- Manual Officiating In Badminton Hand Signals Pictures Digital
- Manual Officiating In Badminton Hand Signals Pictures
Umpire Signs & Signals
Umpires use a number of signals. Some of these are familiar and are associated with the Rules of Baseball, like safe, out, foul, etc. In addition to these, there are signs and signals that umpires use to communicate with one another during the games, saying things like 'first-to-third,' 'it's infield fly situation,' and many others.
After a point is scored, the corresponding hand signal should be held until the game restarts, so that the officials (scorekeeper and timekeeper) can take note of the referee’s decision. The referees must be ready to blow the whistle and execute a hand signal requiring both arms at all times. Officiating In Badminton. Basic Signs for the Players and Fans The right hand is the 'action' hand and the plate umpire uses the action hand to signal things like play, strike, out, fair ball (i.e., live ball), infield fly, and so forth.
Following is a summary of three sets of signals. It is very important to cover your umpire signs and signals at your pre-game meeting (see Umpire Pre-Game Meetings):
Basic Signs for the Players and Fans
The right hand is the 'action' hand and the plate umpire uses the action hand to signal things like play, strike, out, fair ball (i.e., live ball), infield fly, and so forth. He uses his left hand for controlling the game or when pointing to a partner, when controlling the pitcher, and for holding the indicator and the mask.
Ball | There is no signal for a called ball. Instead, simply verbalize the call, 'ball'. Call the ball while still down, then come up. On ball four, don't point to first base, just say 'ball.' If the batter doesn't head toward first base, you can simply say to him 'that's four.' |
Strike | Signal strikes with your right hand. Use the traditional clenched fist ('pounding the door'), or signal with your hand/finger shot out to the side. On a called strike, verbalize sharply; everyone should hear. On a swinging strike do not verbalize; simply give the signal. |
Safe | Extend both arms together in front of you and then give a quick, sweeping motion outward, roughly parallel to the ground, palms down. On close plays, you can also verbalize the call, 'safe', or 'he's safe'. This helps sell a close call. You can also verbalize information to help sell an extremely close call, things like 'Safe - he's under the tag', of 'Safe - he pulled his foot.' On obvious calls ('stadium calls') don't verbalize the call. |
Out | Form a hammer with a clenched right fist and deliver a quick, sharp blow. Some degree of personal style is allowed on the out call, as long you are not distracted from seeing any continuing action. If necessary, verbalize and signal additional information to sell a close call, like 'off the bag' or 'on the transfer.' |
Fair Ball | Point the right hand toward fair territory. Never verbalize 'fair ball.' On a close call, to emphasize the call, stab your arm into fair territory multiple times emphatically. |
Foul Ball | The signal for foul ball is the same as for 'Time' or other dead ball situation: Raise both hands and call loudly 'Foul.' Make the call loud and sharp, so everyone hears. Note that, once verbalized, you cannot reverse a call of foul ball. |
Play | Point at the pitcher with the right hand with a stabbing motion and call 'Play.' You must put the ball back in play following every time the ball goes dead, whether foul ball, hit-by-pitch, called 'time', or other reason. When the pitcher has the ball and is ready (he must have engaged the rubber), and the catcher is in the catcher's box and is also ready, point and call 'play'. Under no circumstances should you allow the pitcher to go into his windup until you have called 'Play'. |
Time | Raise both hands and call 'Time' in a loud voice. Make the call loud and sharp. It is essential that everyone on the field hear you. Important: When any umpire calls 'Time,' all other umpires should echo the call by also signaling and, if there is play in progress, also verbalizing 'Time.' |
time | (Time with a small 't'). There are occasions when time is out, but 'Time' has not been called. An example is when the pitcher is ready but the batter is not yet set; in this case, the plate umpire might put up his hand as a stop sign to the pitcher, signaling him to wait. It is important to understand that when you put up a stop sign like that you have called time. So you must put the ball back in play. Important: Be very careful with this small-'t' Time. Be certain, for example, that all continuous play has come to a stop, that runners are back to their bases, and that no sudden actions are imminent. You're in a world of hurt if you've got a hand up signaling time, just as a runner breaks and a bang-bang play develops, an overthrow occurs, a run scores, and THEN you have to get everyone's attention to bring it all back. |
The count | Indicate pitch count using the left hand for balls and the right hand for strikes. On fields that do not have scoreboards, give the count frequently; always give the count on an 'action' pitch (with three balls and/or two strikes). Call the count loudly, so both benches (and base coaches) can hear it clearly. Finally, don't abbreviate the count by verbalizing things like 'twenty-two' for two and two, or saying 'full count' when the count is three and two. |
3rd strike not | Give the strike sign, but do not call or signal the batter out. Instead, clear the catcher and give the safe sign. |
Advanced Signs for Inside the Game
Several signs are important for communicating with the scorekeeping, coaches, and players.
Run Counts/ | The only time you should signal that a run scores is on a timing play to indicate that an advancing runner did (or did not) cross the plate before a 3rd out was made on the bases. In this case, signal and verbalize:
|
Check swing/ | Point at the batter with the left hand then signal the strike with your right while verbalizing 'Yes, he went.' |
Check swing | Step back from the plate and with your left arm gesture to the base umpire and ask 'Did he go?' If the answer is yes the base umpire gives the strike signal while saying 'Yes, he went!' If the answer is no, the base umpire gives a safe sign with 'No, he did not go!' |
Foul Tip | Extend you left arm and brush the back of your left hand with your right hand, then signal the strike with the right hand. Never verbalize 'foul tip' because this could be confused with a call of 'foul.' |
Infield Fly | Point into the air with the right hand and verbalize 'infield fly, batter's out!' Verbalize in your loudest voice. All umpires on the field should echo the call. For more about the infield fly, see Infield Fly Rule. |
Home Run | Signal a home run by pointing at the sky with the right arm and twirling the index finger. |
Ground-rule | Signal a ground-rule double by holding two fingers up and by verbalizing 'That's a ground-rule double.' All runners move two bases from time of pitch and the ball is dead. |
Awarding Bases | Point to affected base runner and state 'You, second base' or 'You, third base', etc. Move the lead runner first, then following runners in order. |
Balk | Call clearly: 'That's a Balk!' Call balks with reference to the action. If the pitcher completes the delivery of the ball, or throws to a base, you are in a delayed dead ball situation. So, point at the pitcher and say 'That's a balk'. Then, if the pitcher stops his delivery, call 'Time ... that's a balk' and award bases as appropriate. Otherwise, allow action to complete, then call 'Time!', announce the balk and award bases as appropriate. Note: In high school play (FED rules), balks are an immediate dead ball. It's a stupid rule, but it is what it is. |
Interference | Point at the player committing the interference and verbalize loudly and clearly 'Time! That's interference!' Ensure that all play stops and then enforce penalties, as appropriate. For more information, see Offensive Interference. |
Obstruction | First, note whether you have Type (a) or Type (b) obstruction. Type (a) obstruction occurs when a play is being made on the obstructed runner and results in an immediate dead ball. Type (b) obstruction occurs when a play is not being made on the obstructed runner, and this is a delayed dead ball. In both cases, point to the offending player and verbalize loudly and clearly 'That's obstruction'. If this is Type (a) obstruction, immediately call time and award bases as appropriate. If Type (b), wait for conclusion of continuous action on the play, then call Time and enforce penalties as appropriate. |
Catch/ | Signal a catch using the Out sign: raised right arm with a clenched fist. No verbalization is necessary. For no-catch, use the Safe sign; be sure to verbalize 'No catch!' or 'On the ground' loudly and clearly. The verbal call needs only to be given on a trouble ball. In cases where the no-catch resulted from the fielder juggling the ball and not securing possession, you can provide a juggling motion to indicate this. When the no-catch results from the ball touching the ground (on a close or trouble ball), point to the ground after signaling no-catch. |
Signs for the Umpire Crew
Following are a basic set of signs that umpire crews use to pass important information or ask for it. These signs are not formalized and might vary somewhat from league to league. Be sure to cover your crew signs during the pre-game meeting.
Generally, umpire signals originate with the plate umpire; on receiving a signal, the base umpire then flashes back the signal to indicate that he's received it. On three- or four-man crews, the exchange is with the interior umpire (the one in positions B or C).
Outs | With each new batter (except the first, obviously), the PU flashes the number of outs by extending fingers either at his side, or in front of him. For no outs, use a clenched fist. |
Infield Fly | When you're in an infield fly situation, signal by touching the brim of the hat. Some crews indicate the number of outs by touching the brim with one finger or a fist. |
First-to-third | With a runner on first, or runners on first and third, the PU should signal the first-to-third rotation by pointing at third base. For more information, see The Basic Rotations (two-man). |
Staying home | With a runner in scoring position (except for first-to-third situation), PU should signal that he's staying at home – that is, will not rotate to other bases for a play. For more information, see The Basic Rotations (two-man). |
Playing back | When infielders are 'playing in' (e.g., to get a ground out at home), the BU should move back behind the middle infielder to avoid interfering with the play. When doing so, move your hand up and down behind your head, with the palm facing home. This alerts the PU to take catch/no-catch on all infield fly balls. |
We need to talk | It's useful to have a signal that says to your partner, 'We need to talk.' Some crews use the arms crossed like an 'X' in front of the chest, but this might be too obvious. This signal is very useful in situations where your partner is in an argument with a manager over a call and you have useful information for him. You never insert yourself in the middle of another umpire's call unless that umpire asks for help. But if you have information that could help him, a subtle signal can be a life-saver for him. |
Time play | With two outs and a runner in scoring position, tap the wrist on the left hand (where a watch is normally worn) with two finger of the right hand to indicate a potential timing play. You could then point to home plate with two fingers to indicate that you're staying home on the play. Note, however, that a timing play can occur on plays that begin with fewer than two outs, so you must be alert to the possibility on all plays at the plate. In fact, it is for this reason that some organizations now discourage use of the time play signal. |
If you have watched a badminton match on your TV then you may have noticed that there are lots of people sit along with the court and each performing a specific duty, In this guide, you will learn the types of officials in badminton and what are their roles in a badminton match.
To ensure quality and fair play in badminton different badminton officials are appointed by BWF Each one performing different duty,
Now let’s see how many types of officials are there in badminton
- Referee
- Umpire, Two types, Chair Umpire and Service Umpire
- Line Judge
- Mopper
Before I start explaining each of these first let me tell you some important points regarding these badminton officials
To become a BWF I would say international badminton officials there is a certain pathway that every official follows which is from national to continental to world level. The BWF qualifies referees and umpires at two levels – Accredited and Certificated.
Referee in badminton
A referee in badminton acts like a manager who’s job is to conduct matches in a tournament in a proper manner and resolve any dispute if a situation arises.
Other duties of tournament referee are to make a doctor available if a player gets injured or if the tapping of the court came off, ensuring that matches and practice schedules in a tournament are properly set up and many more.
One thing that bugs me in badminton is how an umpire and referee communicate in a match.
if you have watched a match in which a need for referee arises during a match, the umpire raises his hand signaling tournament referee to come on the court.
Even if there is a minor problem referee had to walk all the way through the court to talk I mean why don’t they use any device for communicating to save time.
Level of a tournament referee in badminton
As I mentioned earlier there are two levels of referee
- BWF Accredited
- BWF Certificated,which is the highest level in refereeing.
Power of a tournament referee in Badminton
I would say that referee can only take the decision regarding things outside the court meaning that other than the matches where an umpire has been appointed, the Tournament referee has influence over it like changing court for a match, schedule ( In emergency), etc.
We can say that the roles of a referee can also be counted as his power.
How to become an International referee
There are three levels which a referee needs to climb for becoming an international referee wheater in Badminton Europe or BWF (Level 4 Referee is an international referee)
Level 1:- Local referee
This is the starting point of becoming a referee, there is no particular training which you will be needing to qualify as a local referee.
It is a good opportunity to learn how things are managed in a tournament
Level 2:- Regional referee
Now we are starting to get serious as to become a regional referee(state) you need to follow some training module which will be provided by an association of the same region so contact them for any query.
Level 3:- National referee
This is the highest domestic level which can be achieved, after clearing level 2 regional office may recommend you to the national association.
Level 4:- International referee
And finally, now you are in the big league, the national association will recommend you to BWF according to your performance.
Umpire in Badminton
In Badminton, there are two types of umpires
Manual Officiating In Badminton Hand Signals Pictures Digital
- Chair Umpire
- Service Umpire/Judge
Chair Umpire in Badminton
We discussed how a referee is in-charge of a tournament but during a match, it is the chair umpire who acts as the main official meaning that all decision was taken by umpire whether right or wrong is final.
The job of a chair umpire is to make sure that the match is conducted according to the rules prescribed by BWF.
Some of the duties of a chair umpire are
- Doing toss of the coin to decide who will serve and who will play on which court
- Introducing players to the crowd by taking their name on the mic(if provided)
- Keeping a record of the score during the entire match and telling the same on the mic(if provided) before each serve.
- Ensuring that the match is conducted in a peaceful manner
- Checking for net faults (if a player touches the net during a rally) or any other fault except regarding service because it is the duty of service judge
- Calling mopper(with hand signals) if a player asks for the same ( only if necessary)
Powers of Chair umpire
Manual Officiating In Badminton Hand Signals Pictures
A player should always keep in mind that chair umpire is the top official during a match and doing anything against the rules even after warning from umpire can cause disqualification.
These are some of the powers of chair umpire
- He has the power to overrule line judge decision meaning that if he is certain that the decision made by line judge is wrong than it is in his power to change line call from OUT to IN and vice versa.
- He got the authority to give cards to the player on misconduct, there are three types of card in badminton, yellow(warning), red(gives one point to the opponent), black(disqualify).
Levels of BWF Umpires
- BWF Accredited
- BWF Certificated, which is the highest level in umpiring.
Where is chair umpire sits
One more thing to remember as a player is that every match you play you should do a handshake before and after the match is finished with both umpires and your opponent as a gesture to thank them.
How to become a BWF umpire
National Badminton Federations train, develop and assess umpires to the highest national level for their top national tournaments. Umpires who are at a sufficient level and experience may then be assessed to become accredited or certificated at the continental level.
BWF Umpire Assessors are responsible for the assessment of umpires to be upgraded to the BWF Accredited and Certificated levels, the appraisals of current BWF Umpires, as well as helping lead the respective education and mentoring programs of these umpires. (Source)
Things to note:- Badminton Europe has an age limit of 55 for umpire assessment and the Badminton World Federation will not assess an umpire over age 50.
If you have been inactive for 2 consecutive years in an association, you will be removed from the list of umpires.
Service Judge/Umpire in Badminton
In badminton, the role of a service Umpire is to incept whether the server is doing the service by the rules determined by BWF.
It is important to know that it is he who can give service fault to the player and not the chair umpire, Service judge uses hand signals if a fault is committed by the player to tell chair umpire that a fault has been committed by the server.
Hand Signals used by service Judge
There are five types of faults which a service judge looks for
- Foot Fault:- When a player moves during the service or his foot is touching the midcourt line
- Shuttle above legal height:- If the server hits the shuttle above a height of 1.15m
- Racket head not pointing down:- If racket head of the server is above or parallel to his racket handle joint(with shaft)
- Touching feather first:- Your racket face should hit the bottom of the shuttle first.
- Double action:- the serving player make double action with racket before hitting the shuttle.
Duties of Service Judge
- To make sure that players are following service rules set by BWF
- Give shuttle to players for warm-up
- If chair umpire allows, changing the shuttle to a new one during a match
Power of Service Judge in Badminton
- The service judge decision is final when it comes to service faults and it cannot be overruled
How to become a service judge
One thing you might not know but both chair umpire and service judge go through the same training, If you look at starting rounds of a tournament they change their position in different matches as informed by tournament referee.
So the process of becoming a service judge is the same as of a chair umpire.
Line Judge in Badminton
There are so many lines in a badminton court and chair umpire cannot make the decision on all of the shots that is why there are linemen sitting along the court to see whether a shuttle is IN or OUT.
Depending on the level of a tournament, there may be as many as 10 line judges assigned to a court for a particular match.
Duty of lineman
The only role of a lineman is to tell the chair umpire whether the shuttle was IN or OUT that is it.
But one to note that a lineman only makes call for his/her line meaning that if a lineman making calls for backcourt vertical line and if shuttle land OUT of horizontal line but IN on his line than he will make hand signal of IN whereas the lineman who is sitting on that horizontal line will call shuttle out.
Hand signals used by lineman
There are three types of hand signals made by lineman
- When the shuttle is IN:- Lineman will make pledge gesture with his hand
- When the shuttle is OUT:- He will extend both of his arm making a straight line from his one hand to another hand.
- When he does not know:- when the lineman is not certain if the shuttle was IN or OUT due to reason like player covered the line etc. He covers his eyes with both hands.
BWF Line Judge Nomination Process
The BWF assigns line judges for its major events, based on the nominations from the respective continental confederation to ensure appropriate regional representation at all events.
BWF line judges serve four-year terms with an opportunity to renew for a second term.
BWF Line Judge Nomination Process
The BWF assigns line judges for its major events, based on the nominations from the respective continental confederation to ensure appropriate regional representation at all events.
BWF line judges serve four-year terms with an opportunity to renew for a second term.
Power of Linemen in Badminton
Not authority is given to linemen other than making line calls, there used to be a time where if a lineman has made a call whether right or wrong it cannot be overruled or challenged but now badminton has evolved very much
There are two ways by which the decision of lineman can be changed
- If Chair umpire feels that the decision was wrong
- If the player decides to use hawkeye
Things to Know About Hawkeye
It is smart replay technology used in international matches to find if a shuttle is IN or OUT, but this system is not provided in every court only TV court gets provided is technology.
Players are allowed 2 challenges in a match if the challenge is successful no deduction and if not 1 challenge will be removed.
A player can ask for hawkeye by raising his hand and showing it to the umpire if there is a delay by the player in raising his hand he will not be allowed to use the challenge.
Where do linemen sit
These stars are showing where do linemen sit, but it is not necessary that every line should be monitored by him it depends on how important a match is.
- 3 on backcourt on each side
- 2 on the service line
- 2 on backcourt looking at their vertical line
One more badminton official which I thought it is necessary to include
I am talking about mopper who sits beside the court waiting for the umpire gesture to mop the sweat off the court, it is only because of them that a player can move on the court without worrying about slipping during a rally.
In a match, there are two moppers appointed on the court and their duty is to clear court before the match, during the half time after finishing off a set and when umpire asks the court to be mopped.
Thank you for reading…