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4.4 BWF Statutes – Section 4.1.9 – Time-Outs and Advice
To approve a new section to the BWF Statutes which defines the procedures for Time-Outs and Advice (amendments are in
red).
It is proposed that these amendments to the Laws of Badminton will come into effect in week 50, starting Monday 10 December 2018.
BWF Statutes – Section 4.1.9 – Time-Outs and Advice
Applicability
• BWF sanctioned Tournaments Grades 1-3.
• Other Tournaments where notified before the start of the Tournament.
1. Time-Outs
1.1 A player/pair is permitted one time-out of a maximum of 120 second to be requested in either the first game, second game, third game, or fourth game.
1.2 Should a fifth game be necessary, each player/pair is permitted an additional time-out of a maximum of 120 seconds.
2. Player Time-out Request
2.1 The request for a time-out must be made immediately after the conclusion of a rally, including immediately at the conclusion of a game.
2.1.1 Should the request for a time-out be made immediately after the conclusion of a game, the interval before the next game will be a maximum of 120 seconds.
2.2 The request for a time-out must be made verbally by calling “Time-out” and can be accompanied by a hand-signal of a “T”.
3. Advice
3.1 Only during time-outs shall a player be permitted to receive advice during a match.
3.2 Coaches/Team Managers will be allowed to enter the Field of Play/Court area to speak to their respective player/pair.
3.2.1 The time-out starts when the request is granted by the Umpire; the Coach/Team Manager can advise their player/pair during the time-out until instructed to leave the Field of Play/Court area by the Umpire.
Rationale
The new section details how Intervals, Time Outs and Advice work operationally.
4.5 Laws of Badminton – Clause 9 - Service
To approve amendments to the Laws of Badminton to Clause 9.1.6 and 9.1.7 as below to take effect 10 December 2018 following sufficient time for testing of Fixed Height Experimental Law 9.1.6.2. (amendments are in
red) …
…
AND …
To mandate to Council the following:
1. To make changes to the service height if the experience from international tournaments proves that this is more suitable.
2. To reinstate Law 9.1.7 in case the experience shows the need to keep this rule related to the shaft and racket head pointing in a downward direction.
3. To reject the new service height rules in case the experience with the rules are not successful, and revert back to the original service rules.
4. To make any such changes in point 1, 2 and 3 above must be made and not again changed by Council latest by 10 December 2018.
Clause 9 - Service
9.1.6 the whole shuttle shall be below the server’s waist at the instant of 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket. The waist shall be considered to be an imaginary line round the body, level with the lowest part of the server’s bottom rib.
9.1.6.1 In Wheelchair Badminton, the whole shuttle shall be below the server’s armpit at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket.
9.1.6.2 For Fixed Height Experiment: The whole of the shuttle shall be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server's racket.
9.1.7 the shaft and the racket head of the server’s racket at the instant of hitting the shuttle shall be pointing in a downward direction;
9.1.7.1 For Fixed Height Experiment: 9.1.7 does not apply;
Rationale
To make the service rules and the judging simpler and more objective to secure higher level of fairness in matches for the players.
For many years players especially, and to some extent service judges, have provided feedback that the service rules have been difficult to manage. This has been a key area of concern and many players (especially doubles players) have been struggling with the interpretation of these Laws. Furthermore the Badminton Association of Malaysia in May 2017 at the AGM, put forward a proposal to agree on a fixed service height at 1.10 m or whatever height was appropriate after having tested the system in tournaments. This proposal was accepted by the BWF AGM and preparations have been ongoing to introduce the test – giving players a transition period before starting the test and making sure that service judges were trained.
Changing to a fixed height provides the following:
• Easier for umpires to determine the height (the bottom rib is not always easy to determine). This in turn will create consistency in the service judging, which is one of the things players have been requesting.
• Possible to include tools to help service judges to assess the serve – which is difficult with a service height that can vary a lot depending on the height of the player. Presently, a conventional physical tool has been created for the experimental period, where the feedback from many service judges has been that this does make it easier for them to assess the serve.
The implementation date of
10 December 2018 has been proposed to give players a transition period to practice and get used to the new Laws.
The service height Laws will continue as experimental laws until 10 December 2018.
The implementation date is set, so the new rules will be implemented at the HSBC World Tour Finals in December.
Secondly, at the time of the AGM the Service Height rules have only been used for less than three months and Council wishes to be given a mandate to make any adjustments to the Laws in advance of the Olympic and Paralympic Qualification period starting in 2019, based on a greater time frame for the experimental Fixed Height Service Law.
4.6 Alternative Laws of Badminton - Service Laws
To approve amendments to the Alternative Service as detailed below (amendments are in red). This shall come into effect on 10 December, notwithstanding the delegation provided to Council to amend based on the Experimental Fixed Height Service Law implementation currently underway.
Alternative Service Laws
Please note that for each of the Alternative Laws of Badminton, all of the Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1 – Laws of Badminton) apply, except where specifically noted below.
9.1.6 a) the whole shuttle shall be below the server’s waist at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket. The waist shall be considered to be an imaginary line round the body, level with the lowest part of the server’s bottom rib;
b) the shaft and the racket head of the server’s racket at the instant of hitting the shuttle shall be pointing in a downward direction.
Rationale
The alternative Service Laws may apply to contexts where proposal 4.5 above to Laws of Badminton to Clause 9.1.6 and 9.1.7 do not apply.
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