what would you change/add

I'd remove the doubles service line. One less line to explain to beginners, so it's easier to pick up the game. Also 2 less line judges to worry about. Plus, this will make rallies longer especially in Men's doubles, where we often see 4 or less contacts per rally even (or especially) at very high levels. Apart from being a change which could confuse existing players and spectators for a while, I don't really see a long-term downside.

I'd think about simplifying the rules on going over the net with the racket. Maybe just make it a fault all the time. This makes it easier for beginners to understand the rules, avoid discussions, and opens the door for automatic fault detection. Technique will need to adapt though.

§1.7 of the laws is not followed in practice; we commonly see net posts of 4cm x 4cm right on the line and nets being only 602cm long. I'd clarify it as such.

I'd move §15.1 of the laws to §13. Just make it a fault if the shuttle touches the net and begins to fall downwards. This simplifies §15, and makes §13 easier to read.

I'd add more specific delay rules to the RTTO, with the intention of speeding matches up. At the moment, especially at higher levels, much of the time I watch a match, the players are just preparing. For instance, mandate that after 20s or more after inputting the score, the umpire can caution any player not ready to play, unless mopping or other extraordinary circumstances occur. Increase interval times if necessary to recover.

I'd simplify shuttle switching. Currently, discussions delay the game for no good reason. Players can only request the shuttle to be switched within 20s after the umpire inputs the score. Either automatically switch if anyone wants to, or (probably better) only allow the serving team to switch. The umpire can still request a switch on their own at any time.

I'd remove the toss. It takes time away from a match and tournament without much reason. The first team always serves and gets to be on the left of the umpire.

I'd remove server/receiver preferences. Again, these add little to the game. In the first game, the first player in registration always serves or receives (if the order is specified, so be it - the lady always serves and receives in Mixed doubles). For further games, just keep the last position of the previous game.

I'd add default warm-up time regulations so that referees don't have to set their own for each tournament. 90s between first input on scoring tablet (= being seated) and "Ready to play" seems about right.

I'd remove the practice serves. Again, they take time away from the actual match and are not that interesting to watch. I have certainly never heard a spectator complain about not seeing enough serves.

I'd synchronize RTTO §3.3.4 with the the actual practice of top-level umpires. The umpire just needs to say fault if it's unclear.

I'd remove the special case of red cards announcements during intervals in RTTO §3.7.5. The umpire should always say "Carolina Marin, fault for misconduct". This special case is very easy for the umpire to forget, and is extremely confusing to non-knowledgeable spectators (although most will just look at the card color anyways).

I'd give more discretion to the umpire in cases of violating §16.2 (not coming on court to interval). Currently, this is the only offence automatically causing a red card. If a player has to run to the bathroom and comes back sprinting after 65s, I think a yellow card is more appropriate.

I'd amend the RTTO with racket throwing handling. It's common enough to warrant a definition, and doing so would discourage players. Maybe a yellow card if thrown intentionally, and a red card if throwing anywhere near technical officials, opponents, press, and coaches.

I'd change the handling of coaches talking into the match. This should really be a fault, not a let. In principle, at 20-19, a coach in the Olympic finals could shout "I want to win" when the opposing side is ready to win the rally, and force a let.

I'd move some points of the umpire instructions from the informal manuals to the RTTO, for instance where to stand at match start. Or, if the RTTO is undesired (because it's a bureaucratic nightmare to change, you need an AGM), add an official place for the umpire manuals.
I'd add example scoresheets and scoresheet explanations to the RTTO. The national adaption of the rules I'm aware of have done that anyways.
On the scoresheet, I'd change O for overrule to V, U, or E, to avoid confusion when overruling at the very start of a game.

I'd add default line judge assignments for the common cases of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 line judges with and without service judge to the RTTO. Referees should be able to overrule them, but a standard would simplify a lot.

I'd standardize world-wide umpire clothing. It's really strange to see five or six different clothing styles at an international tournament. Mandate it to be all-black, with the text "Umpire" in 20x3cm size (or whatever is appropriate). Optionally, a 10cm x 10cm logo of the (national or international or BWF) federation (maybe remove even that). Optionally, up to 2 national translations (like "Schiedsrichter", "Juge-arbitre" in Switzerland) below "Umpire", with the same dimensions as "Umpire". Alternatively, one world-wide design with a band of national translations.

I'd replace all raster graphics in the laws and RTTO (the current ones look scanned in) with crisp vector graphics.

I'd manage the RTTO and laws (and possibly all other regulations) in a revision control system (e.g. on GitHub) so that everybody can see all the changes over the years.

 

Gee, @phihag , are those just off the top of your head?
Or perhaps you've been thinking about this for a while.

 

Agree with your points about giving umpires authority to speed up the games.
The slow, rolling saunter around the court between every point has percolated down ,via the internet, from the international pros to the lowliest local U12 match.

 

The former: Most of the ideas came to me when I wrote it, but of course I have encountered some of them before. @Littlejohn's question is deceptively simple; I think it's very interesting and would like to hear the suggestions by other forum members.

 

make a triple match...3 v 3

 

Everyone understands the 'doubles line'. Badminton isn't unique -- it's hardly the only sport to have separate doubles and singles lines.

Why are some people so obsessed with speeding it up? The only sport that has action throughout the entire game is football. The average competitive badminton match lasts around 40-60 minutes. That's fast enough.

Name one popular sport that lasts less than 40 minutes? You can't. Pretty much all of them average around 60-90 minutes. Badminton is already on the lower end of the scale. Do people seriously think that the reason popularity eludes badminton is because it's not fast enough?

The real reason (well, one of many reasons) people don't watch Badminton is because of crap like what happened yesterday at the Denmark Premier SS. Lighting issues, scoreboard being stuck and not being updated, one entire court being out of order. This at a so-called 'premier' event. You ever seen that at a top tier Tennis tournament? I never have. Ever seen that at a top tier football tournament? Nope, never.

 

There are two problems with this:

First of all, I feel badminton matches would be more enjoyable if I'd see more badminton in a given time. So it's more about the ratio of playing to idle time. A certain amount of idle time to discuss the rally is fine, but when rallies are constantly <5s and idle time is 30s+, this seems out of whack.
But more importantly, badminton is always played in 5 disciplines. Therefore, if the average competitive match lasts 40 minutes, that means the finals is 3½ hours. If a match lasts 1 hour (including presentation, winner's ceremonies etc., this is totally realistic), that means the whole finals day is 5 hours. That is quite long. Splitting the finals among multiple days only works for the Olympic Games. Playing them in parallel is problematic too.

 

Well.. as someone who slept because seeing an american football match.. i can only say, that badminton has actually a lot of actions.
To that regard, maybe BWF have to start to split up matches on the qualifiers days of a superseries tournament.
Maybe more courts? So that the finals of a superseries tournament can be split up in to two days? I mean.. Wimbledon also does that.