The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to contest certain calls from the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
