did force one turnover, but WWTV quickly regained possession. Despite recovering an onside kick late in the game, LHE committed too many mistakes late to remain within striking distance.

The game was close throughout the first half and into the start of the second, but WWTV’s defense started to produce turnovers via intense pressure as the game hit the late stages. They turned the extra possessions into points and parlayed that momentum into the tourney victory.

A slew of interesting movement occurred on the NLR ratings ladder when the mid-April release was finalized. Inside the Top 5, Taylor Greene moved past Andrew Wood, who has been stagnant on the disabled list for what seems months now. Sixth-rated Brianna Stout is within two points of becoming the sixth person to reach the 1700-point plateau.

The newest look to the list belongs to the bottom of those in the Top 15. Craig Eckert jumped to 11th, while George Doyle moved into 12th and Becky Tatz into 13th. Those changes knocked Cole Hughes and Kevin Shaw into the last two spots on the homepage. Careful, boys, or your spot might go to someone else.

The big-mover-of-the-month award goes to Gavin Rutter, who rocketed 13 spots from 52nd to 39th. His sister, Lark, debuted at 58th, while Matthew found his initial spot on the list at 56th. Look for all three of these players to make moves on the ladder in the near future.

League legend and third-rated Brandon Lock became the third player ever to hit the 1800-point plateau. Elsewhere, the landscape of the Top 15 shifted a good deal. George Doyle separated himself from a group of contenders at the edge of the home page, leaping to 12th place after a key win and a solid outing against United Rollerchairball Club with Doug Tatz. Stalwart Craig Eckert jumped onto the main page for the first time, appearing in 14th position. Becky Tatz slipped a bit, falling to 15th, while Maggie Cellar fell from front-page status, less than one point below Becky Tatz’ rating.

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