Source:REUTERS/Zainal Abd Halim
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Danish media outlet TV 2 Sport reported that some badminton players have begun unnecessarily exploiting loopholes in the rules to delay matches in order to get extra rest. Under the current rules, badminton matches are essentially played without pauses. After the previous rally ends, a player must resume play as soon as possible, otherwise they may receive a yellow-card warning from the umpire. Time-outs are only allowed when a player reaches 11 points or 21 points. However, the rules contain several loopholes. If a player asks to wipe sweat from the court, they gain extra rest while doing so. The same applies if a player is injured and requires treatment. Worse, players will deliberately retie their shoelaces to buy a short break. Former world No. 1 men’s singles player Bao Chunlai told reporters that a player once requested a medical timeout after losing five points in a row and sprayed cooling aerosol on his toes — not because the toes were injured, but intentionally to waste time; this has become a common tactic for many. In response, the Badminton World Federation defended the rules, saying they are primarily intended to protect players’ health, and umpires will try to limit such behavior and strike a reasonable balance.
The editor believes that exploiting rule loopholes to delay matches is a short-sighted tactic: it may bring temporary advantage but will harm badminton’s reputation and healthy development in the long run. The BWF needs to find a precise balance between protecting players’ health and preserving the integrity of competition.