3. General Communication

Reading Between the Lines

3.1 ‘Come here for the toss’
3.2 ‘Who will serve?’
3.3 ‘Choose your end’
3.4 Who will receive?’
3.5 ‘Are you ready?’
3.6 ‘Ready to play’

The umpire is trying to establish order before starting the match. Everything seems to be fine at this point.

3.7 ‘Place your bag properly in the basket’

The player had to be scolded for being apathetic this early; the match hasn’t even started yet!

3.8 ‘Serve from …’
3.9 ‘Receive in …’
3.10 ‘Right service court’
3.11 ‘Left service court’

Umpire attempts to reestablish order after the carelessly placed bag.

3.12 ‘You missed the shuttle during service’

The server missed the shuttle while serving and had to be told by the umpire lest he try to sneak in a second serve?

3.13 ‘The receiver is not ready’

Tsk.. tsk.. the player served and the receiver was not yet ready. But was it on purpose? Well…

3.14 ‘You attempted the return of service’

Apparently the receiver attempted to return the serve, failed in his attempt but argued that he was not yet ready. Nabigla lang po ako. The umpire thought otherwise.

3.15 ‘You must not influence the line judge’
3.16 ‘You must not influence the service judge’

Who me? No, sir, I was just chatting with them… yeah, right

3.17 ‘Come here’

Now, you’ve done it. Lagot!

3.18 ‘Is the shuttle OK?’
3.19 ‘Test the shuttle’
3.20 ‘Change the shuttle’
3.21 ‘Do not change the shuttle’

Much ado about the shuttle. In big tournaments where shuttles are plentiful, changing it becomes a big issue.

3.22 ‘Play a let’

This is called by the umpire to halt play for special situations which includes these pasaway moments:
14.2.1 the server serves before the receiver is ready; 14.2.2 during service, the receiver and the server are both faulted; 14.2.5 in the opinion of the umpire, play is disrupted or a player of the opposing side is distracted by a
coach. The point is played again.

3.23 ‘Change ends’
3.24 ‘You did not change ends’

Change court as in Pinoy basketball.
No malice here… sorry po, tao lang.

3.25 ‘You served from the wrong service court’
3.26 ‘You received from the wrong service court’

Another honest mistake?
Come on now, let’s not get too paranoid.

3.27 ‘You served out of turn’
3.28 ‘You received out of turn’

That’s what umpires are for – to spot lapses and correct them.

3.29 ‘You must not interfere with the shuttle’
3.30 ‘The shuttle passed through the net’
3.31 ‘The shuttle did not pass over the net’
3.32 ‘The shuttle touched you’

If the shuttle hit by an opponent was going out but strikes your body or dress, the fault is against you.
Next time… duck!

3.33 ‘You touched the net’

Law 13.4 says - if, in play, a player:
13.4.1 touches the net or its supports with racket, person or dress.
Not literally touch with hand only, okay?

3.34 ‘A shuttle came on the court’

Huh?! Where did that come from?

3.35 ‘You are standing in the wrong service court’

Ngeh? Still standing on the wrong service court?

3.36 ‘You distracted your opponent’
3.37 ‘Your coach distracted your opponent’

Law 13.4.5 states that it is a fault if a player “deliberately distracts an opponent by any action such as shouting or making gestures”
Hey, even the coach can join in the fray.

3.38 ‘You hit the shuttle twice’
3.39 ‘You slung the shuttle’

This shuttle slinger is in the wrong sport.
He should be playing  jai alai instead.

3.40 ‘You invaded your opponent’s court’

Law 13.4.2 - invades an opponent’s court over the net with racket or person…;
Law 13.4.3 - invades an opponent’s court under the net with racket or person such that an opponent is obstructed or distracted;

3.41 ‘You obstructed your opponent’

Law 13.4.4 - obstructs an opponent, i.e. prevents an opponent from making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net

3.42 ‘Are you retiring?’

Retiring as in quitting the match. Injuries/infirmities that are real or made-up do not get you much sympathy in badminton.

3.43 ‘Fault – receiver’
3.44 ‘Service fault called’

Yeah, call them as they come, Mr. Ump.
That’s what I’m talking about.

3.45 ‘Service delayed, play must be continuous’
3.46 ‘You must not delay the game’

This form of one-upmanship or panlalamang is becoming so common that a reprimand was included in the rules.

3.47 ‘You left the court without permission’

Law 16.5.2 No player shall leave the court during a match without the umpire’s permission, except during the intervals as described in Law 16.2.
Bet you didn’t know that, huh?
Sir, may I go out?

3.48 ‘Play is suspended’

Law 16.3 Suspension of play
16.3.1 When necessitated by circumstances not within the control of the players, the umpire may suspend play for such a period as the umpire may consider necessary.
16.3.3 If play is suspended, the existing score shall stand and play shall be resumed from that point.

3.49 ‘ ...... ’ (name of player) ‘warning for misconduct’
3.50 ‘ ...... ’ (name of player) ‘fault for misconduct’
3.51 ‘ ...... ’ (name of player) ‘disqualified for misconduct’

Now it’s payback time.
1st warning – the umpire declares while raising his right hand holding a yellow card
2nd warning – red card
Disqualification – black card
Adios!

3.52 ‘Fault’
3.53 ‘Let’
3.54 ‘Out’

Routine calls. No issues here.

3.55 ‘Line judge – signal’
3.56 ‘Service judge – signal’

Umpire asks for hand signals of line judge or service judge because he failed to observe it. Please see a previous article, “Mixed Signals”

3.57 ‘Correction IN’
3.58 ‘Correction OUT’

When the umpire overrules the call made by a line judge or service judge.
Don’t say “Hoy mali ka – IN/OUT yun!”

3.59 ‘Wipe the court’

In the Philippines, this would be “mop the floor.” But that’s not the official vocabulary. So there.

3.60 ‘Coach leave the court’

Coach encroaches on the court trying to give advice to his charge. Either that or Coach’s antics had become too much for Umpire.

3.61 ‘Switch off your mobile phone’

3.5.9 Mobile Phone
If a player’s mobile phone rings on the court or its immediate surroundings, during a match, it shall be considered to be an offence under Law 16.6.4 and shall be penalized appropriately as per Law 16.7.
For Filipinos, this is virtually a human rights violation. Switch off? You gotta be kidding.