BWF said the interim ban includes the 2023 Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China, beginning on Sunday until May 21 and the Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena from May 23-28; the two tournaments offer qualifying points for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The unreturnable “spin serve” was reportedly first used by Danish doubles player Marcus Rindshoj at the Polish Open in March.

Based on video clips shared on the internet, the “spin serve” is a technique where the server holds the shuttle and flicks it with his middle finger before hitting it with the racquet, thus adding spin to the shuttle and making it hard for the receiver to return it.

The BWF council had approved the decision that the server should release the shuttle without adding spin. Any attempt at using the “spin serve” will now be deemed a fault.

BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer said the federation had received feedback from within the badminton community, including the BWF Athletes’ Commission, that the “spin serve” could have a negative impact on the game.

“It’s also been observed internally that this ‘spin serve’ has many similar characteristics to the ‘Sidek serve’, which has also been banned,” he said.

An expert panel recommended disallowing the serve until further consultation could take place with the membership at the coming annual general meeting on May 27.

“BWF also wanted to avoid a scenario where the Sudirman Cup and other international tournaments could be platforms to test the new ‘spin serve’ and ultimately disrupt the competitions,” he said.

In 1982, the world body, then known as the International Badminton Federation, had banned the use of the “Sidek serve” used by Malaysia’s Sidek brothers, which involved slicing the shuttle across its feathers. The technique caused problems for the receiver in returning the serve.