Apologize for net or edge ball?
Chris Unknown
Submitted on 15-May-2009 12:54:03 PM
Last updated on 27-Jul-2011 10:34:01 AM
You Asked
One of my friends said you should appologize for any net or edge balls that you made, is this true?
And does this have anything to do with some players like Schalger who raise their finger after a point sometimes, did he just make an edge ball?
and Alois Rosario said...
Hi Chris,
It is part of Table Tennis etiquette to apologise for a net or edge ball. Normally this is done by raising your hand so the actions you described Schlager taking before were probably in response to an edge or net.
I'd be interested to hear from our readers about
- whether they apologise for nets and edges and
- whether they get annoyed if an opponent does not apologise
Comments on this question
Ji-Soo Woo commented...
on the 18-May-2009 12:26:58 PM
I think it's just common-sense sportsmanship to apologise for a bit of luck...nothing specific to table tennis. You see professionals lift their finger to acknowledge lucky shots...not just tips and edges but also mishits.
Having said that, some professionals barely seem to make an effort to apologise at all. They first run around pumping their fists, and then half-raise an imperceptible finger when the opponent's back is turned.
Generally speaking, in my experience, regular club players are much more friendly than professionals (I guess less at stake!). People don't just lift a finger, but verbally apologise as well (or maybe people are just more friendly in laid-back Canberra!).
Personally, I don't think all edges are the same. If I hit a great shot, and I AIM for the corner, and it would have been a winner anyway but it partially clips the edge of the table - I actually consider that not a question of luck. In that case I generally don't apologise. But if I've been totally outplayed in a rally and would have lost it but get a lucky tip that turns the tide, I would be extremely apologetic.
Similarly, whether or not I get angry with an opponent not apologising depends on the nature of the tip/edge.
Andrew T commented...
on the 18-May-2009 01:35:59 PM
I agree with everything that Ji-Soo has said. I am a club player in the States, and (most of) the other players are really good about apologizing for luck. Most of us do verbally apologize and lift a hand. I get more annoyed when some one prematurely congratulates me on hitting a nice shot (ie I hit a good shot, they think I won the point, but they get it back). In this situation I find it especially hard to stay concentrated. When I watched the world championships I was very surprised at how exuberantly the players (especially the chinese semifinalists) were reacting to winning a point, even on their opponents mistake on an easy ball. Anyway, that is my experience.
Ji-Soo Woo commented...
on the 18-May-2009 03:39:23 PM
At last year's NSW Country Championship, in one of the finals, I played against a kid who was 'cho'ing after every won point - even my service errors! THAT was REALLY annoying!
Jackson Warren Unknown commented...
on the 18-May-2009 05:17:28 PM
this happened to one of my freinds (simular is Ji-Soo) i was refing a game and my freind was playing this kid and every point he won or my m8 lost he would yell out C'MON!!!!! and my friend got so annoyed at the end of the game he told the kid he was a Idiot and didnt even shake his hand because this kid is like 5'0 foot and freckles all over his face and braces and looks realy funny but in the end he got kicked from another game for talking during points and Yelling to much we just laughed at him when he walked oout of the courts
jamie champion commented...
on the 19-May-2009 07:20:29 PM
i love it when i get a net or an edge ball but i always apologize coz i hate it when other people don't apologize. the net can also help when someone smashes it and it comes off the net alot slower thats always handy.
mike richardson Unknown commented...
on the 29-May-2009 01:01:06 AM
Like most players, I very much appreciate an apology for a net or edge but it should be expressed at the end of the point. It can be off-putting if it's called during the point and, I wonder, if a let would be allowed in any circumstance such as a player losing the point and claiming he/she was put off by the verbal interruption.
Steve Reilly Unknown commented...
on the 31-May-2009 05:15:09 PM
I played fairly regularly in the British National League & occasionally in the German Bundesliga in the early 80's. Being British it was common courtesy to apologise for a lucky edge or net and "one should never applaud an opponents mistake" However we often liked to follow the examples (many bad!) of the top district, regional and International players by celebrating our own lucky (or was it accurate?) shots and then going on to celebrate our opponents poor concentration errors (or was it "forced" ?)
Of course it upset me many times when my opponent would cheer his own luck then celebrate my every mistake, forcing me to loose more focus/concentration!!! MY SOLUTION eventually was, and still is today, to immediately say; "GOOD HIEGHT, GOOD LENGTH or GOOD WIDTH" closely followed by "CANT BEAT ACCURACY LIKE THAT" as I stare back at my gloating opponent and pointing at the net or edge whilst focusing my mind on the next point.
Psychology is so important in our sport, learning to control & use it often helps!!
As an ITTF coach & course conductor, nowadays (thanks to Alois Rosario) I still have agreat belief in accuracy and consistency training in every aspect of our sport. Our youngest cadets learn thier basics by completing skills awards and it doesn't take very long for a 10 year old to consistantly hit a 30cm (12") vertical target from any area of thier court. Eventually they become proficient with repetitively hitting a 15cm and smaller vertical target................ so can we train to hit the edge or net and put the ball exactly where we want it from both wings????
At least we don't need to argue like John McEnroe that "The ball WOZ on the line!!!" unless the umpire and opponant are blind & deaf!!!
antriksh Unknown commented...
on the 01-Jun-2009 06:31:28 PM
OF course i geet annoyed when an edge occurs but then on the contrary i never appologise or raise finger(lol)
I also never knew that u raise ur finger to appologise
raul dominguez Unknown commented...
on the 11-Jul-2009 04:20:16 AM
of course i hate when i lose a point in that way. in my case, i dont spect courtesy when my opponent has a lucky point, so, if my opponent dont apologyze i dont care. be in that way is better for me, so i dont feel angry with anybody.
Zhihao Toh commented...
on the 19-Dec-2009 11:36:01 PM
Yes, I always apologise for any nets and edge balls regardless of the nature. Most of the time I don't get annoyed when my opponents don't apologise, because I can understand that they are happy that they are lucky enough to hit an edge or net ball.
However, I would like to share with you guys about one of my friends, who plays with me alot of times, used to apologise in the past matches. But now, in the recent matches we play together, whenever he made any net/edge balls against me, not only he doesn't apologise, he laughs wiwth sarcarsm and says "Yes! HAHAHAHAHAHA!". Truthfully speaking, I got very annoyed at that moment, and I played more aggressively for the rest of that match.
We totally had 16 match encounters, and I won it all. He didn't get to win my in any match, so far, at most he can only pull me off 2 games in a best of seven match. If this is the reason of why he is laughing instead of being polite and apologise for a net/edge ball, I would consider him a sore loser. Another factor that I can say that, is after a match, when I went up to shake his hand, he ran away from me and made me chase him. I was very annoyed at that moment too.
Hmm, I can't believe such players exists, and worse still, it's a friend that I know!
Ji-Soo Woo commented...
on the 20-Dec-2009 06:50:43 AM
I've discovered there is another angle to this whole "apologise for let or tip" issue. There is sometimes disagreement about whether a ball really tipped the table or not (or whether it tipped the edge or the side). Players often apologise loudly as a way of letting everyone know that it tipped. So, even as they are saying "sorry", they are REALLY saying "that was a tip! that was a tip!"
Mark Taylor commented...
on the 20-Dec-2009 06:16:46 PM
Apologising is important (after the point) - remember everyone get nets and edges - although some people would have us believe only their opponents do!
Brian C Unknown commented...
on the 20-Dec-2009 10:34:53 PM
If your opponent doesn't apologize and that makes you upset, then it's a weakness in your game. Stop expecting it. Whether your opponent apologizes or not should not make any differences to your game. If your opponent celebrates after every point, don't let that bother you either. The more weakness you show, the more your opponent will exploit it.
Janzy Unknown commented...
on the 21-Dec-2009 05:17:04 AM
I usually apologize for lucky net and edges, but I don\\\'t get upset if the opponent doesn\\\'t. What annoys me tough is that a lot of people I play against actually apologize when I miss a seve. I mean why do they apologize, it\\\'s not like they had anything to do with it...
Keith Unknown commented...
on the 27-Dec-2009 04:11:25 PM
Since the laws of physics work the same for both players, at least on this planet, "apologizing" for a lucky net or edge ball is simply silly. Luck is luck, is luck...it's not as if one player has a physcal advantage in getting edges or nets. Some players may seem to get more edge balls, but that's simply because they probably try to play a larger percentage of their returns close to an edge.
Personally, the only time I want an edge to be discussed is just so that both players (in a non-refereed match) agree.
I would rather see most players put their apologetic energy into discontinuing the embarassing "cho!" after every won point, regardless of how the point was won. If the purpose of apologizing for edges and nets is to demonstrate sportsmanship the vast majority of "cho!ers" could demonstrate a heck of a lot more sportsmanship by quitting the "cho!" stuff and forget apologizing for the edges and nets.
pingpongfreak Unknown commented...
on the 02-Jan-2010 03:03:54 PM
i agree with what Keith said. there really is no need for apologizing when it comes to luck.
i was at at a table tennis tournament 2 monthas ago and i realized everyone was apologizing for lets, nets, and edges. soon i got kind of annoyed. if you made an edge and your oppent dived in an attempt to recieve it, then you shold say sorry, but just an edge is no big deal. apologies are really for something bad you did purposely.
martin Law commented...
on the 31-Jan-2010 07:19:33 PM
Yea...for me...apologize is important when you have a net or edge shot...and the way of apologizing is important too....for me...i would prefer raising up my palm and say sorry...don't just raise your finger...thats very annoying...its just like telling your opponent that...you are very PRO....thats my opinion...
gian crispino commented...
on the 03-Sep-2010 12:38:08 AM
when me and my friends play, we just dont react at a point. we think reacting on winning a point is not necessary and only kids do that
Stefan Liew commented...
on the 23-Oct-2010 10:29:18 PM
I think it is important to apologize after a net or edge ball. I think it is quite rude if you don't apologize...
Ali K commented...
on the 23-Oct-2010 11:01:31 PM
Buy Ogon commented...
on the 24-Oct-2010 02:06:09 AM
If my opponent has a nice attitude then I would apologize but if someone who tries to shout at every point he gets then no wayMarcus Anbau commented...
on the 28-Apr-2011 08:36:46 PM
I allways say sorry after a net or edge ball, cause thats not the way I like to make points. It doesnt anoy me if opponents dont aknowledge their luck. No opponent has been celebrating my own mistakes yet, that would propably annoy me, but I would try to control it.
I do get annoyed at my cursed luck if opponent gets lots of net and edge balls (more than 7 or allways the matchball), though again I try to control my feelings. Every time I do get annoyed I play bad and get more annoyed and play even worse:)
Sally Mander commented...
on the 29-Apr-2011 07:59:45 PM
Of course i get annoyed!!!!!!! Once i lost a tournament due to edge ball!!!!!!!So i dont apologize either!
Jone Vuong commented...
on the 14-Jul-2011 04:16:27 PM
I generally do raise a hand or finger and say sorry for edge and net shots.
The only exception is when they had no way of getting the shot back anyway.
John Johnson commented...
on the 24-Jul-2011 02:58:10 AM
Do footballers say sorry to the goalkepper when they shoot in the post and in?
Luck is just a part of the sport.
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills said...
on the 24-Jul-2011 10:09:41 PM
Hi John,
It is interesting how different sports handle luck. Footballers might not apologise for hitting the crossbar but Tennis players generally do if they get a lucky break by hitting the top of the net.
Richard Weaver commented...
on the 24-Jul-2011 11:20:55 PM
I do agree on apologies for Net's and Edge's, However, during the spirit of the game and if it is friendly game. I would jokingly say "I deserved that" (If I was losing). Just to add some humour and enjoyment in the game. I would definitely apologise for the luck in competition though.
Ji-Soo Woo commented...
on the 27-Jul-2011 10:34:01 AM
Soccer is probably the worst sport when it comes to sportsmanship...
Perhaps the one-on-one sports apologies for luck more? Certainly they generally apologise for luck in tennis, as well as table tennis. Not sure about badminton, squash, etc...
