Jakarta. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has officially rolled out a new experimental scoring format --3x45--set to make its global debut at the Suhandinata Cup 2025 in Guwahati, India, this October.

The change, aimed at junior team competitions, is replacing the long-standing best-of-three, race-to-21 rally point system with a format that prioritizes team depth, rotation, and rapid-fire action.

What Is the 3x45 System?

At its core, the 3x45 format completely reshapes the rhythm of a badminton match:

• Match Structure: Best-of-three sets. A team clinches victory by taking two sets.

• Set Composition: Each set consists of five games: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

• Scoring Per Game: First to nine points wins. If it’s 8–8, the next point decides it.

• Total Points: Each set is worth 45 points (5 games × 9 points).

• Team Size: Minimum six players (three men, three women), maximum sixteen.

• Player Usage: No one can play more than three games per set, enforcing squad rotation.

• Intervals: Coaches get multiple bite-sized breaks --60-second mid-game intervals at points 5, 14, 23, 32, and 41, plus longer breaks between games and sets.

• Substitutions: Each team is allowed one substitution per match.

• Walkovers: If a player retires mid-game, the points are awarded to the opponent until the set total is reached.

In other words, the system forces teams to showcase all five disciplines while keeping rallies sharp and unforgiving. A single slip-up in a nine-point sprint could flip an entire set.

Why the Shake-Up?
According to the BWF, the new format is designed to train junior teams in strategy, versatility, and adaptability. By weaving together all singles and doubles categories in one set, the federation hopes to instill the importance of team balance over reliance on one or two star players.

The experimental rollout will begin at the 2025 Suhandinata Cup (Oct. 6–10), the junior world mixed team championship. From there, the format is scheduled to be used at continental junior team events starting in 2026.

The Suhandinata Cup is no minor testing ground. Powerhouse nations like Indonesia, China, and South Korea have historically dominated the event, and all eyes will be on how these programs adapt.

Indonesia, the defending champion, has been drawn into Group C alongside Turkey, Romania, and the Netherlands. Elsewhere, top seed Thailand leads Group A with Denmark, Slovenia, and the Cook Islands. In Group E, fans can expect a blockbuster early clash as China and Japan --two of the sport’s powerhouses-- face off in a group that also includes Brazil, Singapore, and Bhutan.

The short nine-point games could allow underdog teams to snatch surprise wins if favorites start slowly. With momentum able to swing in a flash, traditional badminton scoreline comebacks may be harder to pull off.

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