Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to contest certain calls from the official, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
