I was browsing the Ontario Badminton site and noticed that they have recently implemented a new rule stating that all players born 1987 or later MUST wear eye protection during games. - Message from the President - Implementation of protective eyewear for Juniors Following the OBA Fall Meeting (a meeting of District representatives from around the Province, together with the OBA Board and other key volounteers), it was confirmed that protective eyewear would be mandatory for all juniors born in 1992 or later and that, from 1 January 2006, mandatory for all juniors born in 1987 or later. Extract from the President's Message to appear in the next issue of OBT - "In the last issue of Ontario Badminton Today I discussed our goal of all of us learning a new standard of badminton equipment - racquet, shoes and eye protection. I also outlined the new OBA mandatory standard, that those born in 1992 or later are required to wear ASTM F803 standard eye protection for doubles play (which includes mixed) at all OBAsanctioned events. However I qualifiedthis rule by saying it was subject to advice from our legal counsel. At the OBA fall general meeting (Sept 27-28) our counsel presented his recommendations. He confirmed that we are acting wisely by applying mandatory use of eye protection, with perhaps the most persuasive evidence coming from the experience of squash, and the recommendations of the Canadian Society of Ophthalmologists. There is no persuasive reason why a 12 year old should be required to use eye protection, while, for example, a 16 year old is not. Our intent had been to have gradual implementation of mandatory eye protection for juniors. However, evidence showed that we need to implement the standard for all juniors. Having thoroughly explored this issue the meeting passed the following resolution: “that from January 1 2006 eyewear be mandatory for players born 1987 or later” .Our intent in waiting until January 1 is simply to give time for U19 and U16 juniors to learn of the standard, to purchase eye protection, and to get used to practising and playing while wearing it. " Deryck Williams OBA President http://www.ontariobadminton.on.ca/OBA/OBAWebsite.nsf/DocIDList/C2696D060F9146258525708A003E7B62?OpenDocument
ya i recently just saw that too. I think it is good and bad. Good becasue there will be no injuries or "fear" of being smashed at but bad because it affects your game. (breaks your concentration, they fall off, fog up etc.) I think they should just say if you've played for 3 years (expeirenced)you dont need em but if you havent u do. (inexpeirinced) But im sure that way to hard for OBA to do. Anyways id like to hear your opinions about it too!
Ok so let me make sure I got it right. All badminton tournaments require the participants to wear eye protection if you're born after 1987. So this includes ROPSAA correct? As well, does glasses count as protective goggles?
But the thing is, would that mean that those that wear glasses have to get prescription lenses specifically made for them?
Well no ..i just heard that the glasses have to be oba cirtified, and regular glasses r not aloud...so u can buys a pair of cirtified ones and put them over ur regular glasses or somehow find a place that makes perscription ones...havent heard of such a place, but if i do ill be sure to post it hear
Seems good, if Ontario badminton is going to pay for these lenses for the playesr to use them, otherwise, they will play some place else.
so it's now ok to do headshots? (gameterm we started using. with some more youngsters it's kinda fun. nobody's hitting at their hardest. it's like: ...*pok* ...headshot!!woohoo!!!all friendly, nobody has gotten hurt..yet...)
Sure hope this will not be manditory for school tournys...imagine the impression some kids will have at badminton when they see a bunch of ppl playing with goggles :S
Omgts. Can we argue "we have the freedom to thought belief and expression" guaranteed by our charter (Canada)? T.T I think this is too old fashioned by the OBA. Many squash players don't even wear goggles when playing...
ooooo someone took law class lol....well i think it is a good idea to where glasses...ur eyes r the most important part of ur body, and u dont want to ruen the rest of ur life to a game of badminton...now i love the game alot, but is it worth it to loose ur eye site..now ridel me that batman ps and no u do not have to where glasses at the high school level
Thank you! I really needed to hear that . So im assuming its the people playing at professtional level who has to wear them then?
pofessional level???? no where near...just anyone playing in an OBA tourny ps .if u play at a higher level then high school ,,,ur still a million years away from pro
But another issue is what about OFSAA? It is an OBA sanctioned tournament though but at High School level and comes from inter-school tournament. You don't think they'd force you to wear them in those tournaments do you? lol. I understand the nature of this rule, but this is turning me off from going to any more tourneys -_-
well if wearing glasses is gona turn u off form goen to any tournys..well dude thats lame...i hate wearing them to. but u gota suck it up and just play
OFSAA and the OBA are completely unrelated. I don't believe goggles will be required. At least that's what I believe I actually love the rule and my goggles. And believe me, I've come pretty close to getting hit in the eye. Just last weekend, I got hit on my left temple and not too long ago, I got hit on the brow of my eye. The goggles aren't too expensive if you don't need a prescription (otherwise, have a few hundrend bucks ready, or wear contacts) and they have pretty nice designs.
Also, certain lens color can help to enhance contrast of flying shuttles under poor lighting condition. I haven't yet done any field trial yet as to what color goes good against flourescent, sodium, mercury, tungsten, etc lighting
This is true, the OBA is using the same rule that the NSBA (Nova Scotia Badminton Association) has been using for a couple years. I play in a couple tournaments, and its only for mixed doubles, and doubles, not for singles. NSBA has gotten us very nice Victor goggles, and I forget I'm wearing them when i'm playing.