Wimbledon ditches line judges after 147 years

Wimbledon has ditched line judges in favour of new technology which will call whether a ball has landed out within a tenth of a second.

Line judges have been part of the furniture at the All England Club throughout the tournament’s 147-year history, sitting or standing around the edges of the court wearing smart attire, and using loud shouts combined with economic gestures to signal faulty serves and misplaced shots.

But the venue has taken the decision to install automated electronic line calling (ELC), made by Hawk-Eye, on all 18 match courts, including Centre Court and Court One.

“The decision to introduce Live Electronic Line Calling at The Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation,” said Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club.

“Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at The Championships this year, we consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating. For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.

“We take our responsibility to balance tradition and innovation at Wimbledon very seriously. Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at The Championships for many decades and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”

more to follow…