Coin toss/flip

Discussion in 'Rules / Tournament Regulation / Officiating' started by visor, Jan 24, 2021.

  1. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    @phihag
    Can you or someone please get hold of the umpires to tell them to properly toss or flip the coin at the beginning of the game to choose sides or serve? I'd much prefer them to rapidly spin or flip in the air higher instead of their current feeble throw it into the air a few inches with only a few rotations if even that ...at least to give the impression of a more officially random generating event.

    I mean like this. Every image shown when you google coin toss/flip shows up as this (instead of how bwf umpires do it).

    Just a thought...Tks!

    Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

    https://tenor.com/view/coin-toss-coin-toss-gif-5017733
     
    #1 visor, Jan 24, 2021
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2021
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  2. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    100% right. Though most of the time umpires scared to throw it higher as it is really bad if you fail to catch the coin and run around the court trying to stop it...

    The funniest I have seen is when on the next court they were forced to have a "let" due to coin rolling half their court ;). That is really the worst nightmare of all the coin "tossers" out there :cool:.
     
  3. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Haha! I remember that one. I think it was a WD final with a female umpire tossing. Players and she had a good laugh. But seriously it doesn't take more than a few minutes to learn this!

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  4. phihag

    phihag Regular Member

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    I can't manage a beautiful coin flip either.

    If you think that the umpire has put time into making a coin flip go a certain way, and is in cahoots with one of the sides, you've got much larger problems. Even if the coin flips just once or twice, you don't know beforehand how often. If the umpire wants to help one of the teams, the coin flip certainly ranks among the least effective ways.

    My suggestion is to eliminate the toss altogether: Left side on the umpire's sheet (higher in the tournament bracket) serves from the left side of the umpire's chair, upper player on the umpire's sheet serves&receives.

    In my opinion, that would make badminton better for all involved:
    • 20-60 seconds saved per match isn't much, but it means everybody can go home 10 minutes earlier during a normal tournament day.
    • No more coaches on the wrong side.
    • Easier to prepare for TV / arena, may consider stuff like having the national colors flash behind the court side or so.
    • Umpires can focus on the warm-up, no more input errors at the beginning of the match.
    • And finally: No more coin flips!
     
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  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Good points @phihag
    Actually thinking about it some more, we ourselves when we start the game just simply throw the shuttle up in the air and whichever way it points when it lands will determine who serves first. So get the umpires to just do that!

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  6. CantSmashThis

    CantSmashThis Regular Member

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    I suggest they play rock, paper, scissors. Adds some tension into it!

    But yes, I think many are afraid of dropping the coin on TV.
     
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  7. Beta2k

    Beta2k Regular Member

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    Can you tell me at which match exactly the coin toss fail described above happened? I hope there is a video of it.
     
  8. psyclops

    psyclops Regular Member

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    Coin toss seen in the official channel is a ceremony. There are/were sponsors coming on court to do this; the health situation will put a deserved end to this.

    When you read the law book, there is no mention of coin, just toss. Using coin is therefore a tradition. Unless the law is changed, everyone just chill. We've already seen the changes happen, so here's wishing your wish comes to fruition.

    To me, if you can toss, and catch, the coin, in the dark, then you know to do coin-toss. Once, you master this, do this with wet hands. Now combine both.
     

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