Who needs to pick up the shuttle after a rally?

Discussion in 'Rules / Tournament Regulation / Officiating' started by Badtz, Nov 5, 2018.

  1. Badtz

    Badtz New Member

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    Have always wondered about this. If there is a rule or it's just a general sportsmanship/common sense thing.

    In general, of course the side who loses the point is the one who needs to pick up the shuttle from the floor and then return it to the opponent ( the winner of the point).

    But is that a rule that exists and can be/needs to be enforced. Does the rule say you need to return it to the opponent's hands or their serving box? i have seen some players just tapping it over very slightly so it crosses the middle line ( so now it's now in the opponent's side). Is this an offense and something that a player can be warned about?

    The opposite side is what happens if the shuttle do end up in the winner's side after a rally. Can the winner insist the loser pick it up even though they need to walk further?

    Just wondering because i have seen some players ( in both professional and casual competitive environment) seems to abuse these situation. And in badminton of course there is no ball boy like tennis.
     
  2. phihag

    phihag Regular Member

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    Neither the rules nor the ITTO or Umpire's manual mention anything about who has to pick up the shuttle.

    I have never heard of any convention, let alone rule, that the loser would have to pick up the shuttle. That would be very strange, with the loser having to run around to their opponent's side if they hit it out over the opposing baseline.

    The convention is simple:
    1. If the shuttle is on the side of the winner of the winner of the last rally, they pick up the shuttle. They're usually pretty happy to; after all, they just won a rally and now can try to maintain their streak.
    2. If the shuttle ended up on the loser's side, they have to somehow get it to the winner's side, in a timely manner. From then on, see point 1.

    This is the same, no matter whether you're in a hobby group, at a national, or at an international event. It's nice to play a nice semi-high shot or throw the shuttle so that it can be caught easily, but that's by no means required. Especially at lower levels, a player may accidentally over- or undershoot, or hit the net.

    I don't think there is any need for regulations: I cannot remember a single instance in all of the matches I umpired where picking up the shuttle was a problem. I remember one instance in an international match where there was a brief fight about the shuttle, but that was about delaying, not the actual shuttle.

    Delay can be managed with the usual methods; the difference between players walking around on court before returning the shuttle and players walking around on court after returning the shuttle does not really matter for that.
     
  3. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    For the most part, as @phihag already pointed, the usual situation of shuttle been thrown too far or away from the opponent is treated as a game delay. But you can also treat it as a bad sportmanship and even give a card in case of repeated offence.

    One thing that also puzzles me is when the shuttle falls directly under the net, I think it is also what really OP question was about... On a club level usually it's the player that closest that goes to pick the shuttle in the middle of the court. Often it's even kind of a "game" (in a good way), who gets there first... :) But for some reason on International level the winner rarely takes it, even when the shuttle is just under him and makes the "looser" go get the shuttle even if the opponent is far.. I don't have an explanation to where this custom comes from and why. There is nothing in the rules about it...

    Personally I don't like it as it is not really looks fair and also delaying the next rally. But I never saw anyone challenge that custom...
     
    #3 stradrider, Nov 5, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2018
  4. Rob3rt

    Rob3rt Regular Member

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    Few points here:
    - shows the opponent that he lost the rally even more, he has to pick it up
    - delays the game and gives a little break
    - makes the opponent move more (he has to walk there)
    - mind games
     
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  5. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    Totally agree, the question is why he allowed to do it?

    Umpire supposed to ask to give the shuttle properly to the opponent if the looser shoots it way too far or with anger, why nothing said if winner walks away from the shuttle that was near him? Definitely not a good sportsmanship in my view...
     
  6. Borkya

    Borkya Regular Member

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    In China the general rule is "the side that hits it into the net needs to retrieve it." So that would usually be the loser if the shuttle is directly under the net and equal distance from both sides. I don't think any reason, just manners. But of course I'm talking about club level, not pros.
     

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