Topic: Distractions on the three-rod. Need help.

[Anderson]

Any movement or sound made away from or behind the rod where the ball is in play may be judged as a distraction. No point made as a result of a distraction will count. If a player believes he is being distracted, it is his responsibility to call for an official.

I was recently called for a distraction by a player who just loves to call rules as if he's the authority, but quite honestly because he tries to intimidate the other team. Pat Ryan will know who I am talking about. Anyhow, I am shooting a backpin, and like some open-palm shooters I have seen, I tend to move my palm along the handle to get the right setup, more like slight turns, never actually moving my hand off the handle. These movements are not excessive, very subtle, although I guess if I am moving my fingers more than I should, that can be fixed. Is this actually a distraction, being on the rod where the ball is in play? What exactly is meant by "behind the rod"? I'm playing the Bonzini NC State Tournament this weekend and I really need to know the interpretation of this rule. Thanks in advance.

[alaris]

Can I guess who, can I, can I, huh??? lol  Are you waiting a second to shoot after changing hand positions? See ya at NC State.

[PatRyan]

Oooo..Ooooh I know who this is!!!

Anyway, no, this would (should) not be called a distraction (from the description you have given).  If that was the case, Bruce's "finger wave" on the handle before shooting his front pin would be a distraction    (Hi Bruce!)

Mark, just do your shot and let the opponent call for an official, and get a ruling.  Don't worry about it, just a little gamesmanship I think.

Alaris,  Does a player have to wait a second after changing hand positions from a regular grip, to a rollover grip, before shooting?  What Mark is talking about (I think) would be less movement that setting up for a rollover.  Definitely NOT a distraction. 

Unless Mark is doing something REALLY GOOFY with that grip of his 

Pat

PS   See you all in a couple of days!!!

[Tyler Foos]

Pat,

Man, I just spit water all over my keyboard! 'Bruce's "finger wave" on the handle' - LMFAO!! I remember all to many times watching that 'hand becoming one with the rod' ritual, just before the ball goes flying by my goalie...too funny!

Have fun in Wilmington and please say hello to all my foos friends that show up!

Tyler

[bbtuna]

that rule is really meant for the other team distracting the shooter like when you get someone waving their 5 bar around while you are trying to shoot...anything behind the shooters rod...so the goalie defending is in front and can go crazy but everything else (behind) as to be calm...this can apply to the offensive team as well which is why it doesn't name O or D because it is possible for the shooter, or his partner, to do things to try and distract the defender

sometimes its very subjective which is why they say get a ref to make a call...this also means, really, a distraction call under this defintion, can not be called without a ref (unless I suppose you have to willing parties...he, he, he)

[alaris]

That is the rule that is trying to be stretched out here, if it is still a rule. lol
I have never noticed Marks movements before but I watch the ball not so much the players hands.

[Anderson]

Thanks everyone. I would say that my movement is a lot like Bruce's only not nearly as dramatic. I'm simply rolling, turning my palm on the handle to get the right thumb position which best serves my backpin. I might have some finger movement in there due to opening the hand, but I never leave the rod, nor the handle, so I will no longer worry about it. Thanks for all your replies. And yes it was

Tim "FUJI" Alberts

may he rest in peace after this, his supposedly last, tournament. He will be missed.

[SilentSam]

From the description, it sounded like someone was pissed that your shots were scoring on him. I think it's distracting when people score on me too.

[Anderson]

While I think the rule was initially designed to prevent the defensive team from distractions, I have run across situations where the offensive team creates the distraction. Moving the 5-man during a 3-man shot, or the goalie excessively during a 2-man shot could be considered a distraction. Often the movement is so minor that I disagree with the rule, but I have played a guy, who thought he was the greatest, who would slam his 5-man rod in perfect unison with his shot. It worked quite well until you pointed out how illegal it was.

A guy that we play with in Raleigh has an interesting shot where he front toes the ball on his inside 3-man and slam pushes the rod to get a nifty push kick like shot to the middle three. I want to call a distraction, but it's on the same rod, so I'm not sure I can.

Another player tends to wiggle his five right before taking a shot with the 3. It's subconscious though, but it is a distraction away from the ball.

Finally, I am guilty of occasionally removing my hand from the rod and then shooting quickly after returning to the rod. I never actually noticed it until someone pointed it out. A lot of what we do is subconscious and we don't even know we're doing it.

[SilentSam]

I have played a guy, who thought he was the greatest, who would slam his 5-man rod in perfect unison with his shot. It worked quite well until you pointed out how illegal it was.

if he moves his 5 at the same time as his 3 it's legal. If he moves his 5, then his 3, it's a distraction (especially if he hits a sidewall with the 5, then shoots).

A guy that we play with in Raleigh has an interesting shot where he front toes the ball on his inside 3-man and slam pushes the rod to get a nifty push kick like shot to the middle three. I want to call a distraction, but it's on the same rod, so I'm not sure I can.

Are you talking about a Texas T? Where, from a pin position, you slam downwards on the ball so that it squibs sideways, and shoot with a different man without moving the rod laterally at all? That shot is definitely legal.

[Anderson]

No. The first guy is slamming the five right before the shot is taken, like withing quarter to half second. It's deliberate and illegal, or at least should be.

The second guy isn't squibbing. Not a Texas T and even though it isn't, I still believe it's legal. He's just banging the springs pretty hard to get the action. But it's part of the shot. It's more of a throw than a squib. Kind of like my three-man bank shot in that I slam into it sideways to get the velocity and often, not always, bang the springs in the process. Banging the springs on Bonzini is the same as slamming the bumper into the wall on Tornado. 

[Buckshot]

This is a great topic, one that's close to my heart. There is a famous high level push-kick shooter, let's call him J, who is notorious for accusing his opponents of distraction whenever things aren't going his way. I played against this guy for many years and his behavior is most unsportsman like. If you move, breathe, or even exist across the table from him, that's a distraction. He will harangue and hassle his opponent unmercifully until finally an official shows up to referee the game. Then he goes after the official. Half the time the opposing team just gives up trying to play their game and J wins the game of harasment and intimidation. The people who run tournaments should hit this guy with a technical foul as soon as he goes into his act and stop him before he really gets going. This has been going on for decades and it's a travesty.
     The difference between murder and manslaughter is INTENT. The same consideration should apply to movement away from the ball or table during play; what is the intent. If your opponent releases the handle just before he begins his shot and you are distracted, perhaps you are distracted too easily. Perhaps you should focus better and try not to be distracted. Or maybe your opponent is TRYING to distract you. It's a judgement call that can be made by a honest official without much problem.

[big al]

sounds like these players were never brought up the right way...probably always getting there way in everything in life and also when it came to competitive sports...its sad that in the game of foosball you have these sore LOSERS who play the game but not knowing how to leave there stupid childish emotions aside....sometimes these kinds of people really dont understand what it means to be a winner...they think they have to pull all this kind of head games and trash talk and stupid excuses that they come up with all the time just so they can come out winners..when in reality their just LOSERS.....when i play,.. you can be sure i come to play and not looking for lame excuse to help me win the game...im there to win and i aint gonna do some other way...