 "Explained: How BWF's 25-second time clock system, brought back for trials at Indonesia Open, works")
The Badminton World Federation is bringing the 25-second time clock system back in place for the Indonesia Masters, which got underway in Jakarta on Tuesday, continuing its trials with the feature at select World Tour events.
“The system will be in effect for all matches, including qualifying and main draw, with full enforcement by umpires as per regulations,” read a statement from the BWF ahead of the event.
The time clock system had been approved by the BWF Council in August last year and implemented for the first time in the Australian Open Super 500 that took place in Sydney in November.
The idea behind the feature was to maintain an ideal pace for a badminton match. The Malaysia-based governing body for the sport has been conducting preliminary system tests so far and plans further trials in coming months, besides collecting feedback from member associations before taking a call on implementing it full time.
How does BWF’s time clock system work?
Under the time clock, players have 25 seconds to get in position for the next serve after the conclusion of a rally. They need not serve within this time limit though – just get in position for action to resume right away. The clock, additionally, becomes active soon as the umpire updates the score.
Players can carry out a variety of tasks during these 25 seconds, from towelling off and getting a sip of a drink to applying cold spray on themselves – all of which currently require permission from the umpires. In the Time Clock System, players will no longer the umpire’s permission for these activities but will have to ensure they are ready at their positions at the start of the next serve.
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According to data from hundreds of Major Championship and World Tour matches, the average time between rallies stood at 22 seconds, 13 seconds more than the time taken for the rally itself, and BWF felt that 25 seconds was ideal for players in order to maintain a nice rhythm in the game.
Umpires, however, can allow breaks to exceed the 25-second time limit under exceptional circumstances, which includes medical intervention or excessive mopping of the court. An extension can also be granted to players after long rallies in order to allow them to recover sufficiently enough for the next serve.
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