The Badminton World Federation will test a new service law involving a fixed height for the shuttle from March 1, the governing body announced on Wednesday. According to the new rule, the shuttle should be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket.
The first tournament where this tournament will be tested is the All England Open, followed by all Grade 1 and Grade 2 events, except the World Junior Championships. The rule will also apply in the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok and the World Championships in Nanjing. The testing will go on till the end of the year.
“Over the years, we have been looking for ways to improve how the service laws are applied,” said BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer. “Therefore, after various investigations and deliberations, the Council has determined to implement this Experimental Service Law in an effort to improve the application of the service laws at BWF tournaments. We hope this will yield positive feedback from our membership”.
The proposed new rule has its share of critics, including current world champion Viktor Axelsen. The Dane had recently posted a video on social media showing how it will be difficult for the taller players to serve from a maximum height of 1.15 metres. Axelsen is 1.94 metres tall.
The BWF also plans to host a training workshop for umpires in Kuala Lumpur in January regarding the proposed new law. The training will include how to use measuring devices to determine service height.