Line Judges

Line judges are responsible for a particular line on the court during a match, and they determine if the shuttle has landed in or out with respect to that line.  They communicate that information to the umpire through the appropriate hand signals and verbal call, where appropriate.

Line judges generally start their training within their national federation structure and gain experience and confidence before progressing to the continental level.  Based on their performance and experience, they may eventually be nominated by their Continental Confederation to participate in the BWF process and be qualified to officiate at major events, including the Olympics.

In order to support this process, the BWF Line Judges’ Manual is a comprehensive resource that covers from the national level up to the BWF level.  This means that both candidates and training programmes can focus on the areas that are most relevant to their needs, depending on the level in question.

The BWF Line Judges’ Manual is available in English, French and Spanish. (Register here)

If you are interested in becoming a line judge, you should contact your national federation to find out more about the training opportunities available.