Badminton rings in 15×3 scoring system; voted in by 198-43 majority | Badminton News

The BWF was determined to shorten matches instead of reducing number of tournaments, with many years of legitimate complaints from players on how punishing the schedule got for them. Matches had been increasingly prolonging in the 45 minute to 100 minute range, and it is learnt that broadcasters wanted to wrap up all five segments – men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed, inside 3 hours.

BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said the decision was crucial for a sport that speaks to the next generation, while continuing to invest in the long‑term future of players.

“The 3×15 scoring system is intended to deliver more exciting and competitive badminton, improved scheduling, more consistent match durations, and potential benefits for player welfare and recovery. By bringing high‑pressure moments earlier and creating tighter scores and more dramatic finishes, the format aims to keep fans engaged from the first rally to the last.”

She stressed she was aware of concerns, but insisted the essence of badminton would remain unchanged. “We know that change can raise concern, especially in a sport with such strong traditions. But this decision does not change the fundamental nature of badminton. The skill, the tactics, the physical and mental demands, and the drama of the sport will remain. What this change does is strengthen the sport by protecting what makes badminton special, and ensuring the world’s best players can continue to compete, inspire, and connect with fans globally for longer.”

It bears remembering that the format was changed to 21×3 with an aim of reducing match durations. But players had adapted and contrived to play longer rallies eventually – something that could happen with 15×3 too.

However as things stand, shuttlers will need to fire from the first point, and any lapse of focus will get severely punished with little margin of error. Slow starters will find it particularly tough, and the post-break race to the finish will be a scrunched 7 points dash rather than a 10 point trot – where momentums could shift.

“A player has to be on his toes from the first point. It will be difficult to catch up once a player takes the lead. It’s go from the first point,” Korean legend Park Joo bong told Malaysia’s The Star.

India’s national coach Pullela Gopichand had earlier told The Indian Express that player injuries were mounting badly, and the 15×3 even if kills the essence of endurance of badminton, was inevitable. A more harebrained 11×5 idea was mercifully shot down, he said, losing in 2021 by 1 vote.

Coach Vimal Kumar has been livid about the proposed changes and said, “The reason why tennis and football stay popular is because they don’t keep changing their scoring systems on whims. The core of a sport can’t keep changing. There are other more urgent changes required, not the scoring.” His feedback to the BWF had received no response, and the 198-43 margin led him to believe that the traditional powerhouses had in fact voted in favour of it.

Badminton is particularly vulnerable right now with the retirement of big names like Viktor Axelsen and Carolina Marin and absence of a strong voice amongst the players, who could have opposed the change. A new generation is slotting into the Top 10s, and the time was ripe to usher in this TV friendly format, while players battled stressed knees and backs, and would see this as a respite.