Last badminton Worlds with 3×21 scoring as fast future beckons
Final Curtain on 3x21: Badminton's World Championships Enter a New Era
Bharatmorningnews.com – The elite shuttlers converging on New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium carry the weight of history into what will be the last World Championships contested under the traditional best-of-three, 21-point format. Once champions are crowned on August 23, that scoring structure will vanish from the sport's calendar entirely.
Beginning in January, badminton shifts to a compressed 3x15 framework — best of three games at fifteen points apiece. The Badminton World Federation announced the mandate in April, framing it as a means to produce "more consistent match durations" and "creating tighter scores and more dramatic finishes, the format aims to keep fans engaged from the first rally to the last." Since 2006, the 21-point system had governed the game, rewarding tactical patience and physical endurance. What replaces it is, in BWF's own characterization, a sprint.
The Margin Shrinks
PV Sindhu, former world champion and current Chair of the BWF Athletes' Commission, describes the transition as fundamentally altering how players must approach every rally.
"It is completely different," says the former world champion. "Really looking forward to it. The matches might be a little shorter but the intensity is definitely going to be more."
For Sindhu, the defining challenge is the collapse of recovery time. Under 21-point scoring, a five- or six-point deficit still allowed room to regroup. In the new structure, that luxury disappears.
"In 21 (points system), you actually have time. Even if you're 5-6 points down, you have time to cover it. In 3x15, you don't have time. From point No.1, you need to be alert. After seven points, already half the game is over. So, it is very important that you fight for every point from the start. It's going to be very challenging and exciting."
Gopichand's Pragmatic Calculus
India's chief national coach Pullela Gopichand — himself an All England champion and Dronacharya awardee — accepts the change with blunt pragmatism.
"It's important to accept the reality that it's a done deal. Let's accept it and move on," he says. "It's going to just make the game faster. Scoring points will be important but not giving away points will be even more important. Endurance-wise there might be a bit of a dip. But the speed, power and focus needs to be top notch. The mind will play a much more important role."
Tactically, Gopichand expects rapid-fire exchanges to dominate, with players prioritizing safe placement over expansive shot-making. The 11th and 12th points become decisive inflection zones.
"The 11th and 12th points will be a lot more critical. That's how the game will end up as. In general, it'll be a lot flatter and faster with players trying to just be a lot safer, and not too much skill. That's one area which the sport will miss out on because a longer format typically gives you a little more freedom to open up your arms and play a few more strokes," he said.
Yet Gopichand harbors reservations about BWF's broader scheduling logic. While matches shrink, tournament durations expand: from next season, the World Championships, Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, Sudirman Cup, and Super 1000 events will stretch across 11 to 12 days rather than the current six or seven. The rationale is broadcast coverage — with only two courts operating (down from four), every match will be televised.
"They cut the game to a shorter format but increased the length of the tournaments (majors and Super 1000s). They should have done one of the two," said Gopichand.
A Coach Who Knows the Whiplash
Gopichand speaks from personal experience. After his All England triumph in 2001, the format flipped from 3x15 (server-only scoring) to 5x7 in 2002, derailing his stroke-based game. The subsequent reversion to the earlier structure between 2002 and 2005 proved equally disorienting.
"Because you train, you detrain and your endurance drops and then to go back and play the 15, which was impossible for me. These changes definitely make a big impact. A few players the change will wipe off, a few players might benefit. That's the way it is."
India Adapts; Veterans May Find Relief
Domestic adaptation has already begun: sub-junior state-level events in India have adopted 3x15 scoring. Gopichand believes the shorter format could serve as a lifeline for seasoned campaigners such as HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth.
"It will be better for them. We are not very sure how exactly, because when speed goes up, these guys have to move quicker. But if I had a choice, I would pick 3x15 for an older player rather than 3x21," he added.
As the world's best players descend on New Delhi for one final dance under the old rules, this tournament will be defined by prolonged rallies and tactical patience — qualities that, after August 23, belong to a closed chapter in badminton's history.
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