Based on the Sudirman Cup format, IBL’s major difference would be an additional men’s singles match instead of the women’s doubles. So a typical face-off would have two men’s, one women’s singles, one men’s doubles and one mixed doubles matches played back-to-back. The entire engagement is expected to last about three hours.
In the group stage, all five matches in a contest must be completed, even if a team wins the first three. In the knockout phase, the team winning the first three advances to the next stage and need not play the remaining two. In a round-robin format, each team plays the other in a league spread across six cities.
Team composition
Each team will have not less than 10 players and not more than 11, including a junior and four foreign players. At least four players (three men and a woman) must be nominated for a match. The ceiling on foreign players in a contest is three while no individual plays over two matches.
Points
Should each of the players/pairs have won one of two 21-point games, a 11-point tie-breaker would follow, the first to reach the said figure(s) being declared winner of the game/contest.
The standard two-point difference to separate winner from loser will not apply here.
Under a bonus points system, a team thrashing its opponent 5-0 gets six points.
For 4-1 and 3-2 verdicts it will be five and four respectively. Should a team not complete a match, the result will be declared as 21-0, 21-0 in the opponent’s favour, to decide group positions.
Retiring/withdrawing during a contest will mean not completing the match.
Two one-minute breaks in the first two games will be allowed when either of the players reaches seven or 14 points. In the decider, there will be a 60-second break when either of the players reaches six points.
Besides, there will be an additional two-minute break between games.
Recovery time during, between matches is sufficient.
To suit shuttlers playing more than one match, the order of play is not fixed.
Used to playing tournaments at single venues, the combatants will have more travel, which will not be physically taxing though.
Published - August 12, 2013 11:30 pm IST
