Source:
REUTERS/IVAN ALVARADO
[Saba
Sports News] The Badminton World Tour Finals is regarded as the most
significant, influential, and top-level event in the world of badminton,
featuring only the top 8 players in each individual event. As a result, every
match is a highly anticipated showdown. The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center
Gymnasium serves as the venue for this event, which also hosted basketball
events during the Hangzhou Asian Games. The Badminton World Federation places
great importance on this competition and employs the most advanced
international Hawkeye technology for all matches. Since Hawkeye holds a
monopoly on the technology, the related equipment can only be rented and not
purchased. The rental cost of the Hawkeye instant replay system for the
Badminton World Federation in this event amounts to a substantial $140,000 per
venue. According to the Hawkeye system’s rules, each player is allowed only two
challenges. If a player believes there has been a mistake, they can challenge
the referee. The referee will then utilize the Hawkeye system to review the
disputed scene and decide whether the original judgment should be altered based
on the system’s determination. However, despite its advanced nature, the
Hawkeye technology is not entirely infallible. It has an error margin of
approximately 3 mm, and its accuracy can also be affected by lighting
conditions. In a badminton match, the basis for determining whether the
shuttlecock is out of bounds or not relies on whether the shuttlecock’s head
touches the line. However, what Hawkeye displays is the entire sphere of the
shuttlecock, not just the head. In simple terms, in its computer calculations,
if the feathers touch the sideline, the ball is considered inbounds.