Am in the wrong or is this super annoying to everyone else as well?

[ericd937]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

 

[WingTT]

I'm fairly certain that that kind of side talk is illegal in a match under the official rules. You are within your rights to not be distracted during gameplay.

 

[Kontra]

I'd find it easier to ask him politely to stay quiet than to ask forum members what to do.

 

[ericd937]

I'd find it easier to ask him politely to stay quiet than to ask forum members what to do.

Im not asking what to do. I'm basically just venting. Don't worry, they aren't fellow forum members, but I wish they were. Lol And I did ask them politely, but I didn't have much luck. I just left and went to a better club.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Yeah. Walk up to the guy on the sidelines and tell him you can't have him talking during your match and that maybe he should sit somewhere else.

Any time he tried to talk to your opponent in the middle of a point, you can hold your hand up, like for a let, and walk away from the table. But definitely tell both of them to stop. Your opponent saying something during a point falls into the category that a player is not allowed to distract or disrupt his opponent during a point.

 

[NDH]

I'd find it easier to ask him politely to stay quiet than to ask forum members what to do.

Different people/cultures have different expectations of how things should be - I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask a wider audience like this forum to see if your own expectations match up with others.

Eric, there’s lots of information that would be useful.

Is the person talking familiar with TT rules and etiquette?

In the UK, if the person was a TT player and did that, he’d be told very quickly to shut the hell up.

However, I’ve seen it happen before where the person talking (or breaking another etiquette rule) is not familiar with the expectation.

This can also happen to people who actually play TT, but perhaps don’t do it in an “organised TT” kind of way.

In these instances, I’d just have a quiet word with them (as soon as you can) and explain what the expectation is.

But, never let this stuff affect you. If it affects you, say something as soon as you feel you can.

 

[SFF_lib]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

I hear you. I can feel how annoyed you were in the match. I would feel the same too. They should display civil manners and sportsmanship.

In this country, that behaviour is not acceptable. However, people still use other means to annoy you - like laughing or joking when they win a point.

 

[JJ Ng]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

Agree. I would have told the guy to shut up...!!!!

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

Wow! This dude you mentioned seems like have TOTAL no respect for you! You should challenge him to a death duel using TT to protect your honour. This is the only way.

 

[lodro]

When we just play and have a bit of fun I do not care who talks or laughs or shouts.
When we start with the "counting" we have a match and rules apply to both the players and spectators.

 

[Funk Fu Master]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

wow... I've often thought of posting annoying/irritating instances like these.. I thought, I was the only one who found this super annoying.. I'm glad I came across your post..

This happens ever so often, not during tournaments, but during regular/daily tournaments...What pisses me off, even more, when my opponent will leave the table, mid-game, and start chatting. Once, I almost flung my racquet at an opponent, for doing this..

It's very disrespectful..

Another major annoyance - ppl tending to cell-phone calls, in between games..arrragghhh...

 

[Gozo Aruna]

wow... I've often thought of posting annoying/irritating instances like these.. I thought, I was the only one who found this super annoying.. I'm glad I came across your post..

This happens ever so often, not during tournaments, but during regular/daily tournaments...What pisses me off, even more, when my opponent will leave the table, mid-game, and start chatting. Once, I almost flung my racquet at an opponent, for doing this..

It's very disrespectful..

Another major annoyance - ppl tending to cell-phone calls, in between games..arrragghhh...

Reminder to self: Wear this when playing Funk Fu Master

 

[Funk Fu Master]

View attachment 25806
Reminder to self: Wear this when playing Funk Fu Master

lol.. does that mean, you're one of the afore-mentioned annoying players ?

 

[turbozed]

I was just playing a club match at local club and a guy on the sideline kept starting a conversation with my opponent during play. It would be totally totally silent, either me or the opponent gets In serving position, right on the toss the guy on the side starts talking to my opponent mid toss precisely when the point is starting. It wasn't just once, it was literally 5 points in a row. Am I jerk to tell him to stop talking? I can not focus during that.

I mean if people who aren't playing are having conversation on the side, that's fine. Nothing I can do about that, but talking through someone's match, mid toss? When it was my serve I would just stand there and wait for silence and stare at him before restarting play. He finally stops taking. I get in serving position. I display the ball on my palm. As soon as my hand goes down to toss the ball BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. What is that? They are only practice matches, but we play fairly competitively. That is not okay, right?

Was this at a club in Saigon? In my experience, loud commentary is pretty common in Vietnam but usually only after points are completed.

 

[Der_Echte]

Where you are, some people would not think it is bad to do that in the club. That is a soft harsh way to say it might be you.

Having said that, from my days in Korea, it isn't all that different (in terms of disruptions - due to close space and loud tendencies)... yeah, having said all that,, if someone in Korea did that while i waz in a match, I would get very warm about it and open my mouth in Korean.

One of two things would happen.

- Dude would get LTBHS. (Long Term Butt Hurt Syndrom)

- Dude would be right there with me downing the Chicken and local water after TT club closes and we all go out

 

[Trevize84]

There's a Danish pro player that may have a say on this topic 🤣

 

[piligrim]

I last tournament my opponent coach was talking to his student after every point. I asked him to stop but he said its not against the rules. Referee didn't care when I told him about this

 

[NextLevel]

I last tournament my opponent coach was talking to his student after every point. I asked him to stop but he said its not against the rules. Referee didn't care when I told him about this

Between point coaching is now legal (has been for a few years) as long as the flow of the match is not interrupted. Basically the coach can call out instructions or communicate signs. But if you think the student verbally acknowledged or discussed with the coach and that took the form of a conversation that delayed the next point, then that could be illegal. But the coaching itself is not. The goal was to make the kind of hidden bench coaching that some players got away with legal because more people were doing it well more than was being acknowledged and not all umpires skillfully enforced actions against it, giving some players an unfair edge.

 

[piligrim]

Between point coaching is now legal (has been for a few years) as long as the flow of the match is not interrupted. Basically the coach can call out instructions or communicate signs. But if you think the student verbally acknowledged or discussed with the coach and that took the form of a conversation that delayed the next point, then that could be illegal. But the coaching itself is not. The goal was to make the kind of hidden bench coaching that some players got away with legal because more people were doing it well more than was being acknowledged and not all umpires skillfully enforced actions against it, giving some players an unfair edge.

After point coach start to explain to student what he did wrong and he doesn't keep playing until coach finish to explain. I don't think it's legal. I watch all WTT tournaments but never seen coach talk to player after each every point. Not 1-2 worlds but about 30 second. Player should serve but he standing and listening to his coach.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Talking between points is not the same as talking during the point while the ball is heading towards the player who is NOT talking.