Badminton-BWF to trial serve clock at select tournaments in 2026
FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Badminton - Men's Singles - Quarterfinal - MFS - Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Tokyo, Japan – July 31, 2021. Viktor Axelsen of Denmark prepares to serve during the match against Shi Yuqi of China. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
A time clock which will allow players 25 seconds between each rally will be tested by the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Council at certain World Tour tournaments from the 2026 season, the governing body said on Wednesday.
The new regulations state that the server must be ready to serve before the end of the 25 seconds, with umpires having the discretion to allow for more time between rallies in the event of a medical intervention or if the court requires mopping.
The BWF said it had analysed data from hundreds of Major Championship and World Tour tournament matches which showed that in 80 per cent of matches where there were no unplanned incidents or interruptions, the average time between rallies was 22 seconds.
"As such, the BWF believes 25 seconds is the appropriate period to balance sufficient rest for players and overall continuous play," it added in a statement.
Players like two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and England's Lauren Smith have backed the introduction of the time clock, though Dane Axelsen stressed the need for consistency in its implementation.
