Revolution in sight in the world of badminton. Meeting virtually on Saturday May 22, the general assembly of the International Federation (BWF) will be invited to debate and then vote on a new points counting model. It should result in matches moving to the best of five sets, with sets now played to 11 points, compared to two winning sets of 21 points in the current formula. It would take two points to win, except in the event of a tie at 14-14, a scenario where the set would be awarded to the first of the two players to reach 15 points. This reform had already been discussed in 2018, but it was rejected. This time, the BWF general assembly should adopt it. The project is submitted by the national federations of Indonesia and the Maldives. It is supported by the Asian Confederation (Badminton Asia), and by the national federations of South Korea and Taipei. In the event of a favorable vote, the new system would come into force in January 2022, i.e. eighteen months before the start of the qualification period for the Paris 2024 Games. The reform desired by the BWF is motivated, according to the international body , with a triple objective: to give more suspense to the encounters, by increasing their intensity; gain excitement; slightly reduce the duration of matches, in order to optimize television broadcasts and protect the health of players.
