Headphones in tournaments?

Monk Slayer

Monk Slayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just wondering what some of the general rules are concerning headphone usage during tournament play, whether it be for professional or local. I like to listen to music use them while playing, helps drown out background noise. Of course, I have never seen them used in the televised tourney's, so some rule must be in use there. Thanks!

Charles
 
Personally, I think folks who use personal music players with headphones while playing pool are not doing themselves any favors. I just can't see how it could not be a distraction. If tuning out background noise is really the goal, why not use ear plugs?

If you really do play worse without it them by all means go for it. But I've never seen really skilled pool players with wires coming from their ears.
 
Monk Slayer said:
Just wondering what some of the general rules are concerning headphone usage during tournament play, whether it be for professional or local. I like to listen to music use them while playing, helps drown out background noise. Of course, I have never seen them used in the televised tourney's, so some rule must be in use there. Thanks!

Charles
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Many competitions are banning them and for lots of reasons. The bottom line is, it complicates things. Communicating with your opponent is sometimes necessary and headphones obviously hinder that. You can't always tell if it's a phone or not (the iPhone is both). It's just easier to not allow them at all.
 
I think opponents wearing earphones can be annoying, but if you're bored and want some fun stand across the room and start "mouthing" words. They have to stop to find out what you're saying (funnier in person than it sounds).

Does anyone know what the rule concerning SVB's hearing aid is?
 
accustatsfan said:
I think opponents wearing earphones can be annoying, but if you're bored and want some fun stand across the room and start "mouthing" words. They have to stop to find out what you're saying (funnier in person than it sounds).

Does anyone know what the rule concerning SVB's hearing aid is?
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As far as I know, hearing aids are ALWAYS allowed.
 
I sometimes listen to my Ipod when I'm shooting,especially if I'm in a certain mood and want to relax to my own music or if there are nearby distractions. There is a group of people that congregate in the local pool hall every Friday afternoon to drink and they can get so loud that even earplugs cannot completely block them out.
I only listen to my Ipod when I'm practicing,never in a tournament,money game,or league play. In fact it's against the rules to listen to a personal music player while shooting in an APA match. I was told there was the potential for cheating by allowing a way for someone to remotely tell someone how to shoot. There was a situation during one of the regional tournaments where an individual was complaining because he couldn't listen to his Ipod. He claimed it was the only way to help him get in the zone. I just rolled my eyes and laughed.
 
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I dislike the use of headphone for music
Hearing aids of course can use!
But for music i agree with Jude, communicating is sometimes nessesary!
 
bazkook said:
I sometimes listen to my Ipod when I'm shooting,especially if I'm in a certain mood and want to relax to my own music or if there are nearby distractions. There is a group of people that congregate in the local pool hall every Friday afternoon to drink and they can get so loud that even earplugs cannot completely block them out.
I only listen to my Ipod when I'm practicing,never in a tournament,money game,or league play. In fact it's against the rules to listen to a personal music player while shooting in an APA match. I was told there was the potential for cheating by allowing a way for someone to remotely tell someone how to shoot. There was a situation during one of the regional tournaments where an individual was complaining because he couldn't listen to his Ipod. He claimed it was the only way to help him get in the zone. I just rolled my eyes and laughed.
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So because you don't believe in it, you just dismiss it as ridiculous? Answers like this piss me off.

I personally prefer to listen to music as I play as it does relax me & I get in the right mindset with it. Plus honestly most pool halls do not cater to the player like me as the "social" customers are more important. I don't feel like listening to the same top 40 hits on repeat. If they did not have the loud idiots, jukebox, etc... I could play with just the normal sound but that won't happen nowadays.

I laugh at the idiots who cite oh they could be on the phone getting advice. Please, if someone goes through that for a regular league match, the pathetic state of their life is enough punishment.

I think it is bullshit that we have to deal with loud obnoxious people or music but can't listen to what we want comfortably. The excuse of not hearing my opponent is bullshit. When I play, if I need to ask or clarify something, I pull one plug out & communicate. It is not that hard.
 
PoolJunkie216 said:
So because you don't believe in it, you just dismiss it as ridiculous? Answers like this piss me off.

I personally prefer to listen to music as I play as it does relax me & I get in the right mindset with it. Plus honestly most pool halls do not cater to the player like me as the "social" customers are more important. I don't feel like listening to the same top 40 hits on repeat. If they did not have the loud idiots, jukebox, etc... I could play with just the normal sound but that won't happen nowadays.

I laugh at the idiots who cite oh they could be on the phone getting advice. Please, if someone goes through that for a regular league match, the pathetic state of their life is enough punishment.

I think it is bullshit that we have to deal with loud obnoxious people or music but can't listen to what we want comfortably. The excuse of not hearing my opponent is bullshit. When I play, if I need to ask or clarify something, I pull one plug out & communicate. It is not that hard.
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Wow....just wow.
 
PoolJunkie216 said:
So because you don't believe in it, you just dismiss it as ridiculous? Answers like this piss me off.
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No I didn't say that. You had to be there to understand the situation fully. He was acting like a baby just because they told him he couldn't listen to his personal music player during a match. Plus I think it's kinda ridiculous that the only way he could get in the shooting mood was through music. There will be many times where he doesn't have the luxury of music(i.e. the above mentioned situation) and he might blame his bad shooting on not having his Ipod. That is what's ridiculous.

PoolJunkie216 said:
I laugh at the idiots who cite oh they could be on the phone getting advice. Please, if someone goes through that for a regular league match, the pathetic state of their life is enough punishment.
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That was the reasoning behind the rule as I heard from an APA referee. I don't think it's an issue at the local level. It's more strictly enforced at the regional and national level tournaments.

PoolJunkie216 said:
I think it is bullshit that we have to deal with loud obnoxious people or music but can't listen to what we want comfortably. The excuse of not hearing my opponent is bullshit. When I play, if I need to ask or clarify something, I pull one plug out & communicate. It is not that hard.
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I agree. But it's part of most pool rooms. Not everybody respects the players and the game,especially those who come to drink and act like fools.
 
I have used earplugs a few times when the noise from the juke box got real bad. I find that their use really throws me off. It's a different world but I suppose that if I used them often enough I would get used to it.

Dave Nelson
 
Dave Nelson said:
I have used earplugs a few times when the noise from the juke box got real bad. I find that their use really throws me off. It's a different world but I suppose that if I used them often enough I would get used to it.

Dave Nelson
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I've got a pair in my case just in case there are distractions that bad. I once heard Monica Webb wears them while playing in tournaments. It does narrow your focus onto the task at hand for some people but most of the time I like to hear the tip hitting the cue ball,the cue ball hitting the object ball,the object ball falling the pocket,and any other sounds associated with the game.
 
I absolutely love the APA 4 who gets ready for the match and puts his phones on. I just want to ask why? What are you blocking out? I mean, in your vast experience, will this help? Why not armweights, kneepads and ankle weights like Earl? Because, obviously you'd seen someone you look up to wearing them. Whatever. I think earphones and texting between games are two crimes punishable by having to use a fiberglass shaft cue.
 
I would agree with most of the statements made here, I do think it's unnecessary, and you should train like you're going to play, yet, headphones do allow me to concentrate better, blocking out unnecessary background chatter. It is annoying tho, when a player is listening to music, and letting his cords dangle anywhere and everywhere. I usually don't find communication to be an issue, they shouldn't be interrupting my play anyway's, if they are, then most likely they are attempting to shark me. I would say you shouldn't depend on them to play, but more like a tool in your arsenal perhaps. Food for thoughts? Cheers!
 
PoolJunkie216 said:
So because you don't believe in it, you just dismiss it as ridiculous? Answers like this piss me off.

I personally prefer to listen to music as I play as it does relax me & I get in the right mindset with it. Plus honestly most pool halls do not cater to the player like me as the "social" customers are more important. I don't feel like listening to the same top 40 hits on repeat. If they did not have the loud idiots, jukebox, etc... I could play with just the normal sound but that won't happen nowadays.

I laugh at the idiots who cite oh they could be on the phone getting advice. Please, if someone goes through that for a regular league match, the pathetic state of their life is enough punishment.

I think it is bullshit that we have to deal with loud obnoxious people or music but can't listen to what we want comfortably. The excuse of not hearing my opponent is bullshit. When I play, if I need to ask or clarify something, I pull one plug out & communicate. It is not that hard.
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I consider it ignorant for someone to compete in a competition against me and do it with headphones in their ears. That stuff is for practice time. If I need to say something to you, I don't expect to have to wait for you to pause your music and take out your ear bud. It is simply rude and unprofessional. Any match is an interaction between 2 people, not an anti-social event where one person wears headphones while playing.
 
I started listening to my ipod during APA matches because I kept getting distracted by all of the APA know it alls that would talk constantly throughout the match. I was never worried about these guys helping their teammate by talking loud enough for my opponent to hear, but not being able to hear them kept me from getting irritated by them. If I see my opponent turning around toward me, I'll just pull one out and communicate with him. The only time its become an issue was a couple of times when I didn't hear my teammates telling me that the match was over while I was shooting. I would also use them in tournamnets if I could but most of them don't allow them. The APA singles qualifiers allow them, but nothing BCA-related.
 
Predator5K4 said:
I started listening to my ipod during APA matches because I kept getting distracted by all of the APA know it alls that would talk constantly throughout the match. I was never worried about these guys helping their teammate by talking loud enough for my opponent to hear, but not being able to hear them kept me from getting irritated by them. If I see my opponent turning around toward me, I'll just pull one out and communicate with him. The only time its become an issue was a couple of times when I didn't hear my teammates telling me that the match was over while I was shooting. I would also use them in tournamnets if I could but most of them don't allow them. The APA singles qualifiers allow them, but nothing BCA-related.
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You hit the nail on the head. I also wear them during my APA matches for the same reason. Now they have resorted to getting their girl friends drunk and running into me while I shoot. I guess I need to start wearing a porcupine suit. I just hope one of those large asses don't get stuck to me.
 
I know that in our state tourny's wearing any non-medical ear plugs is a foul.It's considered unsportsmanlike conduct.If the person your playing is trying to ask you a question or communicate to you in anyway about your match it very hard to do.I feel that this is a good and fair rule which most agree with.

-JR
 
BCA says NO. Personally I think the Headphones, IPOCKS, MP3, etc, shold be allowed, and if you misscalls, instructions, etc. You can blame it on the person with the HEAD PHONES.

I wear Hearing Aids most of the time, when I got to Tournaments I leave em in the car, and tell folk I don't hear so TALK LOUD!!!!
 
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