How to be decisive is what officials' and executives' success is based on. Effective decision-making is a method, a process, where potential hiccoughs and bumps can be identified, prior to navigating the perilous path. The main goal is to be right in making a call.
There are other things to consider. Are we afraid of making the correct decision because we are striving for perfection? Nothing is perfect in our world. Striving for excellence, however is entirely another thing.
Officials in sports are probably the ones only who are expected to start out perfect and improve from there. The idea of looking at video clips and having a discussion, is precisely to improve. Only when a problem is identified, can there be a solution. There may be improper mechanics, inadquate experience, insufficient training, or a blink of the eye (pardon the pun).
It is true, things are easy, much easier, from the comforts of one's living room, watching and replaying clips, and in slo-mo. Without going into automated line-calling and other nonsense, here is my take.
Net control is one of the most exciting tactic, and net play is one of the most entertaining display of skills. Players practice this for hours and hours. As officials, it behooves that they do something similar. As far as I understand, there is no vision or neuroscientist, or even a sports psychologist helping badminton officials become excellent. Nor video training, unless one watches the compilations (and comments) online.
Keeping focus is important, being ready for play.
Making a incorrect split second decision, is not what officials have in mind, and many who are in Zen-mode, will not dwell on it either. The fact remains, the decision was incorrect, so what now. Why it happened?
Unlike the line judge decisions, the umpire's 'timing' judgement will not be subject to reversal. Call fault immediately, make corrections immediately are general instructions to be followed.
Most net plays will have the shuttle played closer to the net, esp at elite levels. The defending shots will either be a straight up lift or a desperate hairpin. Many will touch the net at the tape/cord. There will also be a bow wave from the racquet head, and also from the player when rushing toward net.
These are anticipated events. The focus is on the hot-spot area, where the shuttle, or net will be hit, and most likely space for the follow through. The service judge is also seeing the same situation and will have the same, or additional, information that the umpire can use to confirm.
Facts:
The shuttle dropped almost vertically from about a foot over the net.
There are three materials to observe - the net, the shuttle, the racquet head.
One is stationary, the other two move, one slower than the other.
Shuttle, after the hit, has the highest velocity over its trajectory.
The racquet head generates a bow wave, which is another likely cause of net movement in the netted area.
The tape will move when hit strongly by shuttle, with a consequent shuttle flight-path modification.
I leave it to you, BCers, to find if any of this is useful information to make a split-second decision.
With better mechanics and more experience, better decisions will be made, and they will be correct. I am going to wear some asbestos briefs now.
