The role of alpha oscillations (8-13Hz) in suppressing distractors has been extensively debated. Some studies suggest that alpha oscillations support distractor suppression by increasing in regions processing anticipated distractors. However, other studies have failed to find such effects. We identify methodological differences in experimental designs that may contribute to these discrepancies. Another debate centers on the mechanistic role of alpha oscillations. While some propose alpha oscillations implement gain reduction in early visual regions, we suggest they also support gating, attention allocation, or distractor resistance in parietal and ventral attention networks. We will outline future studies needed to identify the specific task contexts required to uncover the precise mechanistic role of alpha oscillations