Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to question particular calls from the official, following the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
