A new scoring system will be implemented in Indian badminton starting July 2026. Under this system, games will consist of 15 points instead of 21. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) announced this on Thursday. The new rules will be applied for the first time at the All India Senior Ranking Tournament, scheduled to be held at the Regional Sports Centre in Ernakulam from July 7 to 14.
Subsequently, this format will be implemented across all zonal championships, domestic ranking tournaments, and national championships. This will cover all age groups, including Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Senior, and Masters categories.
What will change under the new rules?
Matches in the new format will still be ‘best-of-three’ games, but each game will now be played to 15 points instead of 21. If the score is tied at 14-14, a lead of two points will be required to win. If the score reaches 20-20, the player who wins the next point will claim the game; effectively, the maximum limit for a game will be 21 points.
Changes to break and court-switching rules
The mid-game break will now occur at 8 points instead of 11 and will last for 60 seconds. In the third game, players will switch ends at the 8-point mark. The 120-second break between games will remain unchanged, and the winner of the previous game will serve first in the next game.
BWF to implement it from January 2027
BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra stated that the objective of implementing the new format domestically first is to allow players, coaches, and technical officials time to adapt to it. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is set to implement this scoring system in international events starting January 2027.
