BWF Recommends Revised Scoring System

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has recommended adjusting the current scoring system from 3×21 to 3×15. Projected as a measured shift that can provide meaningful benefits for players, fans, officials, and event organisers, the proposal will be put to a membership vote at the BWF Annual General Meeting in April 2026.

The federation analysed match data from BWF’s World Tour tournaments and Major Championships between 2014 and 2024, comparing five scoring systems, and concluded that the 3 x 15 system offered the right balance, with improved excitement, fairness, and scheduling efficiency. The recommendation reports further state that the proposed scoring system not only creates more exciting points due to fewer points per game but also reaches those exciting moments faster. It produces shorter, more predictable match lengths, balances excitement across games, and offers more consistent match durations than 5×11.

The 3×15 match format was used for men before 2002; it was changed to 5×7 for both men and women. In 2006, it was again changed to 3X21. The proposed system has already been put up in the Alternative Laws of Badminton as well as the BWF World Junior Championships 2025.