OOAK Table Tennis Forum

When you are up 10-0 do you give a mercy point or no? Is it good sportsmanship?

Ma long did this against Ovtcharov in london 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X7_hpeiTWA

No, not unless I don't like my opponent.

If you "give" someone a point in a competitive match you're as much saying "you're not good enough to win a point any other way I'm that much better than you - or you're that much worse than me. I see it as more of an insult. I'd rather loose 11:0 playing someone who played to win every point than loose 11:1 and my only point coming from a shot they threw away. Maybe not so bad if the other person doesn't play to win the point, only not to loose it ie I have to hit a winning shot, but not to get a point from a foul serve where my opponent doesn't even trust me to get the ball back. I'm not sure that was Ma Long deliberately foul serving either.

For those who can't stand the constant "cho'ing" just skip to 9:38 in to the video.

I try not to give them (and think that doing it at 10:0 is too obvious) and don't like receiving them either.

It's not a big deal, really - losing 0:11 that is. Opponent definitely was better, plus I was off/unlucky. Next game.

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I never give a 10.0 point. Vs opponents who will not beat me I give them opportunities from about 7 points, but they have to earn it a little. If anyone can beat me 11.0, good luck to them...I have suffered it twice in 30 years and both have been classy players.

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If i were to give points i would do it before reaching 10.

I gave them many times and make them as unobviously as possible. Many times instead of giving them easy balls to hit home run I purposely killed the balls (unobviuosly) because giving them easy balls they sometime botched it up.

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In our local league, one would give a point away to save the other player from embarrassment, that is the point. I was given a point like that once, and I appreciated it, and really respect my opponent for doing it. I would do the same, because I feel this is the custom in my region.
Many people are not aware of the etiquette, which has possibly never come up, so they'll have to make this decision when it happens.
I would not hold it against anyone if they didn't give me the point, as I know opinions are divided on this, and many are not aware of the local custom, or their custom is different to ours.
If Debater played me and he lead 10:0, I'd be pissed either way.

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I just can't see any mercy in giving a point after leading 10:0. I fully agree with Debater on this.
Don't forget that this is a sport and the stronger player wins. Will it be 11:0 or 11:1 what's the difference? Who needs mercy?
I give such point to weaker opponents that I know personally and that I know they think that they should receive a point in such situation. And I do it because I know they need this point and that they're not going to fight(usually this are my friends from the club). If a player is fighting to the last point then you should fight too. This way (even beating him 11:0) you'll show your respect towards him.

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I thought that the etiquette was that if you are 10-0 up then you give them a point then they give you the next so its virtually game over at 10-0 but reads 11-1 on the scoresheet.

If it were against someone who 10-0 actually reflects the difference in ability, I'd give them a point at 9-0 rather than 10-0. It is hard though as sometimes you get the ball back to them and they stuff it up anyway so its best to loop long but even then its hard to do without looking obvious.

Against someone of similar level I'd generally not give the point away as I don't want to go down as that person that lost when 10-0 up.

In doubles I'd always try win 11-0 unless against kids or something as by that point theres usually plenty of banter and words like 'pants' are being thrown around. (tradition is that if you lose a game of 8 ball without potting a ball you should drop your pants and run around the table 3 times).

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I've been in this situation a number of times over the years. A couple of times last season. I have to say there has been all sorts of outcomes. Usually if its obvious I'm much stronger than the opponent, I'll give in a point somewhere between 7 and 9. If I reach 10-0 due to being so focused (and also confident - or uncertain - in the opponents abilities, such that I could get caught in a massive comeback) I'll usually go for a shot that is so aggressive its bound to fail. There's been twice in my history I can recall beating strong opponents 11-0. In one of them I lost the best of 7 match 4-1...I didn't trust the opponent not to make the comeback. In the other I won 4-0 and the opponent complained at my poor etiquette (I apologised, but I was just so focused 11-0 came up without me even realising the score). I was so focused cos I knew this guy had been capable of taking me.

n the opposite situation, I can recall losing 11-0 to just one player before. This was a player who was so far above me in level and so much younger and fitter, he wanted revenge for the previous set scores. The first 4 sets of the match were 11-9, 11-9 to him. Then 12-10, 12-10 to me. I had played my ring off to be 2 sets all. I had nothing left in the tank in the 5th set, and he was feeling immasculated to have lost 2 sets to me. He won the last set 11-3 as I regathered a little bit of steam He certainly made no apology for the 11-0.

Obviously there's a lot of different opinions on this subject. I don't think there is a right or wrong...just what happens in any given situation.

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Most mercy points should be given discretely. Dont just blind serve into the net or make an obvious attempt at giving the point.

You could always agree before the match with the opponent about mercy points, serve toss, illegal serve, let points, etc.

Might put pressure on your opponent having to follow rules.

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For me to be 10:0 up that's exactly how you'd have to be!

One day haggisv, one day...

It's just one of those unwritten good sportsmanship rules in TT. Like holding your finger up for edge balls.

Are they both silly? Yeah I suppose. I mean one isn't really sorry they got the cheap point. They're just glad they got it. But we do it anyways.

So if I'm up 10-0, I'll for sure give a point away. If they like it or not, that's for them to decide. I'm going to do my part.

If i'm down 0-10 and they don't do it. Makes no difference to me. Not like you can force them to do it.

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Agree with debater.

Same goes in Indonesia, mercy point is frowned upon.

But,

Indonesian table ethics rather different than in this forum, such as,

We should celebrate net and edges as skill, not luck.










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I usually do. I remember being 11-0'd by someone at the beginning of my career and I didn't like it. After I surpassed that player, I've gone out of my way to punish that guy badly every time we play. Maybe that just speaks to what a shallow, vindictive person I am. lol

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LOL, great response!

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