Explained: What is BWF's newly approved 3x15 points system in Badminton?

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) approved the new 3x15 points system with an overwhelming 82.16% majority at its Annual General Meeting in Horsens on Saturday.

A whopping 198 people voted in favour of moving to the shorter format, while 43 voted against it.

The approval means that Badminton, as you know it at the highest level is set to undergo a complete change. The 3x15 format will come into effect starting from January 2027.

What is the new 3x15 format in Badminton?

The 3x15 format will replace the current 3x21 format, which has been in place since 2006. The new points system means that the duration of matches will be shortened significantly.

The players will continue to compete in a best-of-three format, but all three games will be shortened to 15 points instead of the current 21-point games.

If both shuttlers are level at 14-14, the one to open up a two-point lead will win the game. If the score reaches 20-20, the player who wins the 21st point will pocket the game.

Like the 3x21 format, the players will change sides at the end of first two games. However, unlike the change of sides after a player reaches 11 points in the decider in the longer format, they'll now change sides after a player reaches 8 points in the decider in the 3x15 format.

There'll also be a 2-minute interval at the end of the first two games, and a 60-second break at 8 points in the decider.

Why the change?

The Badminton World Federation has faced pushback from quite a lot of the elite players and fans about the switch to 3x15 format. 

However, they have stuck by it citing, "comprehensive testing and analysis across multiple formats."

The BWF maintained that they considered four major factors:  Winning probability, Match duration, Game closeness, and Number of high-pressure or “exciting” points.

According to the federation, the 3x15 format consistently outperformed both the current 3x21 point system and the alternative 5x11 system in all those four metrics.

The BWF notes that shorter games means more on court intensity for players, which will make for better viewing experience for both fans and broadcasters.

As per the federation, it'll also reduce the time spent on court by the shuttlers, which would directly reduce the fatigue and injury risk.

The 3x15 format also allows for more efficient scheduling, which significantly eases operational challenges for hosts.