1.  ..... very important league match (final) and the ball enters my defence zone. .. the ball is spinning very fast more or less in one spot. I choose to wait untill the ball calms down before touching it with one of my men .. as I wait the opposition player comments loudly to \"watch my time!\" ....concentration broken I touch the ball and it flys to his 3 bar. :( grrrrrr.

My understanding is that a spinning ball does not effect the time until after it stoppes spinning or is touched or controled.

Please clarify if possible ...

and thank you! :)
Mike J

1.  Time limits:  You have 10 seconds on the five-row and 15 seconds anywhere else.  Time is counted from the moment you can first touch the ball, if you can control it or if it is spinning makes no difference.
2.  Interesting tricks to the time limits:
 a.  If the ball leaves the rods area of control, like if it spins out of your reach then comes back, the time limits reset.
 b.  If the ball is caught between the goalie rod and the two rod so the player can not touch the ball, time shall be suspended.  Example is the ball has been in the goalie area for 2 seconds then rolls slowly into that area where you can not reach and stays there for 3 seconds before the player can reach it again.  The time limit should continue from 2 seconds, ignoring the 3 seconds completely.
 c.  If the ball was on the 3-row and the player hit it back to the 5-row then right back to the 3-row that would reset the time limits.
3.  As for Mike J's situation, the other team saying "watch my time!", that would be a distraction and illegal.

official rules
Distraction: Motion or sounds away from the ball which would distract the other team.

-stacey, foosball.com staff and certified official.