I actually support kanive here : there are actually great come-backs at the pro level. For example, there has been at least one GP final where a 10-0 lead (in WS) in the decider ended in a 13-10 win for the opponent!! (Japan Open a few years ago I think) Scoring system does change it all when it comes to suspense!
I wonder what is the logic in badmintons old point system? I think, in badminton, like in volleyball too, its easier to win a rallye against the serving player. This because when you serve you must lift. So in the old system, i think, it was this rule, that just the serving player can take a point. The other side is, that when you win a rallye against serve, in the old system you dont get nothing, what's a bit unfair, because you may win a lot of rallyes against serve, but in the end you get no points for that. I think comebacks are really easier with the old system because you can afford more mistakes, when you have serve you simply cant lose a point. The new system bring here more pressure.
More pressure to the one who's losing??? That doesn't make sense. What counts is the pressure to wrap up the match (=> the player who is leading), and this is much higher with serve scoring, because of higher probability of comebacks.
Other than debating which scoring is preffered for viewing badminton on tv, how about having a thought of which type of scoring is preffered for our own games for casual/amateur players ? I love to watch badminton and I enjoy playing it(twice a week), but I just could not find the stamina to finish a 3rd set even in a doubles match, usually by the end of the 2nd set is when I ran out of breath(with equal level players). How many of us(you) can play a singles match with the "old serve scoring" of 15 points and finish the match of 3 sets without bow down to your own level of stamina? To play as many matches as possible and to have enough rest in between so that I can maximize the chance of playing through out the session, I voted for the new 21 points rally system. To get to watch as many tournament matches on TV as possible, which would need the duration of badminton games to be more predictable for airing slots by the broadcast host, I voted for the 21 points rally system.
It depends on who you're playing, and the level at which you're playing. I can play with someone of equal standings about 5-6 sets using the old point system. The average hits per rally, however, is about 5-6 hits. If full offense all the way.. about 3 sets. The new point system does three things that I like. 1. I can score without serving, hence I need continue the offense whenever necessary. 2. It reminds me of my unforced errors during the breaks. This allows me to revise my strategies. Now that it's penalised, what errors did I make? You tend to forget these things when you're playing the old system, as you can still fight back. Not so easy with the new system 3. The fact that opponent serves is usually to my advantage at this level. higher levels, it's a slight advantage at the most. Overall, I still play with the old system, only because we are playing for maximum number of rallies, rather than actual points (it is social anyway).
Good point but this is not the case with sports such as tennis which have a much longer match duration than badminton. If time is a consideration then would it not be possible to show a reduced length highlights program? Player fatigue is another element which I feel adds to the unpredictability factor as it can allow the fitter player to come back towards the end of a match.
True, S-Tajam made some good points but here's another point against the new, 21-point system. Some people use endurance/stamina to their advantage. I know two players with excellent defense and they drop and clear you to death. They want to drap the game out as long as possible and make you too tired to play. With the 21-point system, that tactic will be nullified.
My point is that in a major badminton tournament the vast majority of games are not "close" or competitive over the whole course of the match. I accept we can all name a few classic encounters with comebacks under the old system. But remember those classic encounters come from what the last 20 years and the biggest matches. There was a minor classic at CWG with 21pt in the team final WS. If badminton is to improve in popularity surely we would like to see all rounds of major tournament televised (like Wimbledon tennis or world cup football). If in over 100 games to 15 in first 2 rounds mens singles at All England there are only 4 games with setting or a really close score then this is an incredibly low tension / excitement level. If world no.20 is playing world no. 100 and the score is 13-13 in the third end then I guarantee everyone will be watching that match. We are talking about achieving a wider appeal, that means presenting the sport to TV executives as an exciting prospect or to sports fans outside of dedicated badminton players. Having said this I don't prefer 21pt to 15, but I could be convinced that rally point scoring will work in a longer format, I can see that a change from 15 point may benefit badminton, to simply dismiss 21 point is to do exactly what we all complain the IBF has done, to make a knee jerk reaction.
People are creatures of habit, and I would even say some are slave to it. Most players who are born with, fed with and knew no other system except their own have a hard time accepting a change. This is because their term of reference is the current system. A better judge would be time.
Oy vey. I can do the same too, you know. And in contrast, some people are fickle, short-sighted, and incapable of seeing a good thing when it is sitting right in front of them. They experiment without thought, do not heed warnings, and insist that everyone follow them over the cliff like lemmings.
dlp, I think you are looking in the wrong place. The early rounds are always one-sided. They are designed to be that way. It doesn't matter what system you use, or even what sport you talk of -- in the early rounds there are very few close games. Upsets are few and far between. You need to look at the later stages, such as the quarters and up.
BADMINTON/Thomas Cup: It’s not challenging, says Chong Wei By: Local Newspaper April 6: IF there is one thing badminton ace Lee Chong Wei wants, it is the old system of scoring (15 points). The newly crowned Sportsman of the Year said he does not find the new system of 21 points challenging at all. The new scoring system was tried during the Thomas/Uber Cup qualifying rounds in Jaipur, India, in February and later at Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC) championships in Johor Baru. “I may be winning tournaments using this system but it does not excite me. It doesn’t allow us to test our fitness and skills as the game finishes fast. It’s good for attacking players but badminton is not all about attacking alone. There’s more to it which this system does not allow the sport to showcase,” said Chong Wei at the launch of the Bakti Champions Talent Programme at the Bakti Headquarters in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur two days ago. Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, who is Bakti Foundation chairman, launched the pilot project for 34 poor children in Kuala Lumpur who have the potential to go far in badminton. For Chong Wei, though he has adapted well to the scoring system which led him to victories in the Commonwealth Games (team gold and singles gold) and ABC title, the world No 2, does not get the satisfaction he wants. “I hope they would revert back to the old scoring system,” said the 23-year-old Parit Buntar-born shuttler. The old scoring system may be used during the Thomas Cup/Uber Cup Finals in Japan. It is learnt the International Badminton Federation officials will meet to discuss the matter in Japan. The Thomas Cup team left for Kuching yesterday for centralised training prior to their departure to Japan on April 23.
