If you’re new to pickleball, you might be wondering how the game is scored. Like any sport, understanding the scoring system is essential to playing and enjoying the game. In pickleball, the first team to reach a certain number of points wins the game. But how many points do you need to win in pickleball?
In this article, we’ll give you a comprehensive guide to pickleball scoring, including how many points you need to win, how to earn points, and some common mistakes to avoid. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this guide will help you understand the scoring system and improve your game. Let’s get started!
Scoring in Pickleball
Scoring in pickleball can be confusing for beginners, but it is an essential aspect of the game. To help you understand, we have put together this informative guide that covers the basics of scoring in pickleball.
How Points Are Earned
Scoring is an essential part of any game, and pickleball is no exception. In pickleball, points are earned when the opposing team commits a fault. The serving team is the only team that can win a point, and the receiving team must get the “side down” and regain serve before they can earn points.
Single Scoring
In singles scoring, the serve is always done from the right side when the server’s score is even and from the left side when the server’s score is odd. The server’s score determines the serving position, and the receiver lines up on the right or left side according to the server’s score. The score is called “server score, receiver score.”
Double Scoring
In doubles scoring, points can only be scored on the serve, and the receiving team cannot score a point. At the start of the game, the player on the right side serves to the diagonally opposite court. If a point is scored, the server moves to the left side and serves to the diagonally opposite court. The serving team continues to move from right to left or left to right each time a point is scored, and the receiving team never alternates sides. The score is called “server score, receiver score, then for doubles only, the server number: 1 or 2.”
It’s important to note that the first server in doubles scoring continues to serve until the serving team loses a rally by committing a fault. Then, the serve passes to the second server on the team. If the second server loses the serve, the serve goes to the other team, and the player on the right serves first. This pattern continues throughout the game.
How Many Points Do You Need to Win?
To win a game, players or teams must accumulate a certain number of points. However, the number of points required to win varies depending on the type of game being played. In this section, we will discuss the different scoring rules used in pickleball and how to win under each rule.
Traditional Scoring Rules
Traditionally, pickleball games are played to 11 points, and a two-point margin is required to win. This means that the first player or team to reach 11 points and have a two-point lead over their opponents is declared the winner. Only the serving side can score a point, which is caused by the other side’s faulting. If the score becomes tied at 10-10, the game continues until one side has a two-point lead.
Simplified Scoring
In recent years, a simplified scoring system has been adopted by some pickleball players and organizations. Under this rule, the game is played to 7 points, and a two-point margin is required to win. This system is often used for casual games or for beginners who may find the traditional scoring system too difficult to understand.
Tournament Rules
In tournament play, the scoring system is more formal and typically follows the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) rules. According to the IFP, tournament games are played to 15 points, and a two-point margin is required to win. Like the traditional scoring system, only the serving side can score a point. If the score becomes tied at 14-14, the game continues until one side has a two-point lead.
What Happens in a Tiebreaker
In some situations, a tiebreaker may be necessary to determine the winner of a pickleball game. In this case, the game is played to 11 points, and a two-point margin is required to win. The player or team that served first in the previous game gets to choose whether they want to serve or receive in the tiebreaker. The same player or team will continue to serve for the entire tiebreaker until the game is won. If the tiebreaker score reaches 10-10, the game continues until one side has a two-point lead.
Common Scoring Situations
Pickleball scoring is relatively simple but there are a few common situations that players may encounter during a game. In this section, we will discuss some of these common scenarios and how they are handled in pickleball.
Deuce scoring
In pickleball, a game is typically played to 11 points, and the winning team must win by two points. When the score reaches 10-10, this is called a “deuce” and play continues until one team wins by two points. At this point, players switch sides of the court and continue playing until one team reaches the required two-point margin to win the game.
Serving out of turn
It is important to keep track of the serving order in pickleball to ensure fair play. If a team serves out of turn, the point is awarded to the other team and the correct serving order is restored. For example, if the serving order is Player A, Player B, Player C, and Player A serves twice in a row, the second serve will result in a point for the opposing team, and the serve will switch to Player B on the next point.
Let serves
Sometimes, a serve may hit the net and land in the correct service area, which is known as a “let serve”. In pickleball, let serves are replayed without penalty, and the same player serves again. If the serve hits the net and lands outside of the service area, it is considered a fault, and the point is awarded to the opposing team.
Timeouts
Each team is allowed two timeouts per game, and each timeout lasts one minute. Timeouts can be used to regroup, strategize, or simply catch your breath. To call a timeout, players must signal to the referee or call out “timeout” loud enough for the referee and their opponents to hear. Once the timeout is over, play resumes as normal.
Conclusion
Understanding the scoring system is essential to playing and enjoying pickleball. In pickleball, points are earned when the opposing team commits a fault, and the serving team is the only team that can score a point. The scoring rules for singles and doubles are different. The number of points required to win varies depending on the type of game being played. Traditionally, games are played to 11 points, with a two-point margin required to win, but a simplified scoring system of first to 7, win by 2, is becoming more popular. In tournament play, games are played to 15 points with a two-point margin required to win. It’s important to keep track of the serving order and avoid common mistakes to ensure fair play.
