The Badminton World Federation (BWF) approved the new scoring system on Saturday 25 April. The sport will now switch to a 15×3 system instead of its usual 21-point games. Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand warned of the potential shortcomings of the new system.
In an interview with the Indian Express in February, Gopichand revealed that he was comfortable with the new 15×3 system only because he feared the worst. The former All England champion feared that the BWF would introduce 11-point matches like table tennis, where the match would be decided over five games.
“I’m kind of okay with that. The sport has become too physical and too many players are down with too many injuries, playing 21 points,” Gopichand said in an interview.
“It needed to be cut somewhere for their well-being, if we’re being realistic,” he added.
The BWF changed the points system to ensure the length of the matches were shortened. This is expected to sit well with newer generations, expanding the sport into newer markets and making it sustainable. The shortened game also means players get more time to rest and recover.
“It’s coming up to an hour and a half right now. 153 will keep it to 60 minutes, hopefully. Of course the players will adapt and maybe stretch to 153. There are pluses and minuses. But I’m just glad they’re not getting the crazy experiment of 115, which I was afraid of. That would be a nightmare. I’d rather play 60 minutes than 9 players,” he added.
The new scoring system has drawn criticism from current and former players who have argued that it will completely change the fabric of the sport.
Gopichand delved into the problems of the new system and said that it would make the matches more defensive and the players would find a way to stretch those 15×3 matches into one hour, which was exactly what the BWF was trying to suppress.
“Now you will see safe play. Skill level will not be tested much which is a huge disadvantage of 153. Players will stick to pet shots and safe plays. Comeback drama will not be frequent,” concluded Gopichand.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will introduce a new 15×3 scoring system on 4 January 2027.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
26 Apr 2026 17:52 IST
