diff --git a/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.cpp b/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.cpp
index d6271b8f..9e05a4df 100644
--- a/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.cpp
+++ b/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.cpp
@@ -1544,7 +1544,6 @@ bool CFF_SV_Player::CanHearAndReadChatFrom( CBasePlayer *pPlayer )
 // do any eg class cleanup here etc
 void CFF_SV_Player::PreChangeTeam( int iOldTeam, int iNewTeam )
 {
-	// set team unassigned
 	// set class unassigned
 	// remove items
 	// special infection stuff, 
@@ -1552,6 +1551,14 @@ void CFF_SV_Player::PreChangeTeam( int iOldTeam, int iNewTeam )
 	// clear state (might do w/ player func)
 	// check kill
 	// lua player_killed
+	RemoveAllItems( true );
+
+	if ( IsAlive() && GetTeamNumber( ) >= TEAM_BLUE )
+	{
+		KillPlayer( );
+
+		// TODO: lua killed predicate
+	}
 }
 
 // called by team manager once a valid team is found, and after new team set
@@ -1560,4 +1567,22 @@ void CFF_SV_Player::PostChangeTeam( int iOldTeam, int iNewTeam )
 {
 	// reset state
 	// spawn called
+
+	if ( iOldTeam == TEAM_SPECTATOR )
+	{
+		StopObserverMode( );
+	}
+
+	// dont force spawn here right now, death think will spawn the player
+	//Spawn( );
+}
+
+
+void CFF_SV_Player::KillPlayer( void ) 
+{
+	// TODO: FF stuff
+	m_iHealth = 0;
+	// slam it
+	SetThink(&CBasePlayer::PlayerDeathThink);
+	SetNextThink(gpGlobals->curtime);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.h b/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.h
index 1425fc56..148e5ead 100644
--- a/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.h
+++ b/mp/src/game/server/ff/ff_sv_player.h
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ public:
 	void PreChangeTeam( int iOldTeam, int iNewTeam );
 	// called by team manager once a valid team is found, and after new team set
 	void PostChangeTeam( int iOldTeam, int iNewTeam );
+
+	void KillPlayer( void );
 private:
 
 	CNetworkQAngle( m_angEyeAngles );
diff --git a/mp/src/game/server/player.cpp b/mp/src/game/server/player.cpp
index 91a58a0c..d1c6ecc0 100644
--- a/mp/src/game/server/player.cpp
+++ b/mp/src/game/server/player.cpp
@@ -2151,11 +2151,11 @@ void CBasePlayer::PlayerDeathThink(void)
 // if the player has been dead for one second longer than allowed by forcerespawn, 
 // forcerespawn isn't on. Send the player off to an intermission camera until they 
 // choose to respawn.
-	if ( g_pGameRules->IsMultiplayer() && ( gpGlobals->curtime > (m_flDeathTime + DEATH_ANIMATION_TIME) ) && !IsObserver() )
-	{
-		// go to dead camera. 
-		StartObserverMode( m_iObserverLastMode );
-	}
+	//if ( g_pGameRules->IsMultiplayer() && ( gpGlobals->curtime > (m_flDeathTime + DEATH_ANIMATION_TIME) ) && !IsObserver() )
+	//{
+	//	// go to dead camera. 
+	//	StartObserverMode( m_iObserverLastMode );
+	//}
 	
 // wait for any button down,  or mp_forcerespawn is set and the respawn time is up
 	if (!fAnyButtonDown 
diff --git a/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_gamerules.cpp b/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_gamerules.cpp
index 4ec3c22e..ec44aeeb 100644
--- a/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_gamerules.cpp
+++ b/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_gamerules.cpp
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ CFF_SH_Rules::CFF_SH_Rules()
 {
 #ifndef CLIENT_DLL
 	// Create the team managers
+	// TODO: right now this creates a team for every team name string,
+	// hook this into lua and have it create teams as needed per map
+	// or something cool like that 
 	for ( int i = 0; i < ARRAYSIZE( sTeamNames ); i++ )
 	{
 		CFF_SH_TeamManager *pTeam = static_cast<CFF_SH_TeamManager*>(CreateEntityByName( "ff_team_manager" ));
@@ -207,7 +210,9 @@ CFF_SH_Rules::CFF_SH_Rules()
 		g_Teams.AddToTail( pTeam );
 	}
 
-	m_bTeamPlayEnabled = teamplay.GetBool();
+	// Dexter: slammed this to always true instead of the cvar for now
+	//m_bTeamPlayEnabled = teamplay.GetBool();
+	m_bTeamPlayEnabled = true;
 	m_flIntermissionEndTime = 0.0f;
 	m_flGameStartTime = 0;
 
diff --git a/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_team_manager.cpp b/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_team_manager.cpp
index 109fe6e5..17ac3b09 100644
--- a/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_team_manager.cpp
+++ b/mp/src/game/shared/ff/ff_sh_team_manager.cpp
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ bool CFF_SH_TeamManager::HandlePlayerTeamCommand( CFF_SV_Player &pPlayer, const
 int CFF_SH_TeamManager::PickAutoJoinTeam( )
 {
 	// TODO:
+	// it is me, the auto picker thingy majig
+
+
 	return TEAM_BLUE;
 }
 
@@ -351,7 +354,7 @@ bool CFF_SH_TeamManager::IsTeamFull() const
 	if (m_iMaxPlayers == 0)
 		return false;
 
-	int numActive = 0;	
+	int numActive = 0; 
 	for( int i = 1; i <= gpGlobals->maxClients; i++ )
 	{
 		CFF_SV_Player *pPlayer = (CFF_SV_Player *) UTIL_PlayerByIndex( i );
@@ -359,7 +362,7 @@ bool CFF_SH_TeamManager::IsTeamFull() const
 			numActive++;
 	}
 
-	return numActive > m_iMaxPlayers;
+	return m_iMaxPlayers == 0 ||numActive > m_iMaxPlayers; // GetNumPlayers( ) > m_iMaxPlayers;
 }
 
 #endif
@@ -386,6 +389,19 @@ void DebugSetTeamName_f( const CCommand &args )
 	DevMsg("Team name after set ='%s'\n", pTeam->GetName());
 }
 ConCommand cc_ffdbg_setteamname("ffdbg_set_team_name",  DebugSetTeamName_f);
+
+void DebugCurTeam_f( const CCommand &args )
+{
+	CBasePlayer* pPlayer = UTIL_GetCommandClient();
+	if ( !pPlayer ) 
+		return;
+	CTeam *pPlayerTeam = pPlayer->GetTeam();
+	if ( !pPlayerTeam )
+		return;
+	pPlayerTeam->GetNumPlayers( );
+	DevMsg("Player team=%i name='%s' players on team=%d\n", pPlayerTeam->GetTeamNumber( ), pPlayerTeam->GetName( ), pPlayerTeam->GetNumPlayers( ) );
+}
+ConCommand cc_ffdbg_curteam("ffdbg_curteam",  DebugCurTeam_f);
 #endif