Corruption Offences
The key regulation around match manipulation is the Code on The Prevention Of The Manipulation Of Competitions. See Section 2.4 of the BWF Statutes for details the corruption offences under the regulations.
The below is a brief summary of the main categories – it is a guide only. We advise you to read the regulations to make sure you understand the detail.
BEST EFFORTS
Every play must use ‘best efforts’ to win in matches. Under the regulations, these are corruption offences:
- Any player not using “best efforts” to win a match.
- Failing to complete a match unless reasonably unable to do so.
BETTING
None of these people are allowed to bet (directly or indirectly) on badminton – 1) players, 2) paid / unpaid staff of the BWF / Continental Confederations, 3) BWF or Continental Confederation certificated or accredited referees or umpires – and any other Covered Persons.
These people / groups are also not allowed to directly or indirectly solicit or facilitate any other person to bet on badminton.
SOLICITING, FACILITATING, OFFERING
refers to any tournament director, owner, operator, employee, agent, contractor, tournament volunteer, technical official (referee, umpire, line judge), or any similarly situated person at an Event at the request of Tournament Support Personnel.
No person covered under the rules can get others to bet for them, facilitate betting on badminton, accept anything of value to influence a player not to use best efforts or offer anything of value to get someone else to encourage a player not to use best efforts.
The regulations state that:
No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly:
- solicit or facilitate any other person to bet on badminton.
- solicit or facilitate any player to not use his or her best efforts in any Event.
- solicit or accept any money or benefit or something of value with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts.
- offer or provide any money, benefit or anything of value to any other Covered Person with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event.
INSIDE INFORMATION
In short, Inside Information is any non-public information relating to badminton which you are aware of due to your involvement in the competition / tournament. So this refers to information about the likely participation or likely performance of a player in competition or concerning any other aspect of the competition which is known by a Covered Person and is not information in the public domain.
No Covered Person shall directly or indirectly:
- use inside information to bet on badminton.
- provide any other person with inside information for the purposes of betting irrespective of whether the bet is actually placed or not.
- solicit or accept any money, benefit or anything of value, to get Inside Information.
- offer or provide any money, benefit or anything of value to any other Covered Person to get any Inside Information.
- offer or provide any money, benefit or anything of value to any Tournament Support Personnel in exchange for any information or benefit relating to a tournament.
REPORTING
It is an offence for any Covered Person (Player or Related Person or Tournament Support Personnel) to not report to the BWF at the first available opportunity:
- an approach by a person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or anything of value to a player Related Person and Tournament Support Personnel to (i) influence the outcome or any aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information.
- any knowledge or suspicion that any other Covered Person or other person has committed a Corruption Offence.
- any knowledge or suspicion that any Covered Person has been involved in an incident of a Player not using one’s best efforts to win a match.
- any new knowledge or suspicion regarding any Corruption event following the reporting of an alleged Corruption Offence.
COOPERATION / INVESTIGATIONS
It is an offence for any Covered Person who fails to cooperate with investigations conducted by the BWF including giving evidence at hearings, if requested.
TAMPERING WITH / DESTROYING EVIDENCE
It is an offence for any Covered Person to tamper with or destroy any evidence or other information related to any Corruption Offence.
