TALES COCTHE NEWSLETTER OF BWF TECHNICAL OFFICIALS MARCH 2020 • EDITION NO. 27 BWF Referee Workshop 2020, 19-21 February, Kuala Lumpur Workshop Participants: BWF Referees, Para badminton Referees, BWF Referee Assessment Panel Chair, BWF Referee Assessors, BWF TOC Chair, BWF Umpire Assessment Panel Chair and BWF Staff. ADVERSITY WILL MAKE US STRONGER By Gilles Cavert The BWF Referee Workshop in February was Chair – BWF TOC a huge success, providing participants with FROM THE CHAIR BY more knowledge and expertise focused on The technical official’s community many of the key aspects of their roles as GILLES is facing difficult times with the BWF Referees. Presentations were made by outbreak of the Coronavirus, with members of the BWF Referee Assessment CAVERT most of us living under restricted Panel, TOC, Semi-Professional Referees, and/or isolated conditions. as well as BWF Staff with a particular emphasis on match fixing, communication, While challenging us all, I strongly and tournament management. believe that we will come out of this very sport performance, and it will help us unpredictable, hostile, and unprecedented The road to implementing our Semi- best manage destabilising environments experience with increased solidarity Professional Umpire programme is on very like the one we currently face. and team spirit inside our community, good tracks. The selected BWF Umpires and increasing our performance. have signed their contracts and officially BWF TOs demonstrate “resilience” every start their new roles as of 1 April 2020. day by their incredible flexibility, adaptability, In that context, BWF continues to and compassion for each other, including move forward our performance In conclusion, please remember that calm preparation while striving to be policies and strategies. “resilience” is a key attribute of high-level ready when competition begins again! www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 2 BWF Referee Assessment Panel Meeting 2020, 18 February, Kuala Lumpur Left to right are Malcolm Banham (ENG), BWF Umpire Assessment Panel Chair, Jane Wheatley (AUS), BWF Referee Assessment Panel Chair, Gilles Cavert (FRA), BWF TOC Chair and BWF Referee Assessors, Chua Soo Hock (MAS), Gretha Prinsloo (RSA) and Torsten Berg (DEN). Absent: Ernest Robinson (FRA). UPDATE FOR REFEREES By Jane Wheatley later in the year and need substitutions we It is not getting any easier and we are Chair – BWF Referee Assessment Panel will certainly offer appropriate duties to those expecting the very best performance of you who have lost your one and only duty from our team. We live in a changing world and troubled in 2020. I am sure you will all agree that this times certainly help put things into is the fairest route to take. The overwhelming feedback from the perspective and make us realise just how workshop is as follows: insignificant some of our daily gripes are. BWF Referee Workshop 2020 – Kuala Lumpur Overall, how would you rate the workshop? This year began well with the successful “Excellent/very good” staging of HSBC BWF World Tour We had the luxury of three days for this tournaments the PERODUA Malaysia Masters workshop and we used this time well. On How clearly did the facilitators deliver 2020, DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2020, behalf of the referee team I extend our the workshop? Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters thanks to Chris, Suva, Selena and the BWF “Very clearly” 2020, and Barcelona Spain Masters 2020, Events Staff for the immense amount of work followed by the BWF Referee Workshop. undertaken by them to ensure this Workshop How was the speed at which the facilitators Three Para badminton international was a success. The extra day negotiated delivered their presentations? tournaments were held but unfortunately the for us by Chris Trenholme was very much “Just the right speed” Spain Para Badminton International 2020 appreciated and made a huge difference to was cancelled. We managed to stage the the feasibility of the workshop. How well did facilitators answer YONEX All England Open 2020, and then it participants’ questions? was downhill after that with cancellation of The content covered at the workshop “Very well” all HSBC BWF World Tour tournaments from certainly brought home to me the huge 16 March through to 12 April. The BWF will amount of work on your shoulders. You take General comments were that participants felt review the situation after that date. the responsibility in your stride, knowing very comfortable voicing their opinions and the GCR, Statutes, ITTOs, Laws, preparation that the workshop materials presented were Unfortunately, because of the number of the event and the people management extremely useful. of tournaments involved, we are not in skills required throughout the week and a position to reassign referees to other it is not until the content is broken down duties to replace those duties lost due to into segments that the enormity of the job cancellations. When we get up and running becomes apparent. Continued on next page www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 3 BWF Referee Masterclass Workshop 2020, 22 February, Kuala Lumpur Masterclass Workshop Participants: BWF Masterclass Candidates, BWF Semi-Professional Referees, BWF Referee Assessors and BWF Staff I thank you for your constructive comments Reserves to Qualifying/Main Draw” a a very detailed report from the umpire and that will help us form the basis of our regulation, currently only a part of the Draw service judge immediately after the match. workshop in 2022. As expected, case Management Document; and studies were high on the list of most valuable ▸ BWF to share the latest versions of the When looking at off-court issues, such as presentations. We will look at smaller HSBC BWF Word Tour and BWF Tour Host clothing, if, after attempting to enforce the working groups, more homework to enable Organisation Manuals with referees. GCRs that are ignored, the referee believes preparation for the workshop, ensure we use there has been a deliberate breach of GCR this valuable time more constructively and Recommendations of then you must provide a detailed report free up more time for discussion. particular interest: substantiating the issue so that the BWF has enough information to act. Do not Suva has sent out the workshop material that Practice Schedule: simply tell the player they will be fined and will be valuable tools for you. ▸ that Tournament Software generates a walk away. Advise the player that you will be report on the active players for each country. making a full report of this breach that may Outcomes from the Workshop: go to the disciplinary review panel for action. Umpire Scheduling: The Surprise Quiz certainly gave some ▸ share with all BWF Referees the electronic When meeting with your host tournament interesting results: version of “umpiring scheduling” committee make sure the person operating ▸ Referees would benefit if they had access to ▸ when planning the umpire roster give the Tournament Software programme is case studies showing incidents and direction umpires a session off to allow some rest aware that nothing is to be sent out unless on how to deal with them; time; they do not have to be in the hall the you have signed off. At the end of play each ▸ Referees need to put more time into keeping full day; and day you must be given a copy of the results, up to date with the GCR; ▸ when organising the umpire schedule make check that all WDN, DNS, etc. information ▸ Referees must read information sent out sure that the umpires sharing a room are on has been correctly entered, following the from the office; and the same shift. direction the Draw Management document, ▸ Referees need to make an effort to get to and sign off each page before results are know their TO team better. Player and Coach Clothing: sent to BWF. ▸ BWF to further clarify the definition of Your suggestions and recommendations “similar clothing”. A Reminder during the Workshop: ▸ Assess the feasibility to have TMM and UB Case Studies: BWF Referees are reminded that if a local presentations electronically distributed prior ▸ That BWF review the regulation that the IRS deputy referee is not a BWF Referee they the meeting; decision is final. should not be allowed to go on court. ▸ Decision from BWF as to whether it wishes to prohibit the local deputy(s) from wearing Referee Responsibilities: We will keep in touch with you all and the BWF uniform(s) at CC level tournaments; again, I encourage you to keep reviewing ▸ The new Extranet report template will be It is not uncommon for incidents to occur the BWF Corporate website as the Events tested by our semi-professional team and during an event that will require a report to Department is working hard at keeping us provide feedback on its functionality; be sent in by the referee that may end up be up to date. ▸ BWF to investigate the extent of information reviewed by the disciplinary review panel. to be shared with referees and their overall If I may follow Torsten’s song book and involvement in the anti-doping process; A reminder… if an on-court incident occurs further quote the legend Bob Dylan…. ▸ Update the GCR to make “Promotion from it is your responsibility to ensure you obtain “There’s a battle outside and its ragin”. www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 4 UPDATE FOR UMPIRES By Malcolm Banham BWF and CC Umpire Assessor Workshop, Despite what people may think, umpires Chair – BWF Umpire Assessment Panel inviting three umpire assessors from are human and can make mistakes, so do each Continental Confederation. The aim, not be frightened to ask your service judge Well, what crazy times we are living in at similar to the workshop held in 2018, for assistance to solve the problem quickly the moment! I pray for all my friends and was the standardisation of the training and efficiently so the game goes ahead colleagues to stay safe and well.