TALES COCTHE NEWSLETTER OF BWF TECHNICAL OFFICIALS OCTOBER 2019 • EDITION NO. 25 STANDARDISATION AND COMMON SENSE FROM THE CHAIR BY GILLES CAVERT By Gilles Cavert found in one specific regulation; you must the match story have already been written Chair – BWF TOC consider your own experience and expertise, which can help make your decision. ability to feel the game and most of all, Performance should always be the motto for COMMON SENSE! Some technical officials have argued BWF Technical Officials. that the regulations do not cover every Each situation is unique and decisions need possible situation on court, but my rebuttal The key foundation behind your performance to be made quickly, taking into account all has always been that if we had a rule is the comprehensive understanding and key elements (there could be many) to allow or prescription for every situation, our application of the Laws of Badminton, you to make the best possible solution. regulatory documents would end up with regulations, ITTOs and Codes of Conduct. thousands of more pages and may still Umpires should consider several factors, be incomplete! However, the solution to unexpected and including the overall history of the match destabilising situations may not be precisely leading up to that point; many “chapters” of Always use your common sense. www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 2 LEADERSHIP By Jane Wheatley Chair – BWF Referee Assessment Panel To achieve a successful event there has Other very important qualities of a leader are: ▸ Make sure that your deputy has a copy to be strong leadership directing the ship. of the previous years’ Referee Report Effective leaders who have honed their skills 1. Accountability (choosing the road you take for the event and include your deputy in and understand people management. and accepting the consequences of your all correspondence. choice) ▸ Encourage the team to keep abreast of Being appointed referee for an event is not 2. Courage the M & Q, Withdrawals and Promotions. to be taken lightly as much time and thought 3. Caring (showing sincere interest in and ▸ Ask your deputy team what tasks they goes into assigning the referee duties to genuine concern for others) would like to be in charge of as this will ensure that we have a strong leader and in 4. Optimism (to expect the best outcome) give you an insight into their strengths. turn, a great team. 5. Creativity (finding solutions) ▸ Arrange to meet your deputy upon arrival for a chat over a cup of coffee. This will I decided to research this topic to find out the These leadership qualities abound in our help everyone know each other better characteristics of a good leader. Fast forward family of technical officials (TOs) and there is before the work starts. to Google and I am pleased to see that all nothing more encouraging than to watch our ▸ Delegate. Share the workload. Respect of the characteristics relate to the job of a referee teams working together, enjoying each the team’s knowledge and experience. referee are: other’s company, respecting and learning from Acknowledge their input and always each other and at the end of the event, being thank them. 1. Common sense proud of their achievements. ▸ Understand that no one person knows 2. Honesty everything and one of the best tools for 3. Ability to delegate Let’s talk about the practical aspects of your personal growth is to develop the skill 4. Communication job as referee and what you can do as the of listening. 5. A sense of humour team leader: ▸ Follow through with commitments that you 6. Confidence make to the team and wider community 7. Commitment ▸ Your first opportunity to create a good team during the tournament. 8. Positive attitude is as simple as contacting your deputy when 9. Ability to inspire you receive the appointment letter from the 10. Intuition BWF office. Continued on next page www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 3 BWF Referee and Para Badminton Workshop 2020 The BWF is moving at such a fast pace and becoming increasingly professional. Accordingly, it is vital that we also adapt in our approach to the sport. To this end, the Events Department is investing time and money into the education of our TOs and a huge amount of preparation and cost goes into delivering a workshop that will be of value to the recipients. With this in mind, I am very excited about the upcoming BWF Referee Workshop that we are holding in February 2020 in Kuala Lumpur. Do not expect to GCR 21.6 –“Significantly or the player/pair that would I note there was a lot of come and sit for three days of different coloured clothing” win the match due to their discussion on the contribution lectures. Expect the workshop to opponents retiring, will earn made by our BWF Referees and be interactive from the beginning; Guidance/Application: world ranking points. also the lack of contribution, covering a wide range of topics Referees/Umpires should look for when working with their that you have requested. significantly different shirt colour Cutting of Strings during Continental Confederation. With between opponents as the first a Match the current situation of our BWF With the help of Senior Technical priority. If that is achieved, then Referees only having one or two Events Manager, Chris Trenholme, there is no need for any change Players ARE allowed to cut racket appointments in a calendar year Technical Officials Manager, required for the shorts/shirts. strings during a match. it is important that you take as Suva Sivapathasundram, Junior many duties as you can to hone Tournament Series Manager, If the shirt colours are closer However, with the goal of your skills. You would also be Syahmi Sabron (Para badminton), to each other (e.g dark blue “continuous play” in mind, the helping to train and mentor junior and Events Officer, Selena Lim, and black), then a clearer umpire should, in his/her best referees in your continent and we plan to have the agenda and differentiation of shorts/skirt judgement, direct the player(s) this will assist in bringing the other details out before the end colour could be requested. back on to the court, should the standard of your tournaments to of the year. activity of cutting strings start to a higher level. Be careful not to be too strict take too long. Who knows, this may also include or rigid on the interpretation I strongly encourage you all a homework assignment or of this rule as it would make it BWF TOC Meeting to work with your Continental two that we would like you to even more difficult for players to (17 – 18 August 2019) Confederation as much as complete and return to the office control their approach /plan for – Basel, Switzerland possible as both parties will before the workshop. their player clothing. benefit. The more experience This meeting was conducted you have under pressure, the Technical Matters Same Country Matches / Loss over two full days and covered better referee you will become. of World Ranking Points all areas relating to our TOs. As Working at the lower level events There is always discussion on this was my first meeting it was will expose you to dealing with Regulations, Statues, Guidelines BWF Stature 5.3.3.1 (World certainly an interesting few days a wide range of the General and we still come across Ranking System), Clause 4.4 and an opportunity to meet and Competition Regulations, Statutes interesting interpretations of work with our TOC members, all and Laws, as well as enhance issues that crop up during events. Application: Should players, of whom contributed. your people management skills To ensure all our TOs are aware team managers or coaches and confidence. of the latest items of concern I inquire, please make it clear to There were many issues believe it necessary to include in them that only the withdrawing discussed and a number of You will become a better this edition of COC-Tales, current player/pair or retiring player/pair recommendations are to go referee and this will create more clarification that has been already will lose world ranking points. forward to the Events Committee opportunities for you at the sent out by Senior Technical meeting in October 2019. The higher level. Events Manager, Chris Trenholme, The player/pair that would win by outcomes will be delivered to you via email, to all BWF Referees. walkover due to the withdrawal, in the next edition of COC-Tales. I wish you well. www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 4 DELEGATION By Torsten Berg must be BWF Certificated and that a BWF Once the team is appointed, the referee – BWF Referee Assessor Certificated Referee (or SP Referee) shall shall consider and preferably discuss the be in charge of Grade 1 and Grade 2 Super distribution of responsibilities with the The referee is in overall charge of the 1000 and Super 750 tournaments. deputy(s). This delegation of responsibility tournament (Law 17.1). Where appointed, may touch upon almost any area of the deputy referee(s) will have the same Moreover, the development of the whole preparation, management and reporting roles and responsibilities as the referee team of BWF Referees is considered. after the tournament, however, any (ITTO 2.1). These two fundamental clauses This can again be done in several ways. delegation does not imply that the referee call for a discussion of the distribution of Most frequently, senior referees are put in does not remain in overall charge at the authority and responsibility between the charge of the tournament as referee, while end of the day.