Was he allowed to do that? – Gerwyn Price, his hearing protection and the big question
Unusual result, unusual picture: Gerwyn Price lost 5-1 against Gabriel Clemens
Quelle: Getty Images/Luke Walker
That had never happened before on the professional tour. Gerwyn Price put on headphones in the middle of the quarterfinals against Gabriel Clemens. But was that allowed? A look at the rules shows that the Welshman had to consider one crucial thing with his curious move.
EHe didn’t stand a chance, and Gerwyn Price could hardly have imagined that himself. The number one in the world was 3-1 down against Gabriel Clemens in the quarter-finals of the Darts World Cup and seemed unable to find a remedy against the German. So the Welshman decided to take a curious step.
At the start of the fifth movement, the “Iceman” returned to the stage wearing a pair of conspicuous banded ear defenders. A novelty. “I didn’t think anything of it because I thought he’d put it down again,” Clemens said later, but even after the game had resumed, Price was more reminiscent of a construction worker with a jackhammer or a DJ than a darts player at work. The question that many viewers asked themselves: is he allowed to do that at all?
Pulled out all the stops: Gerwyn Price came back on stage with ear protection
Quelle: Getty Images/Luke Walker
The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) is responsible for rules and etiquette in darts and has clearly regulated the case in its competition regulations, the “Darts Rule Book”. Point 5.17.4 on the subject of “player’s clothing” states: “Players may not wear headphones when throwing the bull before the match or during the competition.”
But since Price was not playing music, a podcast or a radio play and the equipment without an audio output was ultimately no more than hearing protection, Price acted in accordance with the rules. Several players put cotton wool or plugs made of wax and rubber in their ears on the big stages in order to be able to concentrate better, such as Mervyn King or Raymond van Barneveld. There had never been a large “Mickey Mouse” among professional dart throwers, but the purpose was the same and therefore did not violate point 5.17.4.
His measure was surprising, however, because the antipathies against the polarizing Welshman in his match against Clemens were less than usual at Alexandra Palace. There were hardly any boos or whistles. However, the match was simply too one-sided for that.
But the audience should have been the reason for the unusual measure, as Price would have us believe on stage. With the hearing protection on his ear, he messed with the fans, provoking and encouraging them to boo him. He flirted with gestures that in the end he couldn’t hear her anymore anyway.
After losing the fifth set 1:3, he put down the apparatus that obviously interfered with the throw and played the match with earplugs to the end. It didn’t last long – Clemens gave him a set of hot ears in the final set: 3:0 to 5:1.
The year begins historically: Gabriel Clemens was the first German to reach the semi-finals of the Darts World Cup
Source: dpa/Zac Goodwin
Darts World Championship, Quarterfinals
Jonny Clayton (WAL/7) – Dimitri van den Bergh (BEL/15) 3:5 (3:0; 0:3; :3)
Michael Smith (ENG/4) – Stephen Bunting (ENG/21) 5:3 (3:2; 0:3; 3:1; 3:1; 3:0; 0:3; 1:3; 3:1)
Gerwyn Price (WAL/1) – Gabriel Clemens (D/25) 1:5 (3:0; 1:3; 1:3; 1:3; 1:3; 0:3)
Michael van Gerwen (ENG/3) – Chris Dobey (ENG/22) 5:0 (3:1; 3:1; 3:0; 3:0; 3:1)
Darts World Championship, semi-finals, January 2nd
Gabriel Clemens (D/25) – Michael Smith (ENG/4)
Michael van Gerwen (NED/3) – Dimitri van den Bergh (BEL/15)
