Players are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship during league play. Whether it’s intentional or not, if you are acting in a way as to be a distraction to a player or players shooting a match, it is a form of sharking. I don’t expect anyone to be silent as if they are at a library, but have some respect for the player(s) shooting the match. The person shooting has enough to worry about that he shouldn’t have to worry about someone yelling across the room as he is getting ready to shoot. As a rule of thumb, try to emulate just about any of the pros (except Earl Strickland) that you’d see shooting on TV or in a YouTube video. Table “hovering” is also distracting and a form of sharking. As a rule of thumb, when your opponent is at the table, you should find an area out of the way and stay there until it is your turn to shoot. I’m not saying you need to strap yourself down in a chair, but there’s no need to be constantly walking around the pool table several feet away while your opponent is shooting. Just use a little common sense and please be courteous. Captains are also expected to be leaders. Not only should a captain try to lead by example, they are also expected to keep their players in line if they are getting “rambunctious”. I’m not saying to discipline them or send them to the corner, just politely tell them when you see them doing something that might not be appropriate. It can be done in a tactful way and I promise your player won’t want to fight you. If they do, you may want to evaluate if you want a person like that shooting on your team. If a player has a great night and appears that they are under handicapped, I can promise you that they don’t shoot that way all the time. If they do, they would be “handicapped” higher. Shake their hand and move on. No need to insinuate that you think they are sandbagging. Chances are that you and everyone on your team have shot better than their handicap on paper on certain nights. WE ARE NOT ROBOTS. Everyone has some volatility in their game. I have seen pros miss easy shots NUMEROUS times on television after having a nice run. They did not intentionally miss to “keep their handicap down” or to intentionally take themselves out of the tournament. It happens. Get over it. It will make for a more enjoyable night for everyone and others will respect you for it. Thanks for your cooperation. Hit ’em straight.
