As part of its initiatives to improve sport presentation, BWF has embarked on testing a time clock system to facilitate continuous play for select tournaments starting 2026.
At its latest meeting on 29 August 2025, the BWF Council approved regulations to allow for comprehensive testing of the time clock at certain BWF World Tour tournaments. The regulations will allow BWF to continue its testing of the time clock, including the full application of the system where players must be ready to play the next rally within 25 seconds. The regulations, under Section 4.1.1, will come into effect during Week 47 of this year (18-23 November 2025).
Following are the principles on which the regulations are based:
- Players are allocated 25 seconds between each rally
- The clock starts when the umpire updates the score
- The server must be ready to serve before the end of the 25 seconds
- The receiver must be ready to receive when the server is in position to serve
- Umpires have the discretion, using their best judgement, to allow more than 25 seconds between rallies (i.e. not enforce), depending on circumstances (e.g. medical intervention, significant mopping required, etc.); and
- Players have freedom to undertake normal activities between rallies, including towelling-off and getting a drink which currently require the permission of the umpire, and the freedom to apply cold spray to themselves, if they are ready to serve/receive within the 25 seconds.
Data analysis from hundreds of Major Championship and World Tour tournament matches showed that when 80 per cent of the time between rallies had no incidents (such as medical intervention, mopping, broken string, etc.), there was an average of 22 seconds between rallies versus nine seconds per rally.
As such, the BWF believes 25 seconds is the appropriate period to balance sufficient rest for players and overall continuous play.
Testing Plan: The BWF has already undertaken a preliminary systems test (without enforcement) at a recent World Tour tournament, including options for the best locations on the court to display the time clock for players, coaches, and technical officials.
Further testing will take place in the coming months.
Consultation: The BWF has invited Members to do their own internal testing and consultation among their team leadership, coaches, players, and other stakeholders, and to share their views on the time clock principles, and in particular, the allowable time between rallies. An online survey is also being conducted, with the responses due for submission by 19 September 2025.
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