Digital Line Calling will grow to be obtainable throughout a wider vary of tournaments beneath the Grand Slams and elite tour after the Worldwide Tennis Federation introduced a brand new three-tiered classification of programs Wednesday.
Beforehand reserved for elite occasions, ELC programs will now be designated as gold, silver or bronze to broaden entry to the officiating device, with the transfer following a collaboration between the 4 majors, the lads’s ATP, the ladies’s WTA and the ITF.
Gold programs can be used at elite competitions just like the Grand Slam tournaments, WTA and ATP excursions, Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup whereas silver programs will cowl second-tier competitions such because the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Bronze programs are geared toward national-level competitions. Silver and bronze programs are designed to be accessible for lower-level tournaments with smaller budgets as much less infrastructure is required in addition to no off-court operators.
“Techniques that meet the related requirements are awarded classification on the applicable stage and are eligible for use in occasions sanctioned by the worldwide governing our bodies,” the ITF stated. “The ideas by which programs are assessed — accuracy, reliability, suitability and practicality — are the identical in any respect ranges. The brand new procedures unify the worldwide governing our bodies’ strategy to the analysis and ongoing monitoring of ELC programs.
“Wider, extra collaborative testing and sharing of outcomes will guarantee programs’ accountability and excessive requirements of ELC supply throughout the entire tennis calendar.”
First deployed as an experiment throughout the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals in Milan in 2017, ELC was adopted extra broadly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic earlier than ultimately getting used throughout all ATP Tour occasions beginning this 12 months.
The Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon have all changed line judges with ELC, however the French Open has not finished so but as traces left by the ball on clay assist umpires with decision-making.
Whereas ELC is basically well-liked amongst gamers, it acquired combined critiques at Wimbledon this month after the All England Membership broke with custom and adopted the expertise.
