Indian badminton Players will start adjusting to the new era of scoring from this month after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) confirmed the introduction of a 3×15 meet system on domestic tracks in the country.The revised format will make its debut at the Yonex-Sunrise All India Senior Ranking tournament, which will be held at the Regional Sports Center in Ernakulam from July 7-14.Under the updated rules, matches will continue to follow a best-of-three games format, but each game will now be played to 15 points instead of the traditional 21. Players or pairs must still secure a two-point lead after 14-all to win a game. If the score reaches 20-all, the next point will decide the winner, and each game is limited to 21 points.The Badminton World Federation (BWF) should introduce the same scoring system in international badminton from January next year. By implementing the format early, BAI aims to ensure that Indian carriers are fully accustomed to the changes before they take effect globally.“This decision has been taken to ensure that players of all age groups develop familiarity and competitive adaptability to the revised scoring format, thereby ensuring a smooth transition when the system is adopted internationally,” BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra said in a statement.In addition to the revised scoring, several match procedures have been updated. A midgame break will now be taken when the leading player or pair reaches eight points, replacing the previous break of 11 points. In the decisive third game, players will continue to switch sides, with the switch now occurring during a 60-second interval at eight points. The 120-second break between games remains unchanged, while the winner of the previous game will still serve first in the next game.The new 3×15 format will be applied in all domestic competitions organized by the BAI, including zone championships and domestic ranking tournaments in the categories under 13, under 15, under 17, under 19, seniors and masters (veterans). It will also be used at every stage of the national championship, from the under-11 age group to the senior and masters divisions.With a global rollout scheduled for next year, India’s early adoption is expected to help players adapt more quickly to a format designed to make matches faster, more intense and more tactically demanding.
