Both new and seasoned players are always interested in how Pickleball scores and which Pickleball rules are most crucial. Although it’s really simply a variation in cadence, playing singles and doubles results in separate pickleball scoring systems. So, let us find out how to keep score in Pickleball, starting from the basics of scoring points, Pickleball scoring rules, and how scoring works.
The Basics
The doubles pickleball scoring comprises three numbers (for instance, 0-0-2). The first number indicates the serving team’s score. The second number indicates the receiving team’s score. The third number represents the server number, either server number 1 or server number 2.
In doubles pickleball, for instance, a score of 10-8-2 indicates that the serving side has 10 points, the receiving team has 8, and the serving team is the second server.
The score in singles pickleball consists of just two numbers (for instance, 0-0). The first number denotes the server’s score. The second number shows the receiver’s score. In singles pickleball, for instance, a server score of 10-8 indicates that the server’s score is 10 and team B has 8 points.
In a pickleball match, points are only earned when a team is serving (or when the opposing team has no points or the opposing side has called technical fouls).
Both singles and doubles pickleball games are applicable to this. As the serving team, you must triumph in the rally in order to score a point on the pickleball court.
If you want to earn that winning point, you must be the first team to score in Pickleball. The majority of pickleball matches lead to 11 points (win by 2), while some matches in tournaments may go to 21 or 15 points.
Player Positioning for Playing Doubles
With the first server exception, every team in doubles pickleball will find 2 serves, one for each partner. There will only be one serve returned to the first server.
The right team’s score to begin any game is therefore 0-0-2 – 0 points for both the serving and receiving team, and 2 for the next serve since there will be a side out if the serving team loses or the server loses a rally or makes a mistake, in which case the opposite team will receive the serve. Only that service turn is affected by the server number (1 or 2).
Each team serves, i.e., the first serve is from the right-hand/even side of the pickleball court, and other team member from the serving side will then serve the pickleball crosscourt (or diagonally) to the receiving team on the right-hand/even side of the court.
The serve is passed to the second server on the team once the first server has finished serving and the serving team commits a fault.
The ball turns over to the receiving team to start serving when the serving team commits a fault the second time while remaining in the same position.
When the pickleball contacts any area of the pickleball court’s non-volley zone during the serve a fault occurs. This sequence follows throughout the whole game, with the player on the right serving first.
Each doubles team will receive two serves following the initial side out. The first server will always be server number 1. Each side’s very first serve will begin on the even/right side of the pickleball court.
The first server and the server’s partner will exchange sides of the court if the starting team wins the point. If not, it’s the serving team’s turn to serve. Following that, the first server will serve diagonally.
Only after the point is scored will the serving team flip sides of the pickleball court. The serving team is the only one that can receive points. Because of this, only the serving team will move sides of the court after scoring a point, not the receiving team.
So, until the opposing team makes the mistake or is the winning team for the rally, server #1 will continue to serve.
On the serve and the return of the serve, player location is crucial to score a point. You should server the pickleball from the proper side of the court.
Also, the proper receiver should return the serve from the proper side of the court. The outcome of the pickleball match determines which side of the court is proper:
- The player who began the game on the even/right side of the pickleball court shall still remain on the even/right side of the pickleball court if the score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.).
- The player who started serving on the even/right side of the pickleball court shall stand on the left side (odd court) of the pickleball court if the score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.).
Calling the Score in Pickleball
Until all players on the pickleball court prepare to play and the server and receiver stand in the proper positions, you cannot call the score. If it looks like the receiver or server is slowing down the game, you may call the score.
Getting the Pickleball Score from the Referee
On the pickleball court or the service court, the serving teams or person serving may ask the following questions to the referee. But it should be before the server serves.
- Are we in the correct position?
- Who is the correct server?
- What are the score points?
- What is the current score?
The receiving team may ask the following questions before the serve:
- Are we in the correct position?
- Who is the correct receiver?
- What is the correct score?
- What is the receiver score?
Takeaway
So, keeping score in Pickleball seems simple. Let us quickly list the rules once again.
- The First Server Exception rule eliminates the benefit of serving first in doubles.
- Pickleball allows you to bounce the ball before serving, which makes it simpler for newcomers.
- The person or team who wins two out of three games to 11 points (win by 2 points) typically prevails in a match.
- Before each serve in doubles, you must call out three numbers: the score of your team, the score of the other team, and the server number.
- Before each serve in singles, you call out two numbers: the server’s score and the receiver’s score.
Now that you know the Pickleball scoring rules, check out how to win points by mastering the strategies.
