What should referee do when one opponent is crying
Table Tennis Discussion
Last updated 6 years ago
Nigel Fewster Asked 9 years ago
I was referring a junior match between a boy and a girl about 10-13 years old. The girl won the first game and the boy the second after the turn around the girl came out sobbing and crying, this seemed to put the lad off . How should you handle this sort of situation?
Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago
Hi Nigel,
In this situation, I think it is best if you just stop the match and forget all about it. Children change emotions quite fast. There is no need to prolong an experience like that for a child.
It is probably not the referees place to stop it but hopefully the coach or parent would step in.
In an hour the children will have forgotten all about it.
Thoughts on this question
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Steve Billmire Posted 9 years ago
Very good advice Alois!!!
Dieter Verhofstadt Posted 9 years ago
I'd say, slap her in the face, so that she knows what she's crying for!
Seriously, I've seen teenagers cry for losing a set or two, to make a comeback against a softened opponent. I've lost matches against opponents who were cursing their own bad form, luring me into a false feeling of superiority. I've been criticizing myself out loud, to recover later and win a lost game, feeling guilty for the outbursts.
I think a referee should address any kind of overly emotional behavior that puts off the opponent and possibly even forfeit the match against the (inadvertently) misbehaving party.
D K Posted 6 years ago
I can confirm some opponents do this purposefully.
I have read them being called "snake charmers".
Because they lure you into a false felling of domnating one,as Dieter says.
However,Dieter,in my opinion you need more than perfect playing abilities to be a really good player.
Really good player needs one more thing: strong mentality.
If you get distracted by your opponents behavior.....it is your problem just as well as his.
D K Posted 6 years ago
You know,no matter of the age,we are all people.
Not robots.
Even Chinese,despite their play resembles a robot very often.
We all have emotions.
Even me,a person who nearly needed to learn how to feel certain emotions manually,can lose control due to anger or similar emotion.
D K Posted 6 years ago
Even Waldner or Samsonov,who are really calm,show up some emotions.
You would want too much if you want to prevent 10 year child from crying if the child takes the play seriously