Badminton Umpire Rules

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed in 1934 and is the governing force in all official badminton tournaments. Badminton umpires are responsible for overseeing the match as well as all other officials on the badminton court except the referee. Badminton umpires need to be certified only if they will be umpiring in an Olympic event.

  1. Management of Match

    • The umpire keeps the badminton match going according to schedule. It is the umpire's job to manage the other officials such as line judges. The umpire usually reports to the referee although the referee is not always on the court and may be in charge of several matches at one time. The umpire is required to keep only authorized persons in the immediate surroundings of a match.

    Law Enforcement

    • Badminton umpires must be familiar with all International Badminton Federation rules. It is the umpire's job to call points and he can overrule line judge calls if necessary. The umpire must report any player who is being offensive, or flagrantly defying the laws, to the referee.

    Appointing Officials

    • If all officials have not been appointed for a match, it is the umpire's responsibility to appoint them. The umpire has the authority to replace line judges if necessary and appoint a new line judge as she sees fit. If a line judge or service judge is not in attendance, the umpire may take over the position as needed.

    Final Decisions on Protests

    • The umpire is allowed to give decisions on any disputed calls or match disputes. Only if a dispute is in regards to an appeal of the International Badminton Federation laws will the dispute be referred to a referee.