Umpire_Training_Manual_March_2014

Tips for Umpires

• If you have a personal cellular phone, be sure
it is off.

• Sit straight in your chair. Do not lean on it too
much.

• Do not chew gum while on duty.

51

Tips for Umpires

• Do not cross your legs or feet while sitting in the
Umpire’s chair.

• If your match is on TV, make sure to receive a signal
to start each game at the proper time, if required.
Also confirm with the referee before going on court if
intervals are mandatory.

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Tips for Umpires

• Do not start your announcement before the
players have finished their practice serves or
that they are in their respective courts ready
to play. In singles, as a part of their practice,
the players may serve twice : once from the
right and once from the left.

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Tips for Umpires

• When starting your announcement, extend
your right arm and pointing downward to
present the player(s) on your right. Extend the
left arm downward too to present the player(s)
on your left. No extension of the arm is
necessary to announce which side is serving.

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Tips for Umpires

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Tips for Umpires

• While announcing, keep your head up –and
keep your head still when talking. Do the same
when announcing the score. Keep your head
up and look straight ahead. You may raise the
score-sheet to announce; however do not
cover your face with it. Announcement must
be correct, clear and audible.

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Tips for Umpires

• As soon as the service is delivered, have a
quick look at the service judge. On many
occasions the noise of the spectators can be so
loud that it is the only way to know if a service
fault call has been made. So, take a quick look
at the service judge and then follow the
shuttle in play.

57

Tips for Umpires

When writing the score on your score-sheet, do it
quickly so that you are looking at your court and
players most of the time. Same apply if you have
to touch your electronic score pad.

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Tips for Umpires

• Have a quick look at the scoring device located
at ends of court every time in between rallies
to be sure scores are correct. If it is wrong,
ensure that it is immediately corrected or, if
this cannot be done quickly, ensure the players
know it is no longer being used and inform the
referee of it accordingly.

59

Tips for Umpires

• Change of shuttle: if both players agree,
acknowledge by making a «yes» sign with your
head to the service judge or extend your arm
toward your service judge. If one player does
not want to change the shuttle, you need to
check it quickly and give your decision. Note
that a player, whether serving or receiving,
may ask for a shuttle change.

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Tips for Umpires

• You should follow the referee’s instruction at
briefing with regard to tipping or changing the
speed of the shuttle.

• If mopping is needed, do not use your finger to
point to the spot; instead use your hand to point
to the spot to be wiped. When mopping is being
done, allow the players to towel off or to drink, if
the situation permits.

61

Tips for Umpires

• At the interval, immediately after announcing
the score, send the moppers to wipe the court
– do not waste time as there are often feathers
and sweat on the court.

• During the two-minute interval at the end of a
game, the service judge walks to the umpire’
chair and says a few quick words if necessary.

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Tips for Umpires

• If you or the immediate area around the
umpire’s chair is wired with microphones for
the media, be careful about what you discuss
with your service judge at intervals after a game
or with a player any time during a match.

63

Tips for Umpires

• During intervals at the end of a game, do not ask
players in doubles who is going to serve or receive in
the next game. You should assume that it is the same
as in the previous game; or just confirm it when you
give the 20 seconds announcement. It is rare to
change server or receiver in the next game. Also note
that the interval is there for coaching purposes. Best
practice – make notes by observing their positions
only.

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Tips for Umpires

• Try to hide your stop watch from the players
and spectators. It should be visible briefly
before the game ends and also to announce 20
seconds. Some umpires have a tendency to
hold it right up in front which does not look
good.

65

Tips for Umpires

• The announcement of the score at the end of a
match must be done after you shake hands
with the players. Wait until the players have
shaken hands with you and service judge before
starting your final announcement.

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Tips for Umpires

• Immediately following the last rally of the
game, call: «Game».

• Make sure to record the end time of the match.

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Tips for Umpires

• Acknowledging officials at the end of a match-
You should acknowledge the service judge and
the line judges to your right and to the left. NO
MORE; so three thanks: to SJ, to right and to
left. A gentle nod of the head to indicate «
thanks » should be fine.

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Tips for Umpires

• After you acknowledge the service and the line
judges, get out of your chair and off the court
subject to any formal marching off procedures
set by the referee.

• Complete the score-sheet after leaving the
court. (e.g., adding up the shuttles used, time
elapsed for the match, etc.)

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Tips for Umpires

• If a warning and/or fault has been called during
the match, report details at bottom or on back
of score-sheet and advise the referee.

• As quickly as possible, have your score-sheet
signed by the referee and bring it to match
control.

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Tips for Service Judges

• If you have a personal cellular phone, be sure it
is off.

• You should walk onto the court behind the
players unless the referee instructs differently.

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Tips for Service Judges

• Once at the court, after the shaking of hands,
the service judge must only measure the centre
of the net. The posts are measured on day one
away from the match procedure.

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Tips for Service Judges

• Wait until the umpire has sat down on the chair
before you sit. Sometimes the umpire, for safety
purposes, needs your help to go up on the chair and
also at the end of the match when coming down.

• Do not cross your legs or feet while sitting on the
chair. The open palms have to be rested on the
knees. No interlocking of the fingers of both the
hands.

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Tips for Service Judges

• Do not chew gum while on duty.

• Do not keep the tube of shuttles or a shuttle in
your hands during the match; place the tube
next to your chair and just pull out a shuttle
when needed.

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Tips for Service Judges

• If shuttles need to be tipped – do so discreetly
and have no more than 2 or 3 ready for use.
DO NOT TIP THE ENTIRE TUBE.

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Tips for Service Judges

• When watching the server, do not follow the
shuttle to the other side. Keep your eyes on the
server a second to see if the serve is legal and if
so, then look at the umpire (eye contact) and
then you may start to follow the shuttle in play.
Do not watch the service for more than a
second or two as looking too long is not good
practice.

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Tips for Service Judges

• When calling a service fault, the «fault» should
be called loudly and the appropriate sign must
be made. The player should ask the umpire’s
permission to speak to the service judge.

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Tips for Service Judges

• Discreetly assist the umpire for line calls, double hits,
keeping score, etc. You should work as a team with the
umpire.

• At the end of the game, wait for the «game» call

before standing up, and after standing up, wait for the

announcement of the result of the game before

walking to place the interval board (a cone or box) in

the middle of court under the net. 78

Tips for Service Judges

• At the end of a match, stand up to shake hands
with the players. Do not shake hands while
sitting on your chair.

• Do not place one or two shuttles on mid court
under the net at the end of a match as warm up
shuttles for the next match, unless the referee
orders this at the briefing.

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Umpire/Service Judge Feedback

DO
• Informally (or formally, if blatant) warn players

for leaving court without permission

• Make clear any decision by using the relevant
call/vocabulary (e.g. “you touched the net” or
“ change the shuttle”) and where appropriate
use clear and bold gestures

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Umpire/Service Judge Feedback

DO

• Listen carefully to a request/complaint and
make a quick decision

• Call loudly and authoritatively (even if nervous)
at all times

• Sit alertly in the chair

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Umpire/Service Judge Feedback

DO
• Walk on court boldly

• If you disagree with a line call – query it (ask for
repeat)

• Ensure that one side is not allowed to be
consistently slow in preparing to serve/receive

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Umpire/service judge feedback
DON’T

• Allow players to leave court without permission

• Fail to spot a player asking to leave the court

• Ever allow a player to signal “out” where there is
a line judge or you make the call

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Umpire/service judge feedback

DON’T

• Allow a player to test a shuttle without your
permission

• Allow players to warm up while you make the
opening announcements or conduct the toss
(doubles)

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Umpire/service judge feedback

DON’T

• Allow a player to show dissent without at least an
informal warning

• Allow a player who has been allowed off court to
be over-slow in drinking or towelling

• Allow a player to argue with line judge or service

judge 85

Vocabulary

•

86

Summary of announcement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

• on my right, ...... (player name), ...... (country name), and on my
left, ...... (player name), ...... (country name); or

• on my right, ...... (player names), ...... (country name), and on my
left ….. (player names), ...... (country name)

• on my right, ….. (country / team name), represented by ….. (player
name), and on my left, ….. (country/team name), represented by
….. (player name); or

• on my right, ….. (country / team name), represented by ….. (player
names), and on my left, ….. (country / team name), represented
by ….. (player names)

• (player name) to serve; or

• (country/team name) to serve;

• (player name) to serve to ...... (player name);

• (player name) to ...... (player name); 87

Start of match and calling the score

• ‘Love all; play.’
• ‘Service over’
• ‘Interval’
• ‘... game point ... ’ e.g. ‘20 game point 6’, or ‘29 game point 28’
• ‘... match point ... ’ e.g. ‘20 match point 8’, or ‘29 match point 28’
• ‘... game point all’ e.g. ‘29 game point all’
• ‘First game won by ...... ’ (in team event, use name of country / team) ‘ ... ’

(score)
• ‘Court ...’ (number) ’20 seconds’(repeat)
• ‘Second game’
• ‘… match point all’ e.g. ‘29 match point all’
• ‘Second game won by ...... ’ (in team event, use name of country / team) ‘ ... ’

(score)
• ‘One game all’
• ‘Final Game’

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End of Match

• ‘Match won by ...... ’ (name of player/team) ‘...’
(scores)

• ‘...... ’ (name of player/team) ‘retired’
‘Match won by ...... ’ (name of player/team) ‘...’

(scores)
• ‘...... ’ (name of player/team) ‘disqualified’
• ‘Match won by ...... ’ (name of player/team) ‘...’

(scores)

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Quiz: True or False

• The net is 1.55 metres high at the centre of the net.
• The umpire may disqualify a player for gross misconduct.
• In the 3rd game, players change ends at 11-all.
• The partner of the server in doubles can stand anywhere

inside the court during serve.
• The receiver may stand on one foot to receive.
• The server must not serve until the receiver is ready.
• In singles, the player serving may do so from any side.
• In mixed doubles, the female player is always the first to

serve at the start of a match.

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Quiz: True or False cont’d.

• If a receiver misses a service, the partner may hit it.

• It is a fault during play when the shuttle touches a
player’s hair.

• After winning the toss, the player may choose to serve or
choose the side.

• The shuttle is still in play if it is caught up on top of the
net.

• Players may be coached during the full 60 seconds at the
11 point interval.

• Both players on the receiving team may stand in the
receiver’s side during a serve.

• It is a let if the shuttle collapses on the floor after being

smashed. 91

Quiz: Choose the correct answer

• In doubles, one player breaks his/her racket
during the rally, picks up another racket from
their basket without asking permission of the
umpire.

Let Fault Play On

• On a deep clear shot, a player snaps his/her
Achilles tendon and falls on the floor in pain
while the shuttle continue its flight.

Let Fault Play On

92

Quiz: Choose the correct answer

• A partner in doubles fakes a swing and the racket
head goes over the net into the opponent’s side
of the court on the follow through.
Let Fault Play On

• In the middle of a rally, there is an electrical
power failure (lights)

Let Fault Play On

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Quiz: Choose the correct answer

• On a cross court net shot, the receiver hits the
shuttle which curves around and outside the post
and goes towards the inside back line.

Let Fault Play On

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Scenarios for discussion:

1. During a ladies’ doubles match, both sides are in the
wrong position at the start of a rally. You realize the
error as the shuttle is in play. What is your decision?

2. During a match a player’s nose starts bleeding and
he/she asks the umpire if they can get treatment. What
would you do?

3. Following this the player returns to the game and after
two (2) minutes of play, his/her nose starts bleeding
again. What is your decision?

4. In the middle of a game, a player does not agree with
the speed of the shuttle. What is your decision?

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Scenarios for discussion: cont’d.

5. In the middle of a game a player does not agree with
the shuttle being used; the umpire looks at the shuttle
and informs the player that it is correct. When the next
rally is over, the same player picks up the shuttle and
squeezes it with his/her thumb to make it impossible to
play with. What is your decision?

6. In the middle of a game a player approaches you and
tells you he/she needs to go to the toilet urgently.
What is your decision?

7. During play a player's contact lens pops out of his/her
eye and is lost somewhere on the court.
Play is suspended whilst they look for the lens. After
about two (2) minutes it is found but it is damaged. The
player calls for another which is not readily available.
What would your decision be?

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Scenarios for discussion: cont’d.

8. During a doubles match both players clash rackets going
for the same shot and player A breaks the head off his
racket. The shuttle is returned back from the opponent
to player A who hits the shuttle with the broken racket
over the net winning the rally.
Do you allow this point or not?

9. During a long match you notice that player A is walking
around the court before starting to serve.
What is your course of action at this stage?
About 5 minutes later the same player does this again.
What is your course of action now?

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Scenarios for discussion: cont’d.

10. A shuttle flies past player A and touches his/her shirt
but the umpire is unsighted. The rally continues and
eventually player A wins the point.
Player B appeals - What is your decision?

11. Both server and receiver are faulted together in a
doubles match. Player A appeals to the umpire that the
receiver moved first before they were faulted by the
service judge. What is your decision?

12. Throughout a match you feel that player B is not really
trying. What would your course of action be?

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Scenarios for discussion: cont’d.

13. A match is one game all. At 100 seconds during the
interval, one player asks if he/she can go to get a racket
in his/her locker. What is your decision?

14. Player A is about to serve when player B holds up
his/her hand to say he/she is not ready. Player A serves,
player B makes a good return and wins the point.
Player A appeals to the umpire that player B distracted
them by putting up their hand.
What is your decision?

15. A receiver is losing his/her balance when the server is
just about to serve. Seeing this the server quickly
serves while the receiver falls down not trying to hit the
shuttle. What is your decision?
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Scenarios for discussion: - contd.

16. The opposition claims that one of the players on the
other side touched the net during a rally. You did not
see it and award the point to the other side. The
opposition is very annoyed and asks the umpire to call
for the referee. What do you do?

17. A fire alarm rings when you are the umpire on a court.
Do you let the rally finish? What do you do? The
referee then announces that everyone has to leave the
facility. What is your announcement and what do you
do?

18. A server is just about to serve and you observe that

his/her shoe lace is touching the centre line. What do

you do? 100