The Badminton World Federation -BWF- has put forward one of the most significant rule changes in recent years by proposing the adoption of the 3×15 scoring system, meaning matches played as best of three games to 15 points, as the new official format for international badminton. The governing body presents the initiative as part of a new phase in the sport’s evolution, designed to respond to the expectations of today’s audiences, broadcasters and players themselves. The proposal will be put to a vote at the Annual General Meeting on April 25 in Horsens, and, if approved, will come into effect on January 4, 2027.

BWF argues that 3×15 is the format that has performed best after a process of testing and comparative analysis against the current 3×21 system and the 5×11 alternative, which had already been rejected in previous reform attempts. The indicators analysed included winning probability, match duration, game closeness and the frequency of high-pressure points, and the federation’s conclusion is that the new system offers a stronger foundation for the sport’s future because of its ability to combine innovation, load management and competitive appeal.

What changes with 3×15 and why BWF wants to speed up badminton

The change is simple in its formulation, but far-reaching in its effects: badminton would move from best of three games to 21 points to best of three games to 15. BWF believes that reducing the number of points shortens the path to the decisive stages of each game, increases the number of close-score situations and pushes matches into high-pressure territory much earlier. In practical terms, the federation argues that there would be fewer flat periods, less room for a game to lose tension too early, and more chances of sustaining the match’s narrative intensity from the opening rallies.

That is also the main commercial and broadcast argument behind the proposal. BWF maintains that 3×15 would create shorter and more predictable matches, a clear advantage for tournament planning and for building more stable broadcast windows. Commentator Steen Pedersen summed it up by saying that “it is super important that we stay relevant and adapt to the times we are living in, which seem to promote a shorter attention span”, before adding that, if the new system succeeds in attracting new fans and “engaging more people around the world in badminton”, “that would be a fantastic outcome”.

Players, medical experts and commentators are divided over the new format

Among the arguments in favour are intensity, tactical aggression and physical recovery. Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei backed the change, noting that under the 3×21 system matches “can sometimes last 80 or even 90 minutes”, which is “quite demanding on your physicality”, while under 3×15 “the matches will be shorter”, although “the intensity would be higher” and the rallies “might be more exciting”. In a similar vein, several voices from the circuit and the technical environment point out that players would have to start faster, take more initiative and manage matches with less margin for correction, a scenario seen as especially favourable for aggressive profiles and for older players who need more recovery between matches.

The medical perspective reinforces part of that reasoning, although without offering firm certainties. The Chair of the BWF Medical Panel, Dr. Niels Christian Kaldau, recalled that “there are so many factors that can influence injuries and load is definitely one of them”, and added that playing for less time “will probably reduce fatigue and could lead to less overload injuries”, while also stressing that it is still impossible to know exactly how the game will change or how players will adapt their training. Kaldau did point to one potential immediate effect: shorter competition days would allow players to get back to the hotel earlier, begin physio or massage sooner, have dinner earlier and gain more sleep, all elements he described as “very important for recovery in general”.

The 3×15 proposal fits into a broader transformation of the badminton product

The proposal, however, does not command full consensus among players. The Chair of the BWF Athletes’ Commission, Pusarla V. Sindhu, warned that “innovation is absolutely needed, but it has to be meaningful” and called for making sure that the sport is “solving the right problem”. According to her, the feedback gathered from athletes has been “genuinely mixed” and, although some do see positives in shorter matches, “the majority still feel that the 21-point system is better for badminton” because it gives the sport “more of its charm, rhythm and tactical depth”. That debate also feeds into a broader question: whether the evolution of the product should prioritise speed and accessibility or preserve part of the strategic development that has defined the sport over the last two decades.

The discussion around 3×15 is easier to understand alongside the other reforms activated by BWF in recent months. The federation extended its agreement with Infront until 2034 and mapped out, from 2027 onwards, a BWF World Tour made up of 36 tournaments across six levels, with close to 3,000 matches produced for television each year, prize money increases in every category, and a reconfiguration of major competitions such as the World Championships, the Sudirman Cup and the Thomas & Uber Cup. BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul summed up that direction by saying that “we are building a sport that speaks to the next generation”, while Secretary General Thomas Lund argued that the new framework “strengthens badminton’s position as a globally competitive and commercially attractive sport, while ensuring fair rewards and sustainable conditions for our players”.