In pickleball, there are many jokes, expressions, and hilarious wordplay. Rather than learning how to play pickleball, one of the “funny and kind of true” jokes is that it’s harder to learn how to score. Though we know it’s not true, it sometimes seems that way!
Throughout this article, I will provide you with all the information you need about pickleball scoring. Here are the pickleball scoring rules –
How to Keep Score in Pickleball?
If you’re looking for a game of pickleball with your friends, family, or coworkers, then you’ve come to the right place. That’s really awesome! It’s not rocket science to keep score in pickleball; there is a system for doing so.
You can score only in pickleball when you serve, so a pickleball tournament goes to 11 points. To win a pickleball game, the winning team must lead by two points, and you must serve to score. If you want to win the match you must win two out of three games to eleven.
There are only two numbers called out when playing singles – the score of the server and the score of the receiver. However, pickleball scores are based on three numbers when played in doubles. There are the numbers, such as 0-0-2, 1-0-2, etc. Assigning a score to each team, the first digit must be the score of the team serving, while the second digit must be the score of the team receiving. This third number indicates which player on the team is serving, which can either be one or two.
Pickleball games can last for a long time, and keeping track of the score can be difficult. Every time the serving team is about to serve, the score is called out. Keeping a score is easy when the scores are called out.
Want to learn more about strategies to improve your game, then check out our blog on what are 3 strategies in pickleball.
Scoring in Pickleball Doubles
It is a four-player game with two players on each team in Pickleball doubles. Each person announces the game’s score as they serve. Starting with the serving team’s score of 0,0,2 (Server Score, Receiver Score, Server Number), the first player announces the scores.
What’s the point of having two? As a result, the First Server Exception Rule was developed so that the game would be fair.
First Server Exception Rule
In doubles, pickleball has this fundamental rule. A Pickleball game’s first server will be the only player on that team who serves during that team’s first turn.
As determined by the toss, the team with the first service turn is the first to serve at the start of the game. Each player on the team will have the opportunity to serve during the remaining turns to serve after each side out.
By creating this rule, it ensures that the serving team doesn’t have a clear advantage and that serving first isn’t preferable. A team’s first or second serving in the game makes relatively little difference. Things are fair when there is the first exception rule.
You can also check out our blogs on: pickleball backhand grip, and, what is the best surface for a pickleball court.
FAQs
Singles Pickleball has a very similar score to doubles Pickleball. Singles scoring does not require a server number because there is only one server per side, unlike doubles. Rankings are based on the players’ scores and how they announce their scores: (i) When announcing the score, players will only announce the server’s score, followed by the receiver’s score. (ii) The server will serve on the right court if his score is even; if it is odd, the server will serve on the left court.
A side-out scoring system is currently used in pickleball. Other sports used this system before switching to rally scoring due to its speed. In crowded courts, this makes rotations faster.
In pickleball, serving teams are determined by a coin flip or a rule that gives both teams a 50/50 chance. It is up to you to decide which side to start on if you win the toss.
There is no doubt that the third shot on the pickleball court is the most important. When you are in the serving team, the third shot puts you in a position to score a point since it puts you between the baseline and the Kitchen line.
Wrap Up
It’s time for me to wrap up. Thanks for reading this article on scoring in pickleball. I hope you found it helpful. The trick I mentioned above will make it much easier after you use it. I appreciate you reading this and would be glad to answer any questions you might have.
I am the founder of BallSportsPro, a popular pickleball resource for players of all levels. I am a former professional tennis player, started playing pickleball in 2009 and quickly fell in love with the game. I launched BallSportsPro in 2018 to share my passion for the sport and to provide pickleball players with the latest news, tips, and gear reviews. Today, BallSportsPro is one of the most popular pickleball resources on the web, reaching hundreds of thousands of players each month. In addition to running the website, I also a regular contributor to Pickleball Magazine and a member of the USAPA Pickleball Ambassadors program.