Bangkok: The Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s proposal to change the existing scoring system from 21 x 3 format to 11 x 5 format failed to receive the two-third majority votes required on Saturday in Bangkok during the BWF Annual General Meeting.
A total of 252 votes were cast by BWF members around the world, with 129 voted in favor of the 11 x 5 scoring system while 123 voted against the change. BWF has struggled to find a total of 168 votes needed to allow them to implement the change.
As a side effect of this result, two other proposals that closely associate with the new scoring format including – a reduction in on-court coaching and introducing time-outs for players, have been subsequently withdrawn from the table.
Nevertheless, BWF’s proposal of the service-law change with a fixed height for serves aimed at improving the quality and consistency of service judging was able to garner enough votes, with 177 votes out of 222 votes to give BWF the mandate to further experiment with variations of the system up until December 10. Thereafter, no further changes can be made.
“Our members have made their decisions, and we respect their decisions to retain the 21 x 3 scoring format,” said BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer.
“Many members have expressed their honest opinions today and it was clear that this was going to be a fundamental change that would affect the sport in which the delegates have thought about it thoroughly before they voted, thank you to them again.”
Just for the record, the proposed 11 x 5 scoring format has been met with opposition by many shuttlers, including World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark as he worried that change would come too close to the 2020 Olympics and that in any case they would “take out the more physical part of the game”.
