PETALING JAYA: A new rule will be trialled by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) at this week’s Indonesian Masters at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, with the introduction of the Time Clock System. Under the Time Clock System, players will have 25 seconds between rallies to speed up matches and ensure consistency. The receiver also has 25 seconds to get ready but once the server is set, the rally must start with no delays allowed. Shuttle changes and court mopping must be coordinated with the umpire, requested immediately, and completed within 25 seconds. The BWF introduced this new rule after players raised concerns that umpires were enforcing delays inconsistently.

Source: The Star January 21, 2026 00:07 UTC