'Its Going To Put A Big Impact'- Pullela Gopichand Voices Concern On 3x15 Pointing System Ahead Of BWF WC 2026

Badminton is preparing to turn the page on its scoring history, with the sport set to embrace a new 3×15 format in an attempt to keep pace with the demands of modern audiences, broadcasters and players. The shift, backed by extensive testing and consultation, is being positioned by the BWF as more than a shorter scoring system. It is a long-term move aimed at innovation, player welfare and helping athletes build longer, more sustainable careers.

And one of the people who has been at the centre of this has been Pullela Gopichand, who has been through the upheaval. As the sport prepares to move from the 21-point format to three games of 15 points next year, the former All England champion expects another major tactical shift, one that could leave some players struggling to survive in the new era. "Few players, it will wipe off," Gopichand says, drawing on his own experience of adapting to badminton's scoring experiments during his playing days.

The Indian coach shared his concerns with myKhel and the long-term impact it can have on the badminton world.

Gopichand Lays Down Immediate Impacts Of 3x15 System

The first obvious difference will be speed. With games ending at 15 instead of 21, there will be less time to recover from mistakes and fewer opportunities to slowly build momentum. Every loose shot, poor serve or missed opportunity could carry greater consequences.

"Your scoring points will be important, but you not giving away points will be even more important," Gopichand said. That, he believes, could become one of the defining characteristics of the new era.

Speed, power and focus will have to remain at their highest level. But perhaps the biggest shift could be psychological. With fewer points available, the mind will have a greater role to play, particularly when matches enter their decisive stages.

If a player reaches 11 or 12 points, Gopichand expects the pressure to intensify dramatically. Scores such as 13-15 or 14-15 could become increasingly common, turning the closing stages of games into pressure cookers.

Doubles Could Become Even More Fierce

Gopichand said that the change in scoring could be especially visible in doubles. Serve and return, followed by immediate attack, could become even more important as players look to seize control before their opponents have time to settle. In such a short format, there is little luxury for experimentation.

Gopichand expects players who can hold their nerve and execute their strokes under pressure to have an advantage. Singles, meanwhile, could also become flatter and faster. He pointed towards younger players such as Alwi Farhan and Christo Popov, who already operate comfortably in exchanges that resemble the fast, flat nature of doubles.

What Badminton Could Lose?

The Indian head coach sees something the sport could sacrifice in the transition.
According to Pullela Gopichand, the longer 21-point format gives players time to open up their games, vary their strokes and take greater risks. A shorter format could encourage a more conservative approach, where players prioritise safety over creativity.

"Players trying to just be a lot safer and not too much of skills," he said, identifying one area where the sport could miss out. The longer format, in his view, gives players the freedom to "open up their arms" and play more strokes. The 15-point version could instead produce more flat and parallel exchanges. It may be faster. It may be more intense. But it could also be less expressive.

Gopichand Has Been Through This Before

His reservations are shaped by personal experience. Gopichand won the All England title in 2001 under the traditional 15-point system. Soon afterwards, badminton experimented with a 7-point format before eventually moving back to the longer system.

For a player whose game was built around strokes and rhythm, the adjustment was anything but simple. He remembers needing time to adapt. Just as he began settling into the shorter format, the sport moved back to the longer version. The result was a difficult cycle of training, detraining and rebuilding endurance.

Now, with another scoring transformation approaching, Gopichand knows the consequences will not be identical for everyone. "Few players, it will wipe off. Few players might benefit," he said.

Shorter Games Longer Tournaments?

There is one aspect of the change that Gopichand remains particularly unconvinced about. If the objective is to reduce the physical burden on players, he questions why badminton needs to both shorten matches and extend tournament schedules.

In his view, the sport could have achieved its workload-management objective by keeping the 21-point format while spreading tournaments over a longer period, allowing players more time to recover between matches.

"If they were planning to extend the tournament schedule to two weeks, they could have stayed on with the 21-point," he said. For Gopichand, doing both at the same time, reducing the length of games while increasing the length of tournaments, does not completely add up.

But there is little room for resistance now. "As a coach, it's a done deal," he said. "What's the point of us even talking about it? Let's get done, let's prepare."

Pragmatic Approach To Changing Badminton

Gopichand said preparation for the 15-point format has already begun, with the system introduced in junior competitions, including Telangana's state championships and sub-junior events in 2025. That could help young Indian players adjust to its faster tempo and pressure, while established players may face a tougher transition.

Gopichand's approach, however, remains pragmatic. "As a coach, it's done deal. What's the point of us even talking about it? Let's get done, let's prepare." The new format will demand tactical and training changes, with some players likely to thrive and others struggle to adapt.