Latest news with #linecalling
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I can't hear it' - Wimbledon's first day of electronic calling
Cameras have replaced the line judges who had been part of Wimbledon since 1877 [Reuters] Some players have said the calls are too quiet. Others say they miss the tradition. The absence of line judges at Wimbledon on day one of the Grand Slam has certainly been noticeable. For the first time electronic line calling has been introduced at the All England Club with the well-dressed line judges replaced by AI. Advertisement In the absence of the 300 line judges that have been used for the past 148 years, up to 18 cameras, developed by HawkEye, are situated around each court to track the progress of the ball and determine whether it is in or out. The technology is already in operation at the US and Australian Opens but its introduction at SW19 has been a topic of discussion. Court 'looks cool' with line judges but calls are 'black or white' The emptiness of the courts is noticeable on Centre Court and Court One, where the vast space behind the baseline is now occupied only by the ball kids. Britain's Cameron Norrie said it "looks cool" with the line umpires in place and contributes to the "tradition" of the tournament. Advertisement "Obviously there's a lot of jobs and people that love tennis, which will definitely be missed from them," he said. But while many players agree line judges are part of the spectacle, few can argue with the accuracy of the calls. "As a player it's pretty black or white with the calls," added Norrie. "In, out... there's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling." The theatre of players challenging the calls has also been a notable absence with fans unable to get involved with the drama of a close call being replayed on the big screen. Advertisement American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said he would have liked to see Wimbledon keep line judges. "I actually like [it] with them [line judges] on the court, because I think for fanfare it's better," he said. "If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that. "If I hit a good serve now and they call it out, you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it." The absence of line judges on court was noticeable on day one of the Championships [Getty Images] 'I just want to hear it clearly' The voices broadcast by the technology at the All England Club are those of its behind-the-scenes staff and tour guides but they have at times seemed quiet. Advertisement More lively atmospheres mean the crowd can sometimes drown out the call, leaving players confused and uncertain. "The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low," said China's Yuan Yue, who played her first-round match against Germany's Eva Lys on court eight, an outside court where the hustle and bustle of fans moving around the grounds is constant background noise. "I asked the referee can you [turn] it up a little bit. He said he cannot. He said he will try to let us know [the call] because he has a machine that can look it up. "I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clearly." Advertisement Norrie also suggested the calls were a bit quiet at the beginning of his match on court 18 but that there were no "bad calls" and "you get on with it" when a call goes against you. There were also protests outside the grounds with some fans holding up signs to air their grievances that technology is taking jobs away from people. But, as tradition makes way for technology, cameras will now become as much of a fixture on the courts as the pinstriped shirts and smart trousers.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'I can't hear it' - Wimbledon's first day of electronic calling
Some players have said the calls are too quiet. Others say they miss the absence of line judges at Wimbledon on day one of the Grand Slam has certainly been noticeable. For the first time electronic line calling has been introduced at the All England Club with the well-dressed line judges replaced by the absence of the 300 line judges that have been used for the past 148 years, up to 18 cameras, developed by HawkEye, are situated around each court to track the progress of the ball and determine whether it is in or technology is already in operation at the US and Australian Opens but its introduction at SW19 has been a topic of discussion. Court 'looks cool' with line judges but calls are 'black or white' The emptiness of the courts is noticeable on Centre Court and Court One, where the vast space behind the baseline is now occupied only by the ball Cameron Norrie said it "looks cool" with the line umpires in place and contributes to the "tradition" of the tournament."Obviously there's a lot of jobs and people that love tennis, which will definitely be missed from them," he while many players agree line judges are part of the spectacle, few can argue with the accuracy of the calls."As a player it's pretty black or white with the calls," added Norrie."In, out... there's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling."The theatre of players challenging the calls has also been a notable absence with fans unable to get involved with the drama of a close call being replayed on the big 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said he would have liked to see Wimbledon keep line judges."I actually like [it] with them [line judges] on the court, because I think for fanfare it's better," he said."If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that."If I hit a good serve now and they call it out, you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it." 'I just want to hear it clearly' The voices broadcast by the technology at the All England Club are those of its behind-the-scenes staff and tour guides but they have at times seemed lively atmospheres mean the crowd can sometimes drown out the call, leaving players confused and uncertain."The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low," said China's Yuan Yue, who played her first-round match against Germany's Eva Lys on court eight, an outside court where the hustle and bustle of fans moving around the grounds is constant background noise."I asked the referee can you [turn] it up a little bit. He said he cannot. He said he will try to let us know [the call] because he has a machine that can look it up."I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clearly."Norrie also suggested the calls were a bit quiet at the beginning of his match on court 18 but that there were no "bad calls" and "you get on with it" when a call goes against were also protests outside the grounds with some fans holding up signs to air their grievances that technology is taking jobs away from as tradition makes way for technology, cameras will now become as much of a fixture on the courts as the pinstriped shirts and smart trousers.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
New-look Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges
Italy's Jannik Sinner practises at the centre court ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : Wimbledon is guaranteed to be picture-perfect when it gets under way next week but the courts will never look the same again after the demise of line judges. For the first time in the tournament's storied 148-year history, the men and women stationed at the back of the courts, calling 'out' and 'fault', will be missing. The Grand Slam announced in October that it was scrapping its smartly dressed officials in favour of electronic line-calling (ELC) from 2025, following the general trend in tennis. The Australian Open and the US Open have already gone down this route, leaving the French Open as the only one of the four Grand Slams still to use humans in the role. Wimbledon is cherished for its traditions, from the white kit worn by players to the strawberries and cream served to fans and the sumptuous flowers that colour the grounds. But the All England Club must balance that unique heritage with innovation. Tournament director Jamie Baker emphasised the point in an interview with AFP this week. 'We are very much plugged into the wider tennis ecosystem, the wider tennis industry, on everything that we do,' said the former professional player. 'And this was something that we've been talking about for many years, because we could see the way that it was going. 'And as you would imagine, for us, balancing the tradition with innovation is really a thing that we look at in pretty much every single decision we make.' Baker emphasises that Wimbledon is careful to protect its heritage, including the 'untouchable' white clothing rule, which he says is observed more strictly now than two decades ago. Competition integrity But the former British No 2 said the integrity of the competition was the most important element. 'First and foremost for us here, we've got to get the competition aspects right, he said. 'That's such an important part of everything. 'And player expectation now, across the professional game at the highest level, is that the lines will be called in this way.' Baker believes the people who will least notice the change are the players, who are so used to the technology. The decision to switch to live ELC, which builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology, was made following extensive testing at last year's Championships. Since 2007, Hawk-Eye has assisted officials at Wimbledon on certain courts, with players able to challenge a number of calls. Its introduction added a new element for spectators. There was a buzz of excitement when the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision, followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. More than 450 cameras have been installed at Wimbledon and at the qualifying tournament in nearby Roehampton this year, with machines making the decisions previously made by humans. But around 80 former officials will be employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire, while they will also provide back-up should the electronic system fail. So does the demise of line judges remove a bit of Wimbledon's magic? Baker thinks the opposite. 'I think that's a massive positive move for us in terms of the actual look and feel of the court and the recognisable Wimbledon brand, which is green grass courts, players wearing white tennis clothes — it's instantly recognisable,' he said. 'So the more emphasis that's on that, the better. But also, just if you get back to the very nature of the sport itself, it's gladiatorial, it's one-on-one, everything that happens on the stage should be focused around that.'
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
You cannot be serious… Wimbledon ditches line judges after 148 years of ‘Out!'
LONDON, June 28 — Wimbledon is guaranteed to be picture-perfect when it gets under way next week, but the courts will never look the same again after the demise of line judges. For the first time in the tournament's storied 148-year history, the men and women stationed at the back of the courts, calling 'out' and 'fault', will be missing. The Grand Slam announced in October that it was scrapping its smartly dressed officials in favour of electronic line-calling (ELC) from 2025, following the general trend in tennis. The Australian Open and the US Open have already gone down this route, leaving the French Open as the only one of the four Grand Slams still to use humans in the role. Wimbledon is cherished for its traditions, from the white kit worn by players to the strawberries and cream served to fans and the sumptuous flowers that colour the grounds. But the All England Club must balance that unique heritage with innovation. Hawk-Eye cameras are pictured at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon June 24, 2025. — AFP pic Tournament director Jamie Baker emphasised the point in an interview with AFP this week. 'We are very much plugged into the wider tennis ecosystem, the wider tennis industry, on everything that we do,' said the former professional player. 'And this was something that we've been talking about for many years, because we could see the way that it was going. 'And as you would imagine, for us, balancing the tradition with innovation is really a thing that we look at in pretty much every single decision we make.' Baker emphasises that Wimbledon is careful to protect its heritage, including the 'untouchable' white clothing rule, which he says is observed more strictly now than two decades ago. Competition integrity But the former British number two said the integrity of the competition was the most important element. 'First and foremost, for us here, we've got to get the competition aspects right, he said. 'That's such an important part of everything. 'And player expectation now, across the professional game at the highest level, is that the lines will be called in this way.' Baker believes the people who will least notice the change are the players, who are so used to the technology. Wimbledon Tournament Director Jamie Baker pictured sitting in centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon June 24, 2025. — AFP pic The decision to switch to live ELC, which builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology, was made following extensive testing at last year's Championships. Since 2007, Hawk-Eye has assisted officials at Wimbledon on certain courts, with players able to challenge a number of calls. Its introduction added a new element for spectators. There was a buzz of excitement when the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision, followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. More than 450 cameras have been installed at Wimbledon and at the qualifying tournament in nearby Roehampton this year, with machines making the decisions previously made by humans. But around 80 former officials will be employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire, while they will also provide back-up should the electronic system fail. So does the demise of line judges remove a bit of Wimbledon's magic? Baker thinks the opposite. 'I think that's a massive positive move for us in terms of the actual look and feel of the court and the recognisable Wimbledon brand, which is green grass courts, players wearing white tennis clothes — it's instantly recognisable,' he said. 'So the more emphasis that's on that, the better. But also, just if you get back to the very nature of the sport itself, it's gladiatorial, it's one-on-one, everything that happens on the stage should be focused around that.' — AFP
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Times
Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges
Wimbledon is guaranteed to be picture-perfect when it begins next week, but the courts will never look the same again after the demise of line judges. For the first time in the tournament's storied 148-year history, the men and women stationed at the back of the courts calling "out" and "fault" will be missing. The Grand Slam announced in October that it was scrapping its smartly dressed officials in favor of electronic line-calling (ELC) beginning in 2025, following the general trend in tennis. The Australian Open and U.S. Open have already gone down this route, leaving the French Open as the only one of the four Grand Slams to still use humans in the role. Wimbledon is cherished for its traditions, from the white clothes worn by the players to the strawberries and cream served to fans and the sumptuous flowers that color the grounds. But the All England Club must balance that unique heritage with innovation. Jamie Baker, the tournament director, emphasized that point in an interview this week. "We are very much plugged into the wider tennis ecosystem, the wider tennis industry, on everything that we do," the former professional player said. "And this was something that we've been talking about for many years, because we could see the way that it was going. "And as you would imagine, for us, balancing the tradition with innovation is really a thing that we look at in pretty much every single decision we make." Baker said that Wimbledon is careful to protect its heritage, including the "untouchable" white clothing rule, which he says is observed more strictly now than two decades ago. But the former British No. 2 said the integrity of the competition was the most important element. "First and foremost for us here, we've got to get the competition aspects right," he said. "That's such an important part of everything. "And player expectation now, across the professional game at the highest level, is that the lines will be called in this way." Baker believes the people who will least notice the change are the players, who are used to the technology. The decision to switch to live ELC, which builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology, was made following extensive testing at last year's Championships. Since 2007, Hawk-Eye has assisted officials at Wimbledon on certain courts, with players able to challenge a number of calls. Its introduction added a new element for spectators. There was a buzz of excitement when the umpire signaled a video replay of a line judge's decision, followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. More than 450 cameras have been installed at Wimbledon and at the qualifying tournament in nearby Roehampton this year, with machines making the decisions previously made by humans. But around 80 former officials will be employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire, while they will also provide backup should the electronic system fail. So does the demise of line judges remove a bit of Wimbledon's magic? Baker thinks the opposite. "I think that's a massive positive move for us in terms of the actual look and feel of the court, and the recognizable Wimbledon brand, which is green grass courts, players wearing white tennis clothes — it's instantly recognizable," he said. "So the more emphasis that's on that, the better. But also, just if you get back to the very nature of the sport itself, it's gladiatorial, it's one-on-one, everything that happens on the stage should be focused around that."
