NEW SCORING SYSTEM TRIAL AT DUCTH OPEN CONFIRMED by Mike Grossman September 3, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - An official of the Dutch Open badminton Gramd Prix event confirmed that the tournament will be using a new scoring system that is being studied by the International Badminton Federation. Badminton matches are usually played on a best-of-three 15-point games basis (best-of-three 11-point games for women's singles). According to Ben Lageweg of the Dutch Open organizing committee, the Netherlands Grand Prix event this year will use the so-called 5x9 scoring system with some variations from the other versions of 5x9 that have been tried in local and regional events. In the Dutch Open 5x9 scoring system as approved by the badminton federation, all matches, including women's singles, will be played on a best-of-five games basis with the player winning three games gaining the victory. Each game will normally be won by the player to first score 9 points. If both players score 8 points each, the game may be "set" to 3 at the option of the first player to reach 8 points. When the game is set to three, the first player to score 3 points after the "setting" wins the game. As in the normal scoring system, only the serving player can score a point. Players will change ends after each game and after the fifth point of the fifth game. There will be a ninety-second rest period between games. During this interval, a player may receive coaching, but may not leave the court area without permission from the umpire. The experiment with 5x9 at the Dutch Open will mark the first time that this scoring system is being tried at a Grand Prix event, the top-tier in international badminton competition. NEW SHUTTLENWS (e-mail: n.shuttlenws@genie.com)