How to Keep Score in Pickleball for Singles & Doubles Games

Section 1 of 4:

Scoring in Pickleball

Whether you’re playing pickleball in a singles or doubles game, only the serving team can earn points during a rally. Whenever the receiving team (or, the team that isn't serving) commits a fault, like if they hit the ball out of bounds or into the net, the serving team adds 1 to their score and a new rally starts. If the serving team commits a fault, the receiving team doesn’t earn points but the server switches. Other common faults include:^{[1] X Research source}

Letting the ball bounce twice on the same side of the court

Getting hit by the ball

Hitting the ball from the non-volley zone before it bounces

Making contact with the net

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Section 2 of 4:

Scores and Serving Positions

For the first serve of the game and any time the server has an even number of points, they’ll serve the ball from the right side of their end of the court. Any time they have an odd number of points, they serve from the left side of the court instead.^{[2] X Research source}

The receiver always stands diagonally across from the server. When the server has an even number of points, the receiver will be on the right side of their end of the court as well.

When the server loses a rally or commits a fault, it causes a “side-out,” meaning that the other player on the opposite team becomes the server.

Any time a team becomes the serving team, the player on the right side of the court serves the ball first. If the serving team scores a point on the rally, the players switch places so they serve from the other side of the court. If the serving team commits a fault, they don’t switch places and the second player on the team becomes the server. Once the serving team loses another rally, then service changes to the other team.^{[3] X Research source}

At the start of a pickleball game, only one player on the serving team gets a chance to serve. The first time the serving team loses a rally or commits a fault, the other team gets the opportunity to serve.

The receiving team never switches which side of the court they’re on.

To easily remember what side of the court you should be standing on, the player who starts the game on the right side will always be on the right when their team has an even number of points.

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Section 3 of 4:

Calling Pickleball Scores

Players must announce the scores before every serve, or else it could result in a fault and loss of service. Always lead with the server’s score before saying the score of the receiver.^{[4] X Research source}
Example: In a singles game, if the called score is 6-4, then the server has 6 points and the receiver has 4 points. If the server wins the point, they’ll say “7-4” before their next serve. If the server loses the rally, then the service switches sides and the other player will say “4-6.”

When a team becomes the serving team, the person currently on the right side of the court is server #1 and the person starting on the left is server #2. When a server calls the score, they’ll say their team’s score, then the receiving team’s score, and finally their server number. The first time the serving team loses a rally, server #2 gets the chance to serve.^{[5] X Research source}

Example: If the called score is 5-8-1, then the serving team has 5 points, the receiving team has 8 points, and server #1 has the current serve. If they lose the current rally, then the second teammate gets a chance to serve and announces the score 5-8-2.

The server number is always determined by who is on the right side of the court when a team first gains service. Even if a player was server #2 during their last service, they will become server #1 if they’re on the right side of the court the next time their team serves.

Exception: Only one player from the serving team gets a chance to serve at the very start of the game, so they are considered server #2 when calling the score. For the first serve of the game, the called score is 0-0-2.

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Section 4 of 4:

How many points do you need to win pickleball?

Most pickleball games are only played until a team reaches a total of 11 points, but the team has to win by a margin of 2. If games have a close score, then players continue the game until someone has a 2-point lead.^{[6] X Research source}

Example: If the score is 10-10, then the game would continue until a team takes a 2-point lead.

Some pickleball tournaments may play until a team reaches 15 or 21 points instead. They may also play matches that are the best of 3 games.