Badminton · Rules explained
Badminton 3x15 scoring explained
3x15 is the BWF's new badminton scoring system: best of 3 games, each played to 15 points with rally scoring, won by 2 from 14-all and capped at 21. It replaces the 3x21 system from 4 January 2027.
When does the new badminton scoring system start?
3x15 takes effect on 4 January 2027. BWF members voted it in on 25 April 2026 at the 87th BWF Annual General Meeting in Horsens, Denmark, where the change needed a two-thirds majority. Until then, the 3x21 system stays in force and games go to 21.
3x15 vs 3x21: what changes and what stays the same?
| Rule | 3x21 (current) | 3x15 (from 4 January 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Points to win a game | 21 | 15 |
| Extra points start at | 20-all | 14-all |
| Lead needed after that | 2 points | 2 points |
| Point cap | 30: at 29-all the next point wins | 21: at 20-all the next point wins |
| Longest possible game | 30-29 | 21-20 |
| Interval of up to 60 seconds | When the leading score reaches 11 | When the leading score reaches 8 |
| Change ends in game 3 | When a side first scores 11 | When a side first reaches 8 |
| Match | Best of 3 games | Best of 3 games |
| Scoring | Rally scoring | Rally scoring |
| Interval between games | Up to 120 seconds | Up to 120 seconds |
| First serve in the next game | Winner of the previous game | Winner of the previous game |
The shape of a game does not change: first to the target, 2 clear, with a hard cap. Only the numbers move. A game needs 6 fewer points to win, and the longest possible game drops from 59 points (30-29) to 41 (21-20).
How does deuce work in 3x15?
At 14-all, reaching 15 no longer wins on its own. Play continues until one side leads by 2, so a close game can finish 16-14, 17-15 and so on. Here is a 3x15 game from 13-all:
| Rally | Won by | Score | Games won (scores) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blues | 14–13 | 0–0 | Blues | Game point to Blues at 14-13. |
| 2 | Reds | 14–14 | 0–0 | Reds | 14-all. From here a side needs a 2-point lead. |
| 3 | Blues | 15–14 | 0–0 | Blues | 15-14 is not a win under 3x15: the lead is only 1. |
| 4 | Reds | 15–15 | 0–0 | Reds | 15-all. |
| 5 | Blues | 16–15 | 0–0 | Blues | Blues lead 16-15 with a game point. |
| 6 | Blues | Game to Blues | 1–0 (17–15) | Blues | Blues lead by 2 and win the game 17-15. |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
What happens at 20-20 in 3x15?
If neither side pulls 2 clear, the cap settles it. At 20-all the next rally wins the game, so 21-20 is the longest possible 3x15 game and the only way to win one by a single point. It is the same idea as the 30-point cap in 21-point games, arriving 9 points sooner.
| Rally | Won by | Score | Games won (scores) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reds | 18–19 | 0–0 | Reds | Reds lead 19-18 with a game point. |
| 2 | Blues | 19–19 | 0–0 | Blues | 19-all. |
| 3 | Blues | 20–19 | 0–0 | Blues | Blues lead 20-19 with a game point. |
| 4 | Reds | 20–20 | 0–0 | Reds | 20-all: the next rally wins the game, whatever the margin. |
| 5 | Blues | Game to Blues | 1–0 (21–20) | Blues | Blues reach the cap of 21 and win the game 21-20, a 1-point margin. |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
Is 3x15 the old 15-point system coming back?
No. Before 2006, games also went to 15 (11 in women's singles), but only the serving side could score: win a rally on the other side's serve and you won the serve, not a point. 3x15 keeps rally scoring, so every rally still scores a point for whoever wins it, exactly as in 3x21. Only the target, the cap and the score that triggers the interval and the change of ends are different.
How the app handles it
The app already offers 3x15. Choose it in the Scoring option and games go to 15, won by 2, with a cap of 21, so 20-20 is settled by the next point. Classic 3x21 stays the default, and either system can be played as best of 3 or best of 5 games. The app does not show a deuce label at 14-all, prompt the change of ends at 8 or time the intervals.
Questions
What does 3x15 mean in badminton?
It is shorthand for 3 games of 15 points, just as the current system is known as 3x21. A match is best of 3 games, each played to 15 with rally scoring, and the first side to win 2 games wins.
Is the third game different in 3x15?
Only in when players change ends: in game 3 they swap when a side first reaches 8 points, instead of 11. The target of 15, the extra points from 14-all and the cap of 21 are the same as in games 1 and 2.
What is the highest possible score in a 3x15 game?
21-20. The cap is 21, so once the score reaches 20-all, the next rally wins the game.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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