As a part-time TD, I would say absolutely not. No noise/distractions in a tourney hall, period.
Though here's one of the often exasperating moments that a TD might see often.
- Last table playing, crowd huddled around "silently" and the clock situation warrants a blitz-fest, even with a 5-second delay.
What happens:
1) Player A's clock falls
2) Player B does not notice
3) Player A may or may not notice but plays on
4) Idiot among the spectators points to the clock/gasps or even says something.
5) Play "would" have continued ... but it stopped as the player/s are made aware of the flag.
As a TD, you have to try to make sure (4) +(5) does not happen as the rules clearly only allow the players playing the game to call flag, nobody else.
My opponent posted something about pressing down the button of a chess clock and a spectator on a chess game being lashed out from a different chess topic?
On the chess clock matter, was it because the accuser has made some error move or knocked off his or my pieces and press my clock while he was trying to put the correct position back on the chess board on my time and not his? And about people watching the game on chess in any format either in tournaments or fun play, are spectators allowed to make any noise or comments while chess players are playing?
Please let me know, to any knowledgable chess players on these rules.