diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
index d2360ac..dc23d7b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 		super(simpleSpanQuery, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);		
 		elements = (ElementSpans) firstSpans;
 		attributes = (AttributeSpans) secondSpans;
-		hasMoreSpans = firstSpans.next() & secondSpans.next();
+		elements.isElementRef = true; // dummy setting enabling reading elementRef
+		hasMoreSpans = elements.next() & attributes.next();		
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -40,7 +41,8 @@
 
 	private boolean advance() throws IOException {
 		
-		while (hasMoreSpans && ensureSamePosition(elements,attributes)){
+		while (hasMoreSpans && ensureSamePosition(elements,attributes)){ 
+			
 			logger.info("element: " + elements.start() + ","+ elements.end() +" ref:"+elements.getElementRef());
 			logger.info("attribute {} ref:{}", attributes.start(),  attributes.getElementRef());
 			
@@ -55,7 +57,10 @@
 			
 			if (elements.getElementRef() < attributes.getElementRef())
 				hasMoreSpans = attributes.next();
-			else hasMoreSpans = elements.next();
+			else {
+				elements.isElementRef = true; // dummy setting enabling reading elementRef
+				hasMoreSpans = elements.next();				
+			}
 		}
 		
 		return false;
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementSpans.java
index deca135..7ef8928 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementSpans.java
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 // TODO: Store payloads in 12 byte instead of the complicated ByteBuffer stuff!
 // Todo: Use copyFrom() instead of clone()
 
-/**
- * @author Nils Diewald
+/**  
+ * @author Nils Diewald, margaretha
  *
  * Use copyFrom instead of clone
  */
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
     private LinkedList<KorapTermSpan> memory;
     private KorapTermSpan overflow, current, temp;
     
+	public boolean isElementRef = false; // A dummy flag for 
+    
     public static final ElementSpans EMPTY_ELEMENT_SPANS
 	= new EmptyElementSpans();
 
@@ -308,11 +310,19 @@
 
 			// Copy some payloads like start character and end character
 			this.current.payload.put(payload.bytes, payload.offset, 8);
-			// Copy rest of payloads after the end position and elementref
-			this.current.payload.put(payload.bytes, payload.offset + 12, payload.length - 12);
 
-			this.current.end = readEndPostion(payload);		
-			this.current.elementRef = readElementRef(payload);
+			this.current.end = readEndPostion(payload);
+			
+			if (isElementRef ){
+				// Copy rest of payloads after the end position and elementref
+				this.current.payload.put(payload.bytes, payload.offset + 14, payload.length - 14);				
+				this.current.elementRef = readElementRef(payload);
+			}
+			else{
+				// Copy rest of payloads after the end position
+				this.current.payload.put(payload.bytes, payload.offset + 12, payload.length - 12);
+				this.current.elementRef = 0;
+			}
 	    }
 	    else {	
 			this.current.end = this.current.start;
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/NonPartialOverlappingSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/NonPartialOverlappingSpans.java
index fff2cdf..e435d50 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/NonPartialOverlappingSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/NonPartialOverlappingSpans.java
@@ -14,112 +14,98 @@
 import de.ids_mannheim.korap.query.SimpleSpanQuery;
 
 /** An abstract class for Span enumeration whose two child spans are matched by 
- *  their positions and do not have a partial overlap.
+ * 	their positions and do not have a partial overlap.
  *  
- *  @author margaretha  
+ * 	@author margaretha  
  * */
 public abstract class NonPartialOverlappingSpans extends SimpleSpans{
 	
-    private Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(NonPartialOverlappingSpans.class);
-    // This advices the java compiler to ignore all loggings
-    public static final boolean DEBUG = false;
-
-    public NonPartialOverlappingSpans(SimpleSpanQuery simpleSpanQuery,
-				      AtomicReaderContext context,
-				      Bits acceptDocs,
-				      Map<Term,TermContext> termContexts) throws IOException {	    	  
-	super(simpleSpanQuery, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);
+	private Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(NonPartialOverlappingSpans.class);
+	
+	public NonPartialOverlappingSpans(SimpleSpanQuery simpleSpanQuery,
+			AtomicReaderContext context, Bits acceptDocs,
+			Map<Term,TermContext> termContexts) throws IOException {	    	  
+		super(simpleSpanQuery, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);
 		
-	// Warning: not implemented, results in errors for SpanNextQuery 
-	// This.collectPayloads = simpleSpanQuery.isCollectPayloads()
-	collectPayloads = true;
-	hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next();		
-    };
+		// Warning: not implemented, results in errors for SpanNextQuery 
+		// This.collectPayloads = simpleSpanQuery.isCollectPayloads()
+		collectPayloads = true;
+		hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next();		
+		
+	}
 	
     @Override
-    public boolean next() throws IOException {
+  	public boolean next() throws IOException {
     	// Warning: this does not work for overlapping spans 
     	// e.g. get multiple second spans in a firstspan
-	hasMoreSpans &= firstSpans.next();
-	isStartEnumeration=false;
-	matchPayload.clear();
-	return advance();  		
-    };
+  		hasMoreSpans &= firstSpans.next();
+  		isStartEnumeration=false;
+  		matchPayload.clear();
+  		return advance();  		
+  	}
   	
-    /** Advance is a lucene terminology to search for the next match.
-     * */
+	/** Advance is a lucene terminology to search for the next match.
+	 * */
     protected boolean advance() throws IOException {	    	
-	// The complexity is linear for searching in a document. 
-	// It's better if we can skip to >= position in a document.
-	while (hasMoreSpans && ensureSameDoc(firstSpans,secondSpans)) {
-	    int matchCase = findMatch();
-	    if (matchCase == 0){
-		if (DEBUG) {
-		    log.trace("Match doc#: {}",
-			      matchDocNumber);
-		    log.trace("Match positions: {}-{}",
-			      matchStartPosition, 
-			      matchEndPosition);
-		};
-		doCollectPayloads();
-		return true;
-	    } 
-	    else if (matchCase == 1)
-		hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next();			
-	    else
-		hasMoreSpans = firstSpans.next();
-	};
-	return false;
-    };
+		// The complexity is linear for searching in a document. 
+		// It's better if we can skip to >= position in a document.
+	  	while (hasMoreSpans && ensureSameDoc(firstSpans,secondSpans)){
+	  		int matchCase = findMatch();
+				if (matchCase == 0){
+					log.trace("Match doc#: {}",matchDocNumber);
+					log.trace("Match positions: {}-{}", matchStartPosition, 
+							matchEndPosition);
+					doCollectPayloads();
+					return true;
+				} 
+				else if (matchCase == 1) {
+					hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next();			
+				}			
+				else{ 
+					hasMoreSpans = firstSpans.next();
+				}
+			}
+		return false;
+	}
     
     /** Specify the condition for a match 
      * @return 0 iff match is found,
      * 			-1 to advance the firstspan,		
      * 			1 to advance the secondspan
-     **/
-    protected abstract int findMatch();
+     * */
+  	protected abstract int findMatch();
     
-    /** Collecting available payloads from the current first and second spans */
-    private void doCollectPayloads() throws IOException {
-	if (collectPayloads){
-
-	    if (DEBUG)
-		log.trace("Collect payloads");
-	    
-	    if (firstSpans.isPayloadAvailable()) {
-		Collection<byte[]> payload = firstSpans.getPayload();
-
-		if (DEBUG)
-		    log.trace("Found {} payloads in firstSpans", payload.size());
-		
-		matchPayload.addAll(payload);
-	    };
-	    
-	    if (secondSpans.isPayloadAvailable()) {
-		Collection<byte[]> payload = secondSpans.getPayload();
-
-		if (DEBUG)
-		    log.trace("Found {} payloads in secondSpans", payload.size());
-		
-		matchPayload.addAll(payload);
-	    };
-	};
-    };
+  	/** Collecting available payloads from the current first and second spans */
+  	private void doCollectPayloads() throws IOException {
+  		if (collectPayloads){
+  			log.trace("Collect payloads");
+  		    if (firstSpans.isPayloadAvailable()) {
+  		    	Collection<byte[]> payload = firstSpans.getPayload();
+  		    	log.trace("Found {} payloads in firstSpans", payload.size());
+  		    	matchPayload.addAll(payload);
+  		    }
+  		    if (secondSpans.isPayloadAvailable()) {
+  		    	Collection<byte[]> payload = secondSpans.getPayload();
+  		    	log.trace("Found {} payloads in secondSpans", payload.size());
+  		    	matchPayload.addAll(payload);
+  		    }
+  		}
+  	}
     
-    @Override
-    public boolean skipTo(int target) throws IOException {		
-	if (hasMoreSpans && (firstSpans.doc() < target)){
-	    if (!firstSpans.skipTo(target)){
-		hasMoreSpans = false;
-		return false;
-	    };
-	};
-	matchPayload.clear();
-	return advance();
-    };
+  	@Override
+  	public boolean skipTo(int target) throws IOException {		
+  		if (hasMoreSpans && (firstSpans.doc() < target)){
+  			if (!firstSpans.skipTo(target)){
+  				hasMoreSpans = false;
+  				return false;
+  			}			
+  		} 		
+  		matchPayload.clear();
+  		return advance();
+  	}
   	
-    @Override
-    public long cost() {
-	return firstSpans.cost() + secondSpans.cost();
-    };
-};
+  	@Override
+  	public long cost() {
+  		return firstSpans.cost() + secondSpans.cost();
+  	}
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/SimpleSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/SimpleSpans.java
index 1f713bd..4400f6d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/SimpleSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/SimpleSpans.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package de.ids_mannheim.korap.query.spans;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
@@ -43,8 +44,7 @@
   		matchDocNumber= -1;
   		matchStartPosition= -1;
   		matchEndPosition= -1;
-  		matchPayload = new LinkedList<byte[]>(); // why linkedlist?
-		// -> Can be an array as well, don't know if it comes from me or from you (ndiewald)
+  		matchPayload = new ArrayList<byte[]>();
   		
   		// Get the enumeration of the two spans to match
   		firstSpans = simpleSpanQuery.getFirstClause().
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
   	}
   	
   	@Override
-  	public String toString() { // who does call this?				
+  	public String toString() {				
   		return getClass().getName() + "("+query.toString()+")@"+
   		    (isStartEnumeration?"START":(hasMoreSpans?(doc()+":"+
   		    start()+"-"+end()):"END"));