Guide
How to keep score in pickleball
In traditional pickleball scoring, only the serving team scores, games go to 11 and you must win by 2. In doubles, the score is called as three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, and whether it's the first or second server. That third number is what confuses everyone at first.
The three numbers in doubles
Before every serve, the server calls the score:
- Your team's score
- The other team's score
- Server number: 1 or 2
So "4-2-1" means the serving team has 4, the receivers have 2, and this is the first server on the serving team.
How a doubles game flows
- The first serve of a side-out comes from the right-hand court.
- When your team wins a rally on your serve, you score a point and the server switches sides (right to left or left to right) and serves again.
- When the first server loses a rally, the partner becomes the second server and serves from wherever they're standing.
- When the second server loses a rally, it's a side-out: the other team serves, starting from their right-hand court.
Why the game starts at 0-0-2
At the very start of a game, only one player on the first serving team gets to serve before the side-out. To show that, the game starts at 0-0-2, as if that player were already the second server. It keeps the first team from getting two servers' worth of points before the other side ever serves.
A quick check: where should the server be?
If the serving team's score is even (0, 2, 4...), the player who started the game on the right should be serving from the right. If it's odd, that player should be on the left. It's an easy way to catch a mix-up.
Singles scoring
Singles is simpler: no server number. Serve from the right when your score is even and from the left when it's odd. Lose the rally and it's a side-out.
Rally scoring
Under rally scoring, a point is scored on every rally, no matter who served. Games are faster and easier to follow. Rally scoring is used in some leagues and events, and under the 2026 provisional rule, the receiving side can win the game on the return-of-serve rally. Agree on the format before you start.
Game length
Rec games are usually to 11, win by 2. Tournaments sometimes play to 15 or 21, still win by 2.
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep score in pickleball doubles?
Call three numbers before each serve: serving team's score, receiving team's score, and server number (1 or 2). Only the serving team scores; each partner serves until they lose a rally, then the other team serves.
Why does pickleball start at 0-0-2?
Only one player on the first serving team serves at the start of the game. Starting at 0-0-2 marks that player as the second server, so a lost rally goes straight to a side-out.
What does a side-out mean in pickleball?
A side-out is when the serve passes to the other team, after both servers on the serving team (or the one server at the start of a game) have lost a rally.
Can you score when receiving in pickleball?
Not in traditional scoring: only the serving team scores. In rally scoring, either side can score on any rally.
What is rally scoring in pickleball?
A format where a point is awarded on every rally, regardless of who served. It's used in some leagues and events and makes games shorter.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the official sources below, written in our own words. Courts and schedules change: check the source before you go.
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