I don't know about other BC members, but when I go to community centres, there are a couple of things that really annoys me... Players going to & fro a game and they cut through the corners of your court during your rally. If I know they are coming and my rally has ended, I deliberately go to the corners and wave/flick my racquet back and forth continuously near ankle height and follow beside them as they walk along just outside the baseline ensuring (hinting) they should not be entering the court! I remember one time a woman "walked through" the middle of the court right in front of a smashing player! :crying: :crying: :crying: Talk about 2 brain cells...duh...left foot, right foot...duh...left foot, right foot.... Same thing also where a person walked along the baseline, the back player winds up for the smash, and the racquet misses the person's face! The adjacent players hit their shuttle into the middle of your court and could not wait until your rally has finished/stopped before picking up their bird. I know I have been guilty of this...but I do it when the shuttle has landed near the allies and the rally has moved to the other side of the court, or, if it looks like the players don't care if they twist their ankles or don't want to stop their rally because of a shuttle in their court. Cheers!
Recently I have seen this happen many times by n00bs. And by n00bs I'm serious, they wear jeans and army boots to play! They smile and say "Sorry", not knowing truly what they are doing or what they have done wrong. Best to just explain to them politely. Most of the time they get it and will stop. Now the clueless ones, we just tell the club manager and they take care of the rest. It works out well.
You should NEVER wait until a rally has finished before picking up a stray shuttle! At least over here, it is a golden rule to ALWAYS call out a loud "LET!" when a stray shuttle lands in another court. If you don't call, the players will see the stray shuttle in their court, and even if it's out in the trams they will think about it ("musn't step on it", "will they pick it up?", "should I call a let?", etc etc). They will be thinking of the stray shuttle rather than their own game -- a great disturbance, and whichever player loses the rally is bound to complain about it afterwards, inviting controversy. You should call a let to show respect to the other players, not because you want the shuttle back quickly.
i also get really annoyed whenever someone cuts into the courts. during practices for high school, i have to repeat myself and tell all the new players to walk around the courts and stay a good distance away from the players or you'll end up getting hurt. it gets really frustrating sometimes. i would tell them to stay away from the courts and they would try to be smart with me by being only an inch away from the line. i think whenever a shuttle lands on an adjacent court, you should pick it up immediately if its within reach and would not distract the other players. otherwise you would apologize for stoppage in their game and pick up the shuttle quickly.
Yes, I agree with you in the sense when the shuttle has landed right beside the player's feet, they are in a heated rally and no one sees the shuttle inches away from a major ankle trauma, one should yell bird in the court! Cheers!
Anytime I get people cutting or standing near the back of the court and "they aren't getting it" I tell my opponent to hit a high clear that direction. When I go thundering (have you seen my footwork, smooth it ain't) back there to hit the shuttle - they usually clue in.
I guess people like to live dangerously. Well, a bleeding head may change their view. Some clubs actually have a policy - if a shuttle is in play, you are not allowed to walk behind the court. I think this is the best.