March 21 (Reuters) – Wimbledon will introduce video review technology this year that will allow players to challenge judgement calls made by the chair umpire, the Grand Slam’s organisers said on Saturday.
Players will not be able to challenge the decisions of the electronic line calling (ELC) system that was introduced at Wimbledon last year, but video reviews will be available to check other scenarios, like whether a ball has bounced twice or touched a player’s racket or body.
“Players will be allowed to review specific judgement calls made by the chair umpire (such as, for example, ‘not-up’, ‘foul shot’, ‘touch’) either on a point-ending call, when a player immediately stops play, or immediately after the completion of a point (in the case of hindrance),” the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) said in a statement.
“Players will not be limited in the number of reviews they can request.”
The video reviews will be introduced on six show courts, including the Centre Court and Court One.
“The technology will be available on Centre Court and Court One throughout the championships and on the other show courts until the conclusion of all singles matches on those courts,” the AELTC added.
Visual indicators for the ELC will also be introduced, with scoreboards on all courts displaying “out” and “fault” calls.
This year’s Wimbledon starts on June 29.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
