USATT rules regarding headwear
Goom
specific mention of headwear. Are baseball caps, headbands, bandanas,
etc. permissable? (assume dark, drab colors)
--
'Tis sweet to hear the watchdog's honest bark / Bay deep-mouth'd welcome
as we draw near home; / 'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark /
Our coming, and look brighter when we come.
-Lord Byron
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
JJ4TT
22. Clothing (Dress Code)
22.1 Playing clothing shall normally consist of a short-sleeved shirt and
shorts or skirt, socks, and playing shoes;
other garments, such as part or all of a track suit, shall not be worn during
play except with the permission of the referee.
Matt Cary
it.
I had to wear a ballcap against the sunlight that was coming in
through the ceiling and didn't ask permission. Of course, I can't
imagine Lee Mc McCool would have complained since he was was beating
me so badly he might not even have realized I was on the other side
of the table.
Scott Gordon
etc., are all permitted.
Scott
Alan & Erin Williams
> Oops! I broke the rules at the Golden Gate Open and didn't know
> it.
>
> I had to wear a ballcap against the sunlight that was coming in
> through the ceiling and didn't ask permission. Of course, I can't
> imagine Lee Mc McCool would have complained since he was was beating
> me so badly he might not even have realized I was on the other side
> of the table.
And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your head
uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's vehement about
prohibiting them!
Alan
Larry Hodges
news:X2Fo5.884$mJ6....@typhoon.sonic.net...
> Alan & Erin Williams <will...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> : And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your
head
> : uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's
vehement
> : about prohibiting them!
>
> such an arbitrary restriction.
Headwear is allowed in nearly every other sport - tennis, golf, baseball,
football, hockey, and so on. (How about basketball?)
-Larry Hodges
Alan & Erin Williams
> Alan & Erin Williams <will...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> : And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your head
> : uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's vehement
> : about prohibiting them!
>
> Does anyone know why? I've long been curious about the motivation for
> such an arbitrary restriction.
>
>
Terry believes (if I am quoting him correctly) that headgear (esp the reversed
ballcap!) is undignified and unprofessional. It's bad for the image of a sport
to see someone playing in a bowler. Since I'm not an umpire, I'm woefully
ill-equipped to comment on this. Not that that has ever stopped me... ;-)
Alan
Alan & Erin Williams
> Scott Gordon <sgo...@bolt.sonic.net> wrote in message
> news:X2Fo5.884$mJ6....@typhoon.sonic.net...
> > Alan & Erin Williams <will...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > : And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your
> head
> > : uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's
> vehement
> > : about prohibiting them!
> >
> > Does anyone know why? I've long been curious about the motivation for
> > such an arbitrary restriction.
>
> Headwear is allowed in nearly every other sport - tennis, golf, baseball,
> football, hockey, and so on. (How about basketball?)
>
>
Allowed? In football and baseball it's required! and since golf and tennis
are primarily played in bright sunlight, okay, they should have hats. As for
hockey...I wouldn't go out there without a motorcycle helmet!
Alan
Dave Williams
And in fact, they're encouraged :)
Head coverings can sometime detract from the professional appearance of
our sport, as proof here's a link to a marginal case, permitted perhaps
only because it was original Don Iguana wear replete with small lizards
adding that reptilian touch the ladies love. http://www.totaladventure.com/Leftyblock.jpg
Among the world's top players, Saive (BEL) and Jindrin (AUT) wore wide
headbands during the ITTF Pro Tour.
Lefty
Waters, Julian
>
> Scott Gordon wrote:
>
> > Alan & Erin Williams <will...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > : And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your head
> > : uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's vehement
> > : about prohibiting them!
> >
> > Does anyone know why? I've long been curious about the motivation for
> > such an arbitrary restriction.
> >
> >
>
> ballcap!) is undignified and unprofessional. It's bad for the image of a sport
> to see someone playing in a bowler. Since I'm not an umpire, I'm woefully
> ill-equipped to comment on this. Not that that has ever stopped me... ;-)
Surely allowing certain headgear should be a judgment call. I'm not a
fan of hats, especially loud annoying ones as worn by people like Marty
Reisman, or even a really bad hairpiece, as worn by... ok let's not go
there -- or even really loud PANTS, as worn by you know know. But a
reverse baseball cap should be ok. I have a friend whose hair is long
and usually carefully groomed and tied back. However parts of it start
flying around when he plays. That is distracting to him and to his
opponent. He wears a reverse baseball cap simply to keep the hair in
place and out of trouble. He has dark hair and his cap is dark. From a
distance you don't even notice it.
All the same, I really would love to see Terry give someone grief
because of a bad toupée though. That would rock!
Julian
Scott Gordon
: And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with your head
: uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's vehement
: about prohibiting them!
Does anyone know why? I've long been curious about the motivation for
such an arbitrary restriction.
Scott
Matt Cary
lighting conditions where the light comes from directly above. I
always used to wear a ballcap when playing at Sam Lima's. I'll pass
on the dignity if it means I can't see the ball properly.
Alan & Erin Williams <will...@mindspring.com> wrote:
Waqidi Falicoff
"Matt Cary" <matt...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:39a3333a....@news.mindspring.com...
particularly bad for glare. The lighting levels for most courts was very
bad. This facility was used only that one time as far as I remember. In
any case I had serious trouble seeing the ball. Even though I have never
played with a cap on, I decided it was worth the experiment. I asked one of
the national umpires whether I was allowed to play with the cap and he said
definitely not. As I noticed many other players wearing caps including my
friend Marty M., I asked him if he had determined whether the lighting level
in the hall met the standards of play for the ITTF. He did not take kindly
to my sarcastic comment. Anyway I played with the cap but it didn't help
much, as I was bothered by its feel. Eventually I took it off and realized
I just had to concentrate much more than normal. I didn't play very well
at this tournament but of course the handicap is the same for everyone.
By the way the feedback from Los Angeles area, from my conversation with Mas
Hashimoto is that the players he frequents vehemently dislike the 40 mm
ball. I used all the cliche phrases like its a done deal and things will
improve with time. In fact he even agreed that his style of game would be
little affected by the new ball. In the end we talked about starting a new
table tennis association based on the 38 mm ball. I am not prepared to go
this far at this time. However, if after 6 months we hear that there is a
worldwide swell of negativity toward the new ball, I think this is a
reasonable approach. Of course I am waiting to see a few American players
show me how they can loop just the same as before as they can somehow do it
in Sweden.
I am going to put my self out on the limb and say that the new ball is
inherently unstable under high impact loop shots. Why because it is local
softer than the 38 mm by 20%. This is fact. The fact is that the new ball
is larger in diameter, made of the same material and has the same wall
thickness as the 38 mm ball. Any self respecting engineer can make the
calculation. Please prove me wrong. I have yet to see anyone with the 40
mm do a medium high power arc loop that a good hitter couldn't cram down his
throat. The best loops with the 40 mm ball are low inside or outside loops
hit over the table off the bounce. Off the table loops with the 40 mm ball
have much less power than before. You have to be a world class player to
have enough spin to open up with the backhand loop with the new ball. One
thing is easier to do with the new ball is to hit and smash. Watch and you
will see the game will change to the third ball attack style with the smash
or the low trajectory loop.
So now we will all be switching to max rubber, buying new blades that work
better with the new ball, improved speed glue, new robots and twice as many
balls than before (they break easily). Hey maybe I should be a table
tennis manufacturer again. The good times are here for some. Oh by the way
I am waiting to see all the television coverage stemming from the high
visibility of the 40 mm ball and the long rallies. Dream on friends-- Dream
on. The emperor has no clothes!
Waqidi
Scott Gordon
Yegods, so throw out the baby with the bathwater. Some of the most
popular players of all time wore hats... Vana, Dolinar, and of course
Reisman come to mind. Same is true for tennis. How can you have any
spectator appeal when the players aren't allowed any liberty to express
themselves? Such a great game; hearing stuff like this is depressing.
I never wear hats, but I've half a mind to start, just to take a stand.
Scott
Jim Short
You do whatever,
but
Iguana play table tennis!
Terrytrbl
>uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's vehement
>about
>prohibiting them!
Not so! As a ref, I have to draw the line somewhere, and choose to draw it at
wearing bandanas which are firmly attached to the head or head bands. Ball
caps, particularly worn backwards, are unacceptable to me. We are not playing
baseball. They look unprofessional. as a referee, it is my decision. Call me
biased if you wish, still, it is my opinion.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>such an arbitrary restriction.
>
>Scott
Scott,
Now you know. Next time, just ask me. I have no problems expressing myself.
I also know I will probably get a lot of heat from this, but when it all comes
down to it, unless and until they specify in the rules concerning head gear, it
is my decision.
Terry
Dave Williams
Jim Short wrote:
Jim,
You have obviously tuned your ESP reader to some lubricated business
discussions here in the Maryland Mountains. The rare and collectable
Don Iguana T-shirts produced for our Factory Team could be just the tip
of the iceberg. Don Iguana Wear for Table Tennis, proudly displaying
Don's unique Survivor scale pattern could be right around the corner :)
Lefty
Terrytrbl
>lighting conditions where the light comes from directly above. I
>always used to wear a ballcap when playing at Sam Lima's. I'll pass
>on the dignity if it means I can't see the ball properly.
I wear glasses too. I have never had a problem with glare.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>and usually carefully groomed and tied back. However parts of it start
>flying around when he plays. That is distracting to him and to his
>opponent. He wears a reverse baseball cap simply to keep the hair in
>place and out of trouble
Julian,
And your friend almost was defaulted from the Maryland Medallion for not
changing his attire to a head band. What's wrong with a head band? There are
a lot of women playing with longer hair than your friend, they don't wear ball
caps or any other head gear. I don't want this issue to become a focal point
for some on this group, But at the same rate, the line does have to be drawn
somewhere. It is up to me as a referee to attempt to draw it. On a side note,
your friend did wear his hat at the MMT this last weekend and I said nothing to
him. Part of it is if I let him wear it, then others will want to wear their
hats. You know, the ones with horns on them. :-) That didn't seem to be a
problem at this event, but if it had become one, I would have had to say
something to him again. It might be wise to let him know it can be a problem
for him later on down the road.
I might add, you guys just keep pushing the issue and see what I show up with
at the next tournament. It won't be pretty.
Terry
Goom
"Larry Hodges" <ttw...@erols.com> wrote:
> Headwear is allowed in nearly every other sport - tennis, golf,
baseball,
> football, hockey, and so on. (How about basketball?)
Regarding basketball, I don't recall ever seeing an NBA player in a
bandana or hat of any kind, but I have seen several wearing elastic
headbands (Clive Drexler, e.g.). However, basketball is a potentially
contact sport, table tennis is not, so a presumed rule against hats and
bandanas (which leave tails hanging behind the head) in basketball
might not even be applicable to table tennis.
Regards,
Justin
Terrytrbl
>
>Scott
Scott,
You can borrow mine. The one with the horns on it. Or, how about the Boos
Bros hats? Borrow one of theirs. I'l tell you what, you can wear any hat you
want, but you have to wear it backwards so we won't know wheather your coming
or going.
Terry
Dave Williams
Terrytrbl wrote:
> I might add, you guys just keep pushing the issue and see what I show up with
> at the next tournament. It won't be pretty.
>
> Terry
I've seen some of fashion statements that come out of "Chez Bell" and you guys may
want to heed this threat...worse than any apocalyptic spam attack you can imagine
:)
Waters, Julian
> And your friend almost was defaulted from the Maryland Medallion for not
> changing his attire to a head band. What's wrong with a head band?
My friend's black backwards baseball cap is much less noticeable than
most headbands. Some people wear loud headbands which continually need
adjusting, and that is much worse.
> There are
> a lot of women playing with longer hair than your friend, they don't wear ball
> caps or any other head gear.
Incorrect. Many of them do. Wayne and I played one short Canadian looper
girl in the Teams who wore backwards baseball caps. (Wayne -- remember
her? Did you have a problem with her? I certainly didn't.)
> I don't want this issue to become a focal point
> for some on this group, But at the same rate, the line does have to be drawn
> somewhere. It is up to me as a referee to attempt to draw it. On a side note,
> your friend did wear his hat at the MMT this last weekend and I said nothing to
> him.
That was decent of you. Maybe if people complained about his cap, then
you might have a point and given him a warning. He is a straight ahead
guy and he plays with good sportsmanship. He is not trying to distract
anyone with his cap -- he is actually tring to PREVENT distraction by
uising it to keep his hair in place.
> Part of it is if I let him wear it, then others will want to wear their
> hats. You know, the ones with horns on them. :-) That didn't seem to be a
> problem at this event, but if it had become one, I would have had to say
> something to him again. It might be wise to let him know it can be a problem
> for him later on down the road.
If you can come up with something better for him to wear, please let him
know. In his case some of his hair would still fly around even with the
headband. Maybe you want him to start wearing hair clips and other girly
stuff?
> I might add, you guys just keep pushing the issue and see what I show up with
> at the next tournament. It won't be pretty.
Come on Terry. You're a reasonable guy. No offense, but you are being
petty. You shouldn't threaten like that. Don't let your own personal
tastes get in the way. Maybe you have a personal dislike of what you
view as non professional attire. Maybe you don't like the baggy semi hip
hop look. We are talking about non professional levels of play here. How
professional should we look? Should you default Sunny Lee for wearing
baggy non-pro shorts? Should we make sure everyone only wears certain
hair cuts? Should all we sub-2000 hackers show up in full Donic or Stiga
attire right down to the the matching socks and shoes? Of course not.
To me, Marty Reisman's loud large hat, loud pants etc can often be much
more distracting than my friends' headgear. Why is Marty allowed to get
away with it? We should not focus so much on what people look like. I
think the annoying and crazy way some people ACT is often MUCH more
distracting. I don't need to list them (Homer Brown etc).
Julian
Waters, Julian
> Not so! As a ref, I have to draw the line somewhere, and choose to draw it at
> wearing bandanas which are firmly attached to the head or head bands. Ball
> caps, particularly worn backwards, are unacceptable to me. We are not playing
> baseball. They look unprofessional. as a referee, it is my decision. Call me
> biased if you wish, still, it is my opinion.
Terry -- I think you need to adjust your "line". With or without caps,
most of us hackers look unprofessional anyway. How about a baseball cap
with the visor part trimmed so it is more like a skull cap? From the
front, that is what a backwards cap looks like anyway. If the the cap is
essential the same tone as the person's hair, it is not very noticeable
from the front. A baseball cap worn the "correct" way would in fact be
more distracting.
Ray B -- I guess you'll never play a tournament with that cap you always
wear! You might also get defaulted for wearing long warm up pants too.
Terry -- are warm up pants also on your list of "no no"s Where do you
drawn the line on long pants? Are Marty's loud slacks ok but warm up
pants not ok?
I don't want to beat this into the ground, but if some of my friends are
in danger of being defaulted for what I consider a petty reason, I feel
strongly about it.
Julian
Alan & Erin Williams
> Terrytrbl wrote:
>
> > And your friend almost was defaulted from the Maryland Medallion for not
> > changing his attire to a head band. What's wrong with a head band?
>
> My friend's black backwards baseball cap is much less noticeable than
> most headbands. Some people wear loud headbands which continually need
> adjusting, and that is much worse.
>
> (snip)
>
> If you can come up with something better for him to wear, please let him
> know. In his case some of his hair would still fly around even with the
> headband. Maybe you want him to start wearing hair clips and other girly
> stuff?
>
> > I might add, you guys just keep pushing the issue and see what I show up with
> > at the next tournament. It won't be pretty.
>
> Come on Terry. You're a reasonable guy. No offense, but you are being
> petty. You shouldn't threaten like that.
I think you misunderstood Terry, Julian. He has some really 'unique' clothing
laying around. In fact, he collects the stuff! He can be a loud dresser when the
mood strikes him...
> Don't let your own personal
> tastes get in the way. Maybe you have a personal dislike of what you
> view as non professional attire. Maybe you don't like the baggy semi hip
> hop look. We are talking about non professional levels of play here. How
> professional should we look? Should you default Sunny Li for wearing
> baggy non-pro shorts? Should we make sure everyone only wears certain
> hair cuts? Should all we sub-2000 hackers show up in full Donic or Stiga
> attire right down to the the matching socks and shoes? Of course not.
From a player's perspective, I agree. From an organizer's perspective, I disagree.
We spend a lot of time assuring sponsors that TT is a 'sport' but a gym full of
casually dressed players (slacks, boots, hats, track suits, and yes, hip-hop
baggies) gives very much the opposite impression. I think the top players, BTW, do
a good job in projecting the proper image. As long as both recreational and Olympic
athletes are mingled in our tournaments, this will be a small issue, I suppose.
>
>
> To me, Marty Reisman's loud large hat, loud pants etc can often be much
> more distracting than my friends' headgear. Why is Marty allowed to get
> away with it?
He hasn't always been. And part of the problem with rule-making is the need for
objective standards. Paul's hat doesn't faze me at all....but a sombrero would!
Marty's tam o' shanter is loud and plaid, if it was one bland earth tone would it
still be a problem? I think this is why the Ref has discretion on this dress code
portion of the program.
> We should not focus so much on what people look like. I
> think the annoying and crazy way some people ACT is often MUCH more
> distracting.
Worth considering: one feeds the other. It's hard to scream "DAMMIT COME ON!" at a
tie and tails soiree. It's pretty easy to get that spirit at the circus, though.
Alan
Waters, Julian
> As a ref, I have to draw the line somewhere, and choose to draw it
> at wearing bandanas which are firmly attached to the head or head
> bands. Ball caps, particularly worn backwards, are unacceptable to
> me. We are not playing baseball. They look unprofessional.
Tennis players are not playing baseball either but many wear baseball
caps, both forwards and backwards. Should Leyton Hewitt etc be told they
don't look professional and be made to wear headbands or bandanas
instead? In any case, since when is a headband or bandana considered
"professional" attire? That is ridiculous. You definitely have a bias
against one particular kind of hat, and that is petty. How do you feel
about the kind Marty wears?
You are asking low level non professionals to look professonal, which is
fair enough, but only up to a point. We are playing for fun, not fame
and fortune on TV. Being too narrow on acceptable clothing probably
hurts the sport asnd turns some young people away. You would probably
like everyone to go out and buy pure table tennis clothing. I know
people who would not be caught dead in table tennis wear. Jessica Shen
told me she would never risk the embarrassment of wearing table tennis
clothes to the mall. Mike Master constantly dogs me for wearing the
stuff, saying I should try to look "cool" and wear loose basketball
style baggy shirts, size XXXL shirts and high top Nikes. I'm way past
caring about looking cool, but if I was an umpire I wouldn't try to
prevent him from wearing what he does, unless he wore very bright yellow
or something.
Julian
Waters, Julian
> From a player's perspective, I agree. From an organizer's perspective, I disagree.
> We spend a lot of time assuring sponsors that TT is a 'sport' but a gym full of
> casually dressed players (slacks, boots, hats, track suits, and yes, hip-hop
> baggies) gives very much the opposite impression. I think the top players, BTW, do
> a good job in projecting the proper image. As long as both recreational and Olympic
> athletes are mingled in our tournaments, this will be a small issue, I suppose.
X-Games events have no problem attracting sponsor and those athletes
wear extremely hip hop baggy stuff. You can argue that that style goes
with the style of the sport, but I think there should be room for
individuality. In classical concert music most people wear very
conservative clothes (black or white tie and tails etc) but a violinist
like Nigel Kennedy comes along and wears something totally different and
his musical personality comes through so well that it doesn't matter. If
anyone thinks Kennedy should not perform, they are not a musician and
are not sensitive to his world class musicianship.
> Worth considering: one feeds the other. It's hard to scream "DAMMIT COME ON!" at a
> tie and tails soiree. It's pretty easy to get that spirit at the circus, though.
I disagree. One example: although he may be a great guy off the court,
Homer Brown does a good job of screaming like a lunatic, as well as
other annoying and distracting behavior in matches and he always wear
strickly smart table tennis clothing.
Julian
Waqidi Falicoff
"Terrytrbl" <terr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000823092414...@ng-fc1.aol.com...
> >Because I wear glasses, I have difficulty with glare in certain
> >lighting conditions where the light comes from directly above. I
> >always used to wear a ballcap when playing at Sam Lima's. I'll pass
> >on the dignity if it means I can't see the ball properly.
>
>
> Terry
Glare with glasses is considerably reduced by an anti-reflective coating.
Unfortunately what constitues a glare condition varies from person to
person. There are formulae which can calculate when glare is likely to
occur for the "average" person. Terry, you are clearly not "the average"
person!
Waqidi
Scott Gordon
: They look unprofessional. as a referee, it is my decision. Call me
: biased if you wish, still, it is my opinion.
You know what I think looks unprofessional? It's when players such as
Yoo Nam Kyu or Michael Saive wear those loose fitting shorts, then pull
up the sides so they end up looking like diapers. Actually, they look
worse than diapers; they look like they're carrying a load. That is my
opinion. The difference is, if I were a ref, I wouldn't *ban* it just
because I don't personally like the look.
Hats are and have been for centuries a perfectly acceptable part of
human attire. I'm a 40-year-old conservative PhD professional with
no inner-city leanings, yet I still for the life of me can't see what
is the justification for banning even reverse baseball caps, let alone
more stylish hats. If there is a line to be drawn, I can understand
if a player's hat is distracting or shiny or with white spots... that is
an appropriate line for a ref to draw. But *all* hats? What if a
player's head is simply cold? or if a player has an ugly scalp and wants
to look more presentable? (I know someone who feels exactly that way).
By the way, I believe the same way about long pants and long sleeves.
Players shouldn't have to freeze if they're cold; that is just arbitrary.
Scott
Dave Williams
I think the real question is whether each of us feels an obligation to
"upgrade" the public presentation of our sport when playing in sanctioned
tournaments.
I feel very strongly both ways...a line I actually heard from a
Dilbertesque middle manager in a high level corporate tactics meeting. One
one hand, I grew up in the middle of the East Coast version of the hippie
'70's...and even though I no longer sport the body or the hair to be so
cool, I tend to the Mike Master t-shirt/surf guy attire when practicing.
One the other hand, I agree with Terry that if we are really concerned with
the public impression of our game as a serious sport, then some minimum
standard should be established by our tournament officials.
Having straddled that fence, it's truly hard to say whether a clean
backwards ball cap is unprofessional...as compared, say , to paisley boxers
and bad double knit shirt covering a big time paunch. My call is the ball
cap stays, but cut offs and holey t-shirts are non-starters.
Lefty
Scott Gordon
: Terry -- are warm up pants also on your list of "no no"s Where do you
: drawn the line on long pants? Are Marty's loud slacks ok but warm up
: pants not ok?
Could you imagine Marty wearing Donic shorts and shirt, with no hat?
He'd look ridiculous; it wouldn't even look like Marty. If he were
required to wear that, he simply wouldn't play. Since he is probably
the player who draws the most spectators, that just goes to show you
how injurious and ill-conceived these clothing restrictions are.
Why the need for a cookie-cutter look? Is the goal to make the game
more boring? to weed out the last vestiges of human individuality?
Scott
Scott Gordon
: And your friend almost was defaulted from the Maryland Medallion for not
: changing his attire to a head band. What's wrong with a head band?
I don't like how it looks. What's wrong with a hat?
Bruce H. Liu
"Waters, Julian" wrote:
>
> Alan & Erin Williams wrote:
>
> > From a player's perspective, I agree. From an organizer's perspective, I disagree.
> > We spend a lot of time assuring sponsors that TT is a 'sport' but a gym full of
> > casually dressed players (slacks, boots, hats, track suits, and yes, hip-hop
> > baggies) gives very much the opposite impression. I think the top players, BTW, do
> > a good job in projecting the proper image. As long as both recreational and Olympic
> > athletes are mingled in our tournaments, this will be a small issue, I suppose.
>
> X-Games events have no problem attracting sponsor and those athletes
> wear extremely hip hop baggy stuff. You can argue that that style goes
> with the style of the sport, but I think there should be room for
> individuality. In classical concert music most people wear very
> conservative clothes (black or white tie and tails etc) but a violinist
> like Nigel Kennedy comes along and wears something totally different and
> his musical personality comes through so well that it doesn't matter. If
> anyone thinks Kennedy should not perform, they are not a musician and
> are not sensitive to his world class musicianship.
>
Imaging ALL musicians in a classic music concert dress as
Kennedy. I personally like the way Marty Reisman dresses.
However, I don't think that is for every one. I agree that
there should be room for individuality but should within some
guideline. BTW, check this out at
http://www.mercurycenter.com/premium/sports/docs/purdy22.htm.
Mark Purdy, a columnist of Mercury News, predicted the demise
of X-Games.
/Bruce
Scott Gordon
: Having straddled that fence, it's truly hard to say whether a clean
: backwards ball cap is unprofessional...as compared, say , to paisley boxers
: and bad double knit shirt covering a big time paunch. My call is the ball
: cap stays, but cut offs and holey t-shirts are non-starters.
Personalities make for interesting viewing. I'd rather see the people
themselves playing each other... the hippy versus the rapper, for instance,
than make them both put on Donic duds. Very few people are trying to look
sloppy... one person may not "like" the rapper look, or the hippy look,
but the rapper is dressing every bit as carefully and with the same attention
to detail and style as the CEO in a suit. When we decide to say: "YOUR clothes
are not welcome here", we are really saying "YOU are not welcome here".
Scott
Matt Cary
my imagination. I lose depth perception on the ball when the light
is such that it hits my glasses from the inside and I get a
reflective glare. I use large-lensed glasses and I'm bald, so maybe
that contributes.
The same thing happens to me when shooting pool where the light is
above the table and I'm leaning over it, so the light hits the
glasses from the inside. I'm not great at pool, but I have had 20+
ball runs in straight pool. If I don't wear a hat, I can't make the
simplest shots because I can't pick out the contact point on the
object ball. I won't even play without a hat 'cause it's no fun.
In this case, a headband doesn't help.
terr...@aol.com (Terrytrbl) wrote:
>>Because I wear glasses, I have difficulty with glare in certain
>>lighting conditions where the light comes from directly above. I
>>always used to wear a ballcap when playing at Sam Lima's. I'll pass
>>on the dignity if it means I can't see the ball properly.
Berndt Mann
And I'm a 58-year-old anarcho-syndicalist with 17 years on
and off of college and a conservative if underperforming
portfolio whose personal arbiter in matters of table tennis
attire is Eric Hyde's "Table Tennis: A Guide for Beginners
& Enthusiasts", published 1937.
According to ol' Eric, "The general dress worn by men, is a
pair of grey flannel trousers and a dark-coloured short-
sleeved sports shirt. Women's clothes, as is perhaps
natural, have passed through various fashions, from evening
gowns to very queer shorts. But now they are becoming
standardised to a sports shirt, and a grey flannel skirt,
sometimes a divided one."
There you have it. If you don't wanna look like a tramp at
the table, this is what Eric and I suggest you wear.
He doesn't say nothin' about hats, however, so I suppose
they'd be OK.
Fitch Abercrombie
If there is a line to be drawn, I
> can understand
> if a player's hat is distracting or shiny or with
> white spots... that is
> an appropriate line for a ref to draw. But *all*
> hats? What if a
> player's head is simply cold? or if a player has an
> ugly scalp and wants
> to look more presentable? (I know someone who feels
> exactly that way).
> By the way, I believe the same way about long pants
> and long sleeves.
> Players shouldn't have to freeze if they're cold; that
> is just arbitrary.
> Scott
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Berndt Mann
Gordon <sgo...@bolt.sonic.net> wrote:
> Note: In hardbat events, hats, long pants, long
> sleeves, track suits, visors,
> etc., are all permitted.
> Scott
Hell, we'll even let you use your K-Mart Blue Light Special
one color hardbat; we don't just talk the talk--we walk the
walk.
There seems to be a strong anarchic flavor to many recent
postings concerning too many chickenspit rules which you
might or might not ever have heard of or which might or
might not be enforced depending on which side of the bed
your ref or ump got up out of. So pay close attention,
before we go about smearing the guillotines with the
concubines' fat, because you heard it here first.
At the next meeting in Vegas at the Nationals, the Classic
Table Tennis Association will be giving serious
consideration to reconstructing the game as it really was
before 1959 by dropping our current equipment guidelines
and going back to Rule 4, the rule in effect during those
glorious times. Rule 4 simply states "the racket may be
any material, size, shape or weight." And since the most
illustrious member of the Rules and Equipment Committee,
Marty (no last name necessary) is according to reliable
sources reported to be strongly in favor of going back to
Rule 4 (remember, he can probably beat you using a copy of
his book The Money Player), chances are very good the rest
of us'll come on board.
And since we're still pretty much unanimous in retaining
our more liberal dress code, think how popular and
telegenic table tennis could become if on ESPN2 we could
see Larry "Staples" Hodges battling junior glue great Han
Xiao in "dress down Friday" garb, me and my gray flannels
duking it out with Wally Green, Scott Gordon and Don Varian
in under 2000 battledore, and Eddie Record and his bowling
shirt coming out of retirement with his 3/4" foam each side
Barcalounge Bat to take on a rejuvenated Marty,
leopardskins and 6.0 mm. Nittaku Magical Spin (yes, Marty's
become a speed gluer, and there ain't no robojunior this
side of Alpha Centauri can touch his silken behind).
Once a trashsport crazed American audience gets its first
dose of anarcho-pong, street luge won't have a chance.
Leon Sol Gauche
In article <U8Eo5.875$mJ6....@typhoon.sonic.net>, Scott
Gordon <sgo...@bolt.sonic.net> wrote:
> Note: In hardbat events, hats, long pants, long
> sleeves, track suits, visors,
> etc., are all permitted.
Scott Gordon
: see Larry "Staples" Hodges battling junior glue great Han
: Xiao in "dress down Friday" garb, me and my gray flannels
: duking it out with Wally Green, Scott Gordon and Don Varian
: in under 2000 battledore, and Eddie Record and his bowling
: shirt coming out of retirement with his 3/4" foam each side
: Barcalounge Bat to take on a rejuvenated Marty,
But the main event will of course be the petrified paddle division.
Bruce Liu and I have decided that pimpled rubber ruined the game,
and that the only *real* sport is petrified paddle. Bruce will
hopefully be president of that association, and I will be at least
the vice president.
Scott
bernd...@my-deja.com
terr...@aol.com (Terrytrbl) wrote:
> >And as JJ notes below, it is the Ref's decision. FWIW, play with
your head
> >uncovered when Terry Bell is around...hats, bandanas, toupees, he's
vehement
> >about
> >prohibiting them!
>
draw it at
> wearing bandanas which are firmly attached to the head or head
bands. Ball
> caps, particularly worn backwards, are unacceptable to me. We are
not playing
decision. Call me
> biased if you wish, still, it is my opinion.
>
And yes he is a judge.
(And a good judge too!)
And yes he is a judge.
(And a good judge too!)
Though all the laws be fudge,
Still he'll never never budge,
But he'll live and die a judge.
(And a good judge too!)
Gilbert A. Sullivan
Jim Short
LizardWear (or, alternately, my Reptile Skins)!
Terrytrbl
>occur for the "average" person. Terry, you are clearly not "the average"
>person!
Thank you. I'm glad you noticed.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>stuff?
Yes, that would be fine.
Terrytrbl
>tastes get in the way.
Julian my friend, get a grip. All that I have said is with tongue firmly in
cheek.
Terrytrbl
>with the style of the sport, but I think there should be room for
>individuality. In classical concert music most people wear very
>conservative clothes (black or white tie and tails etc) but a violinist
>like Nigel Kennedy comes along and wears something totally different and
>his musical personality comes through so well that it doesn't matter. If
>anyone thinks Kennedy should not perform, they are not a musician and
>are not sensitive to his world class musicianship.
>
>ON!" at a
>> tie and tails soiree. It's pretty easy to get that spirit at the circus,
>though.
>
>I disagree. One example: although he may be a great guy off the court,
>Homer Brown does a good job of screaming like a lunatic, as well as
>other annoying and distracting behavior in matches and he always wear
>strickly smart table tennis clothing.
>
>Julian
>
>
Julian,
Based on that thought process, then we should ignore or even applaud Barney
Reeds display of his butt at an event just becaue he is a good player and an
indivdiual?
Not this ref.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>By the way, I believe the same way about long pants and long sleeves.
>Players shouldn't have to freeze if they're cold; that is just arbitrary.
>
>Scott
Scott,
When your the referee, you can let people wear anything you want.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>specific mention of headwear. Are baseball caps, headbands, bandanas,
>etc. permissable? (assume dark, drab colors)
>
>--
Correct, no mention is made. Referees decision.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>mention of headwear. Are baseball caps, headbands, bandanas, etc.
>permissable?
>(assume dark, drab colors)
>
If the referee allows them.
Terrytrbl
>visors,
>etc., are all permitted.
>
>Scott
>
>
Except you can't use a carbon blade any more. And how about wearing lace
stockings and a garter belt? I still like my hat with horns.
Terry
nothome....@home.com
glare at the recent US Open, even with anti-reflective coating on my
glasses, was keeping me from concentrating. It didn't take more than
10 seconds to get a referee at the desk to approve my wearing of a
golf visor.
---Dave Krasnow
<To reply to me by e-mail, please remove "nothome.">
On Wed, 23 Aug 2000 08:52:59 +0100, "Waqidi Falicoff"
<fali...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>"Terrytrbl" <terr...@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:20000823092414...@ng-fc1.aol.com...
>> >Because I wear glasses, I have difficulty with glare in certain
>> >lighting conditions where the light comes from directly above. I
>> >always used to wear a ballcap when playing at Sam Lima's. I'll pass
>> >on the dignity if it means I can't see the ball properly.
>>
>> I wear glasses too. I have never had a problem with glare.
>>
>> Terry
>
>Glare with glasses is considerably reduced by an anti-reflective coating.
>Unfortunately what constitues a glare condition varies from person to
>person. There are formulae which can calculate when glare is likely to
>occur for the "average" person. Terry, you are clearly not "the average"
>person!
>
>Waqidi
>
Waters, Julian
>
> I recently had a recurrence of Graves Eye Disease and found the
> glare at the recent US Open, even with anti-reflective coating on my
> glasses, was keeping me from concentrating. It didn't take more than
> 10 seconds to get a referee at the desk to approve my wearing of a
> golf visor.
> ---Dave Krasnow
That's amazing Dave! The ref didn't care if you didn't look
"professional"?? Wow. :-)
Waters, Julian
> >I disagree. One example: although he may be a great guy off the court,
> >Homer Brown does a good job of screaming like a lunatic, as well as
> >other annoying and distracting behavior in matches and he always wear
> >strickly smart table tennis clothing.
Terry wrote:
> Based on that thought process, then we should ignore or even applaud Barney
> Reeds display of his butt at an event just becaue he is a good player and an
> indivdiual?
> Not this ref.
No. Of course not. Maybe you are being tongue in cheek, but you are not
being logical. I meant that distracting bad behavior is much worse than
supposedly innapropriate clothing. Obviously the smartly clothed Barney
should have been penalized for the mooning episode.
J
Scott Gordon
: Except you can't use a carbon blade any more.
What does that have to do with clothing regulations?
: And how about wearing lace stockings and a garter belt?
Our rules are clear... they match USATT rules except that hats, visors,
long pants, long sleeves, and warmup suits are allowed. Within those
rules, it would up to the umpire to decide on lace stockings and garter belt.
Scott
Terrytrbl
world of table tennis than being an umpire or referee. We are trained to
enforce the rules fairly and we are paid (if ever so meagerly) to do so. Our
job is made even more difficult by players who insist on walking the line of
the gray areas in the rules when those lines are going to end up being a
judgement call by the official. Players who do this, force us to interject
ourselves into situations where we really didn't want to be in the first place.
I really don't want to hold your hand and tell you how to dress. I have tried
to make clear, where it is understood by everyone, that ball caps are a no no
in tournaments where I am a referee.
Now, if you as a player choose to walk that line, then yes, you are putting
yourself at risk for being defaulted if you choose not to comply with the
officials request. Particularly if I, or any other official, has made it clear
a particular situation is unacceptable to him or her. I am not saying that
your arguments have no validity, but I am saying that under the rules as I
interpret them, I have made my decision. Now, if you find that unacceptable,
talk to the ITTF and the USATT and get the rules to be more specific. I
personally have no problem with a hat or pants except that I am complying with
the rules. Now, quit your whinning.
Terry
Terrytrbl
Nothing is wrong with a hat, I wear hats. I'll let you wear one of mine even.
There is also nothing wrong with a jock strap as your only table tennis attire
or nothing at all. Better yet, why don't we just throw out all the rules and
play like we used to in our garages? BTW, I don't like muscle shirts, pants,
cutoffs, miniskirts, or camo gear to be worn at tournaments either. I will
make an exception though if you want to wear a miniskirt Scott. Now, I don't
know about the rest of you, but I have many far more important things to do
with my time rather than sitting here arguing about wearing hats. Thank you
all so much for your kind understanding.
Terry
Terrytrbl
>being logical.
Julian,
I disagree. I am being entirely logical. I am doing what I was hired to do
which is to enforce the rules to the best of my ability. Maybe it isn't me
which is illogical, but the rules. It would make far more sense to me if this
particular piece of clothing would be properly addressed in the rules. But
then, if everything was properly addressed in the rules, then you wouldn't need
me. You would only need that 450 pound rule book to memorize.
Terry
Berndt Mann
Hmmm...we do seem to have opened up a nasty little can of
worms here. But since the USATT- and ITTF-approved
manufacturers by definition (because, professional looking
or not, it's APPROVED, yuh muppet!) make acceptable
clothing, you can wear any of their stuff, whether it makes
you look like bad Jackson Pollack or a tossed salad gone
horribly awry or one of them roadside stand rug paintings
or what.
Obviously what we gotta do about the lace stockings and
garter belt is have our good friends at Butterfly and Donic
and Joola and Stiga make 'em and fork out the money to
get 'em USATT and ITTF approved so that these organizations
can eke out their meager existence and conscientious go-by-
the-book-except-it's-your-call-you-re-on-your-own refs like
Terry won't have to strain their official brains to decide
whether dey is or isn't street legal.
BTW, as a member of the Classic Table Tennis Association
Rules and Equipment Committee, I'd be inclined to allow the
lace stockings and garter belt so long as they looked
professional and didn't detract from the professional image
our version of the sport is trying to project.
Berndt Mann, life member USATT (and presumably CTTA)
professional table tennis player
(1999 gross income $15)
Waters, Julian
chosen the responsibility of being a referee. I wouldn't complain about
a free choice like that. You have an preducice against a particular kind
of hat: the backwards baseball cap, which you consider unprofessional
looking. That is a subjective view and it has noth=ing to do with how it
affects the opponent. Such caps are usually much less distracting than
some other kinds of headgear. like loud headbands, which you apparently
condone. I keep dogging you on this one because it is not a fair
prejudice. A fairer view would be to say you would do away with ALL
headwear, not pick on just one. You didn't answer the question about
Marty's loud hats, nor tennis players who wear backward ball caps. If
you were a tennis official, would you allow Leyton Hewitt etc to wear
them? Well?
Julain
Berndt Mann
Camo gear is actually pretty neat; won the 1969 Ft. Meade
Singles Championship in camo gear and combat boots. Just
came off a hard day of translating (whoops! I can't talk
about it) Chinese stuff and didn't have time to change. It
was okay with my opponent, who was with the 3rd Army Band
and didn't have time to change either. The ref didn't mind
too much, as my fatigues were neatly pressed, and the other
guy's band uniform looked positively bitchin'.
He did call me out on my sideburns (a tad below ear level)
and mustache (walrus) but after I explained I was going to
be out of that man's Army in about a week, he sighed a sad
sergeant's sigh and said, oh hell, what the ****, it's only
ping-pong.
Berndt Mann, Sp/5
RA 15731690 (1965-1969)
Matt Cary
Since he said he enforces the rules and there is not a rule in
tennis against headgear, he would allow it.
Larry Hodges
> Ok, let's try this on for size. There really isn't a more thankless job
in the
> world of table tennis than being an umpire or referee.
Club presidents, tournament directors - heck, just about anyone working in
table tennis is doing a thankless job!
> We are trained to
> enforce the rules fairly and we are paid (if ever so meagerly) to do so.
There is no rule regarding headgear in tournaments. It is a subjective call.
So when you disallow hats, you aren't just enforcing the rules; you are
enforcing your judgement, as the rules allow. It is not your enforcement of
rules that some people are disagreeing with you on; it is your judgement in
certain cases regarding the subjective issue of hats. So a hat ban does not
come from the rules; it comes from subjective judgement.
Whether one is for or against hats (the major issue in table tennis today),
let's keep the discussion on a logical basis.
-Larry Hodges
Waters, Julian
Well, he has not answered thaty for hiomself. I believe he said in table
tennis would be a judgement call. Tennis may be different for him. I'm
sure on the whole Terry is an excellent umpire. I am only giving him
flack on this one little point. He did give a buddy of mine a talking to
at the last MD Medallion and told him to find something else to put on
his head, or he would be defaulted. The guy could find nothing to
substitute and was about to drive two and a half hours back home without
being able to play. Thankfully Terry didn't push the issue and said
nothing more about it. That was after I spoke up for my friend. To be
fair, the same guy played the Murad and Terry didn't do anything about
it then, so I am thankful to Terry for his fairness and restraint on
that occasion.
Sorry I have made a mountain out of a molehill. I just don't want to see
someone kicked out of a tournament over something like this.
Julian
Scott Gordon
: There really isn't a more thankless job in the
: world of table tennis than being an umpire or referee.
Absolutely. And I perhaps wasn't clear that my question from the start
has been WHY is there such a rule banning hats? If you are caught in
an unfortunate situation of having to enforce a hat ban when you yourself
think it wrong, then yeah I feel bad for you (and the hat wearers).
I know the ban is at the ITTF level, and as such is way above one
umpire's jurisdiction. But who else should I ask? I asked here on
the newsgroup, and you seemed to be in favor of the ban (maybe I
misread your responses?). So I am still curious what brought about
the ruling, and if there is really any compelling reason for it.
If I wore a hat and allowed myself to be disqualified, that isn't
necessarily a protest directed at referees. By analogy, a picket
line at a factory isn't a statement against police (even though
it may be the police that arrest unruly protesters).
Scott
Bruce H. Liu
Scott Gordon wrote:
>
> Berndt Mann <bjgmann1...@msn.com.invalid> wrote:
> : see Larry "Staples" Hodges battling junior glue great Han
> : Xiao in "dress down Friday" garb, me and my gray flannels
> : duking it out with Wally Green, Scott Gordon and Don Varian
> : in under 2000 battledore, and Eddie Record and his bowling
> : shirt coming out of retirement with his 3/4" foam each side
> : Barcalounge Bat to take on a rejuvenated Marty,
>
> But the main event will of course be the petrified paddle division.
> Bruce Liu and I have decided that pimpled rubber ruined the game,
> and that the only *real* sport is petrified paddle.
Absolutely! Hardbat games are so chaotic . With a petrified paddle,
the game becomes pure. Erwin Hom and I played many times at work. The
rallies were so long. We attracted lots of spectators in the cafeteria.
We even wowed them. Therefore, should look good on TV too. Who needs
40mm balls?
/Bruce
P.S. We couldn't wear lace stockings and garter belts. It is against
our company policy.
Berndt Mann
terr...@aol.com (Terrytrbl) wrote:
> Scott,
> Nothing is wrong with a hat, I wear hats. I'll let
> you wear one of mine even.
> There is also nothing wrong with a jock strap as your
> only table tennis attire
> or nothing at all. Better yet, why don't we just
> throw out all the rules and
> play like we used to in our garages?
I heard that; now you're starting to make some sense. I
had a helluva lot more fun back in '52 playing my grade
school buddies cork to cork in our garage in Ogden Dunes,
Indiana than I've had lately tryin' to hang with some
underrated Canadian late-teen glue swigger at the Teams.
Actually, many of the USA Table Tennis UnOfficial Basement
Rules of the Game are more plausible than what the ITTF and
USATT have stuck us with.
The basement rules allow sandpaper, bare wood, and
acknowledge that the two-color rule isn't fair.
They also define junk rubber as any type of inverted
sponge, a sentiment with which I heartily concur.
They let you hit balls at will in doubles. For players who
also play tennis a lot, this takes a lot less time to get
used to than alternating hits.
You have to serve so that the ball only bounces once on
your opponent's side. Very sensible.
You always have to serve crosscourt. No problem here.
You can volley the ball. As a tennis player I rather like
this idea.
When serving, the ball is not in play until the server
makes contact with the ball. Sure, why not?
A "skunk" is a game winner at 7-0, 11-1, 15-2, or 21-3. If
you get skunked you gotta drink two beers. Been there, can
handle that.
Black socks, no shoes, worn-out shoes, no socks, cut-offs
with reversed baseball cap are the recommended attire. OK,
can live with it, although white T-shirts, rolled-up Levis
worn at crotch level, white sweat socks and Chuck Taylors
were pretty much it when I was a junior.
Oh yeah, and if you wore your baseball cap uncrushed and
backwards back in my day you were either a catcher or a
dork.
Nervous Norvous
BTW, I don't
> like muscle shirts, pants,
> cutoffs, miniskirts, or camo gear to be worn at
> tournaments either. I will
> make an exception though if you want to wear a
> miniskirt Scott. Now, I don't
> know about the rest of you, but I have many far more
> important things to do
> with my time rather than sitting here arguing about
> wearing hats. Thank you
> all so much for your kind understanding.
> Terry
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Terrytrbl
>someone kicked out of a tournament over something like this.
>
>Julian
Then don't wear a hat to a tournament.
P.S. We aren't playing tennis and I know nothing about the rules for tennis.
Terrytrbl
Well stated. Now you are dealing with this situation in a realistic manner and
I think you understand where I am coming from. My decisions are based on my
experiences garnered from my participation as an umpire at several major
tournaments. I don't take lightly my responsibilty as tournament referee. If
someone thinks well enough of my abilities to hire me as a ref for their
tournaments, I intend to do the best job I can. I have no idea why or where
the hat thing started, but I do know you won't see any competitors with ball
caps on in the Olympics in the sport of table tennis and if we want our sport
to be considered "professional" then we better do likewise.
Terry
Scott Gordon
: the hat thing started, but I do know you won't see any competitors with ball
: caps on in the Olympics in the sport of table tennis and if we want our sport
: to be considered "professional" then we better do likewise.
Thanks for the more congenial response. Unfortuately, I remain dazed and
confused. As I browse ESPN I see numerous sports where the competitors
wear ball caps and enjoy huge sponsorship and make a lot more money than table
tennis players. Where came the idea that for table tennis *in particular* to
look professional, it must ban them? Especially when the most closely
related (and far more professional) racket sport allows them? (including
in the Olympics!)
I'm ready to abandon my search for logic in this case. But that doesn't mean
that I am ready to accept the rule as fair or not worth challenging.
Scott
Alan & Erin Williams
> (snip)
>
> I'm ready to abandon my search for logic in this case. But that doesn't mean
> that I am ready to accept the rule as fair or not worth challenging.
>
Not a rule, but a ruling. Terry (and any other ref) has the option to rule on
clothing not specifically covered by the rules. Terry elects to disallow hats.
This is not a rule, but a ruling, just as the Teams Ref made a ruling, not a rule,
about Reisman's racket last year.
That may be nitpicky on my part, but I think it's an important distinction.
Terry is an excellent ref, and although I disagree with his decision about a
particular player's hat, I do know that it is HIS decision to make. Terry has
worked both the Butterfly Open and the Matthew Murad Memorial (gotta remember to
call 3M about sponsorship...) for NA TAble Tennis and the Maryland Medallion for
WMTTC. We'd welcome his officiating anywhere, anytime.
Officials have a fairly thankless job, and the one's I've met run the gamut from
meddling and nitpicky to lassez-faire. Terry Bell is 9 on a scale of 10, IMO.
Joseph Lee, Azmy, Tom Miller, Yang, Terry Canup are some of the officials I have
seen in action that are thoughtful, patient and concientious. The ones I don't
like hopefully don't even know it... ;-)
There are even a few *players* (MR for one) for whom 'umpire-baiting' appears to
be half the thrill of showing up....or in one recent instance, the ONLY reason for
coming. Go figure.
Alan
Waters, Julian
>
> >Sorry I have made a mountain out of a molehill. I just don't want to see
> >someone kicked out of a tournament over something like this.
> >
> >Julian
>
> Then don't wear a hat to a tournament.
Another approach would be to avoid playing a tournament whose ref had a
known prejudice against certain headwear. Such a prejudice may turn
people (like my friend) away and thus prevent their money from
supporting the sport.
Waters, Julian
> I have no idea why or where
> caps on in the Olympics in the sport of table tennis and if we want our sport
> to be considered "professional" then we better do likewise.
Maybe you should update your ideas on what looks professional. All
sports evolve, as do conservative attitudes toward clothing, even at
Wimbledon.
Waters, Julian
a spoof on the real rules. It was a lot of fun coming up
with them a while back. Some of them are things many people
think are the "real" rules, like the "skunk" etc, and some
arejust made up for fun. People send in additions to the list
once in a while and they are added. Examples:
1. THE TABLE
1.1 The left side of the table is for ping pong.
The right side is for modelmaking,
homework, sandwiches, beer, changing diapers, etc.
3. THE BALL
3.1 Thirty year old one star balls are the best,
especially after all brand name printing on the ball
surface has worn away.
3.1.2 It is O.K to use a ball of any color, however,
a ball color that matches your shirt is the best choice
to use to help disguise your shots.
3.2 In a tournament, if you win the match,
the ball becomes your property.
etc etc You can read more at:
http://www.usatt.org/rules/basementRules.html
-- Julian Waters
USATT Unoficial Basement Rules co-author :-)
Cyberspace Architect
Q: Is it legal to wear a hat, baseball cap or any other?
- submitted by Thomas Pritchard on 4 August 97
A: The Rules of Table Tennis state clearly that playing clothing
consists of short-sleeved shirt and shorts or skirt, socks, and playing
shoes. Other garments shall be worn only with the permission of a
referee. A referee will normally allow a head-band which will be of a
different color than the color of the ball, or a hat worn for religious
reasons, but not a reversed baseball cap.
- answered by Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire
--
Roy SeGuine Cyberspace Architect rseg...@webcritical.com
*Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased* Dan12:4
Berndt Mann
Architect <rseg...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> From the Stump the Ump column at
> http://www.usatt.org...
> Q: Is it legal to wear a hat, baseball cap or any
> other?
> - submitted by Thomas Pritchard on 4 August 97
> A: The Rules of Table Tennis state clearly that
> playing clothing
> consists of short-sleeved shirt and shorts or skirt,
> socks, and playing
> shoes. Other garments shall be worn only with the
> permission of a
> referee. A referee will normally allow a head-band
> which will be of a
> different color than the color of the ball, or a hat
> worn for religious
Religious reasons, eh? Well I'm both a born-again hardbat
man and a Manhattan Orthodox Martinet (follower of Marty).
So I presume my fedora, beret or tam-o'-shanter (all
consistent with my religious beliefs) should be no problem
then.
Hare Krizman
> but not a reversed baseball cap.
> - answered by Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT
> umpire
> --
> Roy SeGuine Cyberspace Architect
> rseg...@webcritical.com
> *Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
> increased* Dan12:4
* Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Alan & Erin Williams
> In article <39A7B93D...@yahoo.com>, Cyberspace
> Architect <rseg...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > From the Stump the Ump column at
> > http://www.usatt.org...
> > Q: Is it legal to wear a hat, baseball cap or any
> > other?
> > - submitted by Thomas Pritchard on 4 August 97
> > A: The Rules of Table Tennis state clearly that
> > playing clothing
> > consists of short-sleeved shirt and shorts or skirt,
> > socks, and playing
> > shoes. Other garments shall be worn only with the
> > permission of a
> > referee. A referee will normally allow a head-band
> > which will be of a
> > different color than the color of the ball, or a hat
> > worn for religious
> > reasons,...
>
> Religious reasons, eh? Well I'm both a born-again hardbat
> man and a Manhattan Orthodox Martinet (follower of Marty).
> So I presume my fedora, beret or tam-o'-shanter (all
> consistent with my religious beliefs) should be no problem
> then.
>
Here's hoping your first match is with a full Lakota Chief of the Native American Church.
Alan
'That's a feather in your cap, lad'
Berndt Mann
terr...@aol.com (Terrytrbl) wrote:
> Scott,
> Well stated. Now you are dealing with this situation
> in a realistic manner and
> I think you understand where I am coming from. My
> decisions are based on my
> experiences garnered from my participation as an
> umpire at several major
> tournaments. I don't take lightly my responsibilty as
> tournament referee. If
> someone thinks well enough of my abilities to hire me
> as a ref for their
> have no idea why or where
The hat thing started around 1900 with a challenge match
between two promising English paleojuniors, Constance
Bantock and Muir Stephens.
Master Stephens, a cagey blocker and behind the back
showkid, and Miss Bantock, a quick server with a great
return of serve, were to play one another in a battle-of-
the-sexes challenge match.
Stephens won at 30 to 23 in the third but Bantock protested
the outcome, claiming that the ankle length skirt and wide
brimmed hat she was required to wear was more of a
hindrance to movement and vision than Master Stephens'
waistcoat, trousers, and Oxfords.
She had originally showed up for the match in a stylish
halter top and Lycra shorts (a real hottie, lemme tell ya)
but the ref, Barry Tell, disallowed this audacious for the
times attire, saying, "to be allowed to wear such garb,
although not specifically prohibited, would be an affront
to the dignity of the sport and the professional image we,
given our game's infancy, wish to project."
"I hope I never live to see the day when such dress as this
is normal and permissible, either for sporting events or
for general public and private events and entertainments,"
Tell added.
Fortunately for Mr. Tell, one of the few early officials of
whom he have knowledge, he did not live to see the demise
of dignified attire in the sport he took so seriously and
loved, not wisely, but too well.
In an England vs. America competition in 1904, Tell and
Morty Ruseman, America's leading banjo bat specialist, got
into a shouting match over whether or not Ruseman was using
ground glass mixed with fine gravel (the gravel not
permitted) to soup up his chopped down Hocque No.
73 "Scruggs" battledore. The altercation ended tragically
when the fiery Ruseman, screaming "Sir, you are so full of
dung you squeak!", threw down his blade in anger and
frustration.
The buoyant banjo bat, ricocheting off the polished wood
floor, struck the hapless Tell in the neck and exploded,
showering him with glass and gravel shrapnel and severing
his jugular.
His last recorded words, "rules are rules, and I die
content having done my duty," have provided both
inspiration and comfort to table tennis officals and a true
and faithful example to follow in the subsequent history of
the legislation of our sport.
Tim Bogman
> but I do know you won't see any
> competitors with ball
> caps on in the Olympics in the sport of table tennis
> and if we want our sport
> to be considered "professional" then we better do
> likewise.
> Terry
John the Elder
The recently re-discovered libretto for G&S's
"The Pirates of Ping-zance",
as performed by the D'Oily Carte Opera Company
at the Manchester Millennium Vets' Festivities
follows...I can't remember all of it...can you?
I am the very model of the modern-day o-FI-ci-al,
I measure long-pips carefully, in metrics inter-STI-cial,
And when the rules are not quite clear,
Regarding matters of head gear,
My rulings, published without fear,
Make precedents in-IT-ial.
(Cho!-rus)
Confronting ball-caps in reverse, I promulgate in words quite terse,
Expect a sanction, not a slap, caused by your cap, or even worse,
You're out-a-here, if you persist,
There's no appeal, if you resist.
The ITT's Equipment List
Supports me, no one can reverse
(Cho!-rus)
(Regardless of my attitude) my rulings within latitude.
I labor at each tournament, expecting only gratitude,
A kindly word, a friendly smile,
We're all Pro's here, but all the while
Incessant questions about style
By players quite destroy the mood.
(Cho!-rus)
JTE
bernd...@my-deja.com
Oh yeah...It's coming back to me now...A little more tuba, please...oom
pa oom pa oom PA PA oom pa...
It's just not fair when I adjudicate that scorn and laughter be my fate.
Whilst deriders paint me stogical, I'm merely being logical.
A backward ballcap on one's pate!? I cannot even contemplate.
So why then should I arbitrate?
Since good taste's never out of date.
(Cho!-rus)
To insist one looks professional ain't Prussian-al or Hessian-al.
My aesthetic sense of beauty doth uphold me in my duty.
De gustibus non est dispute is not the way that I compute.
To stanch slovenliness in fashion
Is my life's consuming passion.
In short, in matters marginal, or trivial, or visceral,
I am the very model of
The modern-day offic-er-al.
(Cho!-rus): In short, in matters marginal, or trivial, or visceral,
He is the very model of
The modern-day offic-er-al.
Gilbert A. Sullivan
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Waters, Julian
the tune on the piano and your lyrics fit beautifully. Bravo! Very
clever stuff. And Berndt is no slouch either.
J the W.