To you, it makes no sense. You were into her. You thought she was into you. You had what you thought were decent exchanges. And then boom, she puts you in the friend zone. What happened? Well, if you’re still wondering, this Jetmag.com writer gives her take on how men get their one-way ticket to the friend zone.

Dating is pretty much a contact sport. For men, it’s an expression of masculinity; the more competitive the better.

Using sports as an analogy, being friend-zoned is equivalent to losing the championship game. The wrong play at the wrong time can ultimately cost you the game.

Fellas, here is a play-by-play of how to avoid the friend zone.

1) Uninvited picture requests are annoying

Guaranteed to catch the deep sigh and a side eye, unwarranted requests for pictures is the surest way to go from potential candidate to friend zone expert. There is no quicker turn off than a man who is aggressively trying to push past the getting to know you phase. This may not be the message you are trying to convey when requesting pictures, but it’s what we hear. Take your time and let the woman lead. When we are ready to go to the next level, you won’t have to ask. We are very intentional about our communication when we like someone, and pictures are part of the package.

2) Conversation is a skill, and practice makes perfect

The, “wyd” generic conversation gets old quick. While looks may be mentioned, if you ask a woman what attracts her to a man, conversation and a good sense of humor are bound to be included on the list. If you cannot get a woman to stay up all night talking to you about everything and absolutely nothing, she will start to disengage with you.