What does the umpire call, and what is left to the service judge and line judges?
Rule- South Africa
- Badminton South Africa
- BWF Laws of Badminton 2027
- BSA Technical Officials
- Umpires
- Service judges
- All ages
- 2027
- Officials
Under Law 17 of the BWF Laws of Badminton:
| Official | Responsible for |
|---|---|
| Referee | Overall charge of the tournament or event |
| Umpire | The match, the court and its immediate surrounds; reports to the referee |
| Service judge | Service faults by the server (Laws 9.1.2 to 9.1.8) |
| Line judge | Whether the shuttle landed "in" or "out" on their assigned line(s) |
The umpire must:
- uphold and enforce the Laws, and in particular call "fault" or "let" when either occurs (including faults by the receiver and all non-service faults);
- decide any appeal on a point of dispute made before the next serve;
- keep players and spectators informed of the progress of the match (the score);
- appoint or replace line judges or the service judge in consultation with the referee;
- cover any duty where an official isn't appointed, and where an official is unsighted carry out their duty or play a let;
- record and report to the referee everything relating to Law 16 (continuous play, misconduct, penalties);
- refer unsatisfied appeals on questions of law to the referee.
Each official's decision is final on the facts they're responsible for, except that the umpire overrules a line judge who has clearly made a wrong call.
Added 22 Oct 2026