Players Seating

[DawRef]

I have noticed that during a ranking match, the highest ranked player sits opposite the 'Yellow' pocket or on his opponents left in a two table situation, as in the World Championship in the early rounds.

Why is this? I would have thought that as the 'Green' is higher in value than the 'Yellow', he would have sat opposite that.

[Belloz22]

i dont think it actually matters, you will find that the lower ranked player is normally intoduced first, and they tend to walk to the right of the table, maybe this is why - i dont think it matters - however sometimes the players do have there names behind the seats

[The Statman]

Yes it is a convention that goes back may years. The higher ranked player always sits to the left of his lower ranked opponent, as viewed on television.

It has become a bit woolly of recent years, when more and more lower-ranked players have become defending champion and therefore top seed the following year - they are thus a higher seed but a lower rank and the distinction has been slightly lost (e.g. Murphy sat on the left at the Welsh final against Lee last year, and Dott occupying the right seat this season despite being a higher seed (but lower rank) than his opponents this season owing to being World champion.

There was one mistake to my knowledge, when Matthew Stevens and Paul Hunter (ranked 8 and 9) met at the Crucible - I can't remember which way round, but they were sat in the wrong seats.

Also, the player to be sat in the 'green' seat is introduced first, with the 'yellow' player introduced second. This was also the wrong way round at that Stevens-Hunter match.

[Cyril]

As you say it doesn't matter, just that it has become customary for the higher "seeded" player to sit to the left.

[Cyril]

Ooops, The Statman, you beat me there (btw, you are up late!). I thought it was based on seedings, not rankings? I think mostly it is but not in the instance you referred too.

[The Statman]

Ooops, The Statman, you beat me there (btw, you are up late!). I thought it was based on seedings, not rankings? I think mostly it is but not in the instance you referred too.

Yeah not sure which. But I think there has been some inconsistency in the seeding v. ranking issue here - in the minuscule number of times that they have been different anyway.

But the Stevens-Hunter one was a definite mistake, since neither was the defending champion.

[Cyril]

I was just ready to hit the sack, but after reading this, I need another drink! All your fault, TS!

[Matt_2745]

Murphy/Davis got it the wrong way round last year I seem to remember.

[chasmmi]

Murphy/Davis got it the wrong way round last year I seem to remember.

I'd have thought Murphy and Davis would have had enough practice to know where each sat by now.

[The Statman]

Yes that's true, but Murphy was the higher seed and Davis the higher rank. I wasn't sure if that was a mistake or not. Remind me, which way round were they?

[Matt_2745]

Can't remember myself now, I just remember being there and there seemed to be some confusion, the drinks were on the wrong sides or something as well which only added to it.

[The Statman]

Can't remember myself now, I just remember being there and there seemed to be some confusion, the drinks were on the wrong sides or something as well which only added to it.

Indeed I do remember now. That was the morning of the fire alarm, was it not? Someone will have some video coverage of it, I'll look into it.

I think maybe Murphy was introduced first (as lower ranked) and Davis second, but their drinks were in the other positions. This would be inconsistent with the Newport final in 2006, where Murphy was sat yellow-side and Lee green-side.

[DawRef]

Seating

I think enough has now been said about who sat where and in which tournament, but it hasn't answered my original question:
"Why does the higher ranked player sit opposite the 'yellow'?"

[Matt_2745]

Indeed I do remember now. That was the morning of the fire alarm, was it not? Someone will have some video coverage of it, I'll look into it.

I think maybe Murphy was introduced first (as lower ranked) and Davis second, but their drinks were in the other positions. This would be inconsistent with the Newport final in 2006, where Murphy was sat yellow-side and Lee green-side.

Maybe, I only remember because I think it was you that told me actually (guy with the Hendry t-shirt)

[Maija]

I think enough has now been said about who sat where and in which tournament, but it hasn't answered my original question:
"Why does the higher ranked player sit opposite the 'yellow'?"

If nobody has come up with a logically superior answer for it so far, I'd guess it's just One of Those Things, really. It happened and at some point it became the done thing. Statman and Cyril both stated so early in the thread (After which the thread started living its own life, like they are all prone to do.)