Scoring Guide
Pickleball Scoring
The scoring system is the trickiest part of pickleball for beginners. Here's how it works in singles, doubles, and the new rally scoring format.
In traditional pickleball, only the serving team can score points. Games are played to 11 points and you must win by 2. Tournament games may go to 15 or 21. The score is called out loud before every serve — and in doubles, that means calling three numbers.
Doubles Scoring (3-Number System)
Doubles uses a 3-number score call: serving team's score — receiving team's score — server number (1 or 2). For example, “4-2-1” means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 2, and it's the first server's turn.
How It Works
- The first server (Server 1) serves until their team commits a fault
- Then the second server (Server 2) serves until their team commits a fault
- After both servers have faulted, it's a “side-out” — the serve passes to the other team
- Each time a server scores, they switch sides with their partner and serve to the other court
The “0-0-2” Start
At the very beginning of a game, the team that serves first only gets one server (not two). The score starts at “0-0-2” — zero-zero, server 2 — meaning when this first server faults, it's immediately a side-out. This prevents the team that serves first from having too big an advantage.
Singles Scoring (2-Number System)
Singles is simpler. The score call is just two numbers: server's score — receiver's score. For example, “3-5” means the server has 3 points and the receiver has 5.
Singles Serving Position
- When the server's score is even (0, 2, 4, 6...), they serve from the right side of the court
- When the server's score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7...), they serve from the left side
- There's only one serve per side-out — when you fault, the other player serves
Side-Outs
A side-out occurs when the serving team loses the serve. In doubles, a side-out happens after both players on the serving team have faulted (except at the start of the game). In singles, it happens after a single fault.
When a side-out occurs, no point is scored. The receiving team becomes the serving team and now has the opportunity to score. This back-and-forth is what makes pickleball games competitive — you can only score when you serve.
Example Score Calls
“0-0-2”
Start of the game. Both teams have 0 points. Server 2 is serving (only one server for the first team).
“3-7-1”
Serving team has 3, receiving team has 7, and it's the first server's turn. If this server faults, the second server takes over.
“10-9-2”
Game point! The serving team has 10 and needs one more to win (must win by 2, so they need 11 while the opponent has 9). It's the second server.
“10-10-1”
Tied at 10! Neither team can win with just one point — they need to reach 12 (win by 2). The game continues until one team leads by 2.
Rally Scoring
Rally scoring is a newer format being adopted in some professional and recreational settings. Under rally scoring, a point is awarded on every rally regardless of which team served. This makes games faster-paced and more predictable in length.
Major League Pickleball (MLP) uses rally scoring in its team format, and it's becoming more common in tournaments. Games are typically played to 21 under rally scoring. The serving team still rotates the same way — the difference is simply that both sides can score on any rally.
Common Scoring Mistakes
- Forgetting to call the score before serving — the serve doesn't count if the score isn't called
- Losing track of which server you are (1 or 2) in doubles
- Serving from the wrong side of the court — remember: even scores = right side, odd scores = left side
- Thinking the receiving team scored when they won a rally (traditional scoring: only the serving team scores)
- Forgetting the “0-0-2” start — the first serving team only gets one server
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