The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will hold its annual general meeting on April 25, 2026, in Horsens, Denmark, coinciding with the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals, where delegates will vote on a proposed change to the sport’s scoring system from the current 21-point format to a 15-point format.
The meeting is scheduled to seize place during the world’s premier badminton team championship, which began on April 22, 2026, in Horsens, as confirmed by the BWF’s official announcement on April 30, 2024, stating that the 2026 Thomas & Uber Cup Finals would be hosted in the Danish city.
Horsens previously hosted the Thomas & Uber Cup in 2021, making this the second time the city has been selected to host the biennial event, according to BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen, who praised the city’s reputation for cultural and sporting events and its strong badminton community.
The proposal to adopt a 15-point scoring system has been referred to in Korean media as the “안세영 죽이기” (“killing An Se-young”) vote, a reference to South Korea’s world No. 1 women’s singles player, whose dominant performances under the current 21-point system have sparked debate about whether the format favors elite players and reduces competitive balance.
Under the current rally-point system, matches are played as best-of-three games, with each game won by the first player or pair to reach 21 points, provided they lead by at least two points. If the score reaches 20-20, play continues until one side gains a two-point advantage, or until 29-29, at which point the next point wins the game.
The proposed 15-point system would reduce the target score per game to 15 points, maintaining the best-of-three format and the requirement to win by two points, with a cap at 20-20 leading to a sudden-death point at 20-all.
Advocates of the change argue that shorter games would increase match intensity, reduce player fatigue during multi-day team events like the Thomas & Uber Cup, and make the sport more accessible and exciting for broadcasters and audiences by increasing the frequency of rallies and decreasing downtime between points.
Critics, however, contend that shortening the game would disproportionately benefit players with explosive starts and strong finishing ability, potentially undermining the strategic depth and endurance elements that define elite badminton, particularly in women’s singles where players like An Se-young have demonstrated exceptional consistency over longer rallies.
The BWF has not released the full text of the proposal or detailed voting procedures ahead of the meeting, and no official statements from the federation or national associations have been made public regarding expected outcomes or member positions on the reform.
An Se-young, who won the women’s singles title at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has held the world No. 1 ranking since 2022, is set to compete for South Korea in the Uber Cup portion of the Horsens tournament, alongside teammates such as Kim Ga-eun and Sim Yu-jin.
South Korea enters the 2026 Thomas & Uber Cup as a strong contender in both events, having won the Uber Cup in 2022 and 2024, and the Thomas Cup in 2022, with the men’s team led by world No. 3 men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia — wait, correction: Lee Zii Jia represents Malaysia, not South Korea. The South Korean men’s singles contingent in Horsens features world No. 4 Jeon Hyeok-jin and world No. 10 Kim Won-ho, who similarly competes in men’s doubles with Seo Seung-jae.
Seo Seung-jae, a key member of South Korea’s Thomas Cup squad, is also expected to play in the mixed doubles event, partnering with Kim Hye-jeong, as South Korea aims to defend its stronghold in the discipline following back-to-back Uber Cup titles.
The Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Horsens will run from April 22 to May 3, 2026, with the BWF annual general meeting taking place mid-tournament on April 25, as previously announced by the federation.
No official vote results or statements from the BWF council regarding the scoring system proposal have been released as of the conclusion of the meeting on April 25, 2026, and the federation has not indicated whether any changes would be implemented immediately or phased in over a trial period.
The last major change to badminton’s scoring system occurred in 2006, when the BWF replaced the 15-point, side-out system with the current 21-point rally-point format to increase match predictability and televised appeal.
Should the 15-point proposal be adopted, it would mark the first alteration to the scoring system in two decades and could influence training methodologies, match preparation, and player workload management across the international circuit.
For ongoing updates on the BWF general meeting outcomes and the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Horsens, readers are encouraged to consult the official BWF website and the tournament’s live results portal.
What do you think about the proposed shift to a 15-point scoring system in badminton? Share your views in the comments below or join the conversation on social media using #BWFReform.
