Pickleball Scoring for Beginners. Start Your Pickleball Journey

In pickleball, there are a lot of jokes, phrases, and amusing wordplay. That being said, one of the more “funny and kind of true” jokes is that pickleball is a harder game to score than to learn. Even though we all know it’s not true, it looks like it sometimes! Therefore, pickleball scoring for beginners is a common question.

One of the most typical questions from new pickleball players is how to keep score. It can be hard to keep track of the score in pickleball at first, but once you know the rules, you’ll be able to do it like a pro.

Don’t worry; we will get you covered today. We’ll go over everything in more detail below about Pickleball Scoring for Beginners. So that you can start learning how to score and win in pickleball!

Overview of Pickleball Scoring for Beginners

When you are just starting out in the sport of pickleball, the pickleball scoring system can be a little bit complicated. However, do not panic! You’ll get the hang of it once you understand the rules and get your hands on a pickleball paddle. Actually, the system is really simple and sensible.

The doubles and singles games are scored differently, so we’ll start with doubles (the most frequent way to play) and then go on to pickleball singles.

After reading this guide, you’ll know everything you need to know to play pickleball. A few games will also help you remember how to score.

Here are the basic rules of pickleball scoring for beginners:

• Pickleball games are typically played for 11 points.
• You can only score while serving. You must announce your score before serving.
• Singles pickleball scoring has two numbers, whereas doubles scores have three.
• Every time you score a point, you should proceed to your other service court.

 What Score Do You Need to Win in Pickleball?

Let’s begin with a pretty simple task. In pickleball, how many points do you need to win? 

According to traditional pickleball rules, the first player or team to reach 11 points within a 2-point margin (with a minimum of two or more points than the other team) wins. Only the serving side can earn a point when the other team makes a mistake.

Any mistake made by a pickleball player, whether intentional or inadvertent, is considered a fault.

When you miss a ball on a return serve because your partner hit it hard and you were not prepared for it, that is an example of a forced error.

Incorrect foot placement or volleying in the non-volley zone are examples of unforced errors.

There is a somewhat different scoring structure used in pickleball competitions. 

You could play to a larger score, like 15 or even 21, or you could use the 11-point format’s best 2 out of 3 method.

It could take some time for you to know tournament scoring if you’re just starting out. However, the whole idea of this is to demonstrate that in most recreational games, you’re playing to a point total of 11.

Doubles Pickleball Scoring Rules

The first thing you’ll notice with pickleball scoring is three numbers, which puzzles folks right away. When there are just two teams participating, why are there three? In a pickleball score, the following numbers represent what they mean:

1. First number: the serving team’s current score.
2. Second number: score of the opposite team.
3. Third number: which server on a team now possesses the serve (this will always be 1 or 2)

We will explore scoring numbers briefly in the below section.

Let’s look at an example. Pickleball scores often look like this: 6-3-2.

The first step is straightforward. The current serving team is leading 6-3. That is why their score comes first because they are currently serving. If the other, losing team served, the score would be 3-6-2.

It’s crucial to understand right away that you can only score points while your team is serving. Understand? So, if they serve at you and you hit the pickleball ball straight past them, you haven’t scored a point, but they’ve lost that serve and must hand it over.

What Are the 2 Numbers on a Pickleball Score?

You’ll see either two or three numbers for the score. For singles pickleball, two numbers is the most usual way to score. What is meant by the numbers?

The first number reflects the server’s score, and the second shows the receiver’s score. Both numbers can reach 11, but as games have to be won by two points or more, the numbers can go above 11.

Let’s take an example when the score is 7-10. In other words, the receiver receives a score of 10, while the server receives a score of 7.

In this case, the server is three points away from victory, while the receiver is only one point behind. However, because the receiver cannot score while in that position (only the serving player can earn points), it is still anyone’s game.

What Are the 3 Numbers on a Pickleball Score?

Doubles pickleball scoring is more complicated since it consists of three numbers rather than two. Perhaps a better way to put it is that doubles scoring appears more complex at first, but after a few games, it becomes second nature. Therefore, what do the numbers mean?

In doubles pickleball, the first number represents the serving team’s score, the middle number represents the receiving team’s score, and the final number is the server number. The first two numbers function similarly to singles pickleball, reaching 11 points or greater, while the third number never exceeds 2.

Let’s go over that information a little more. The first two digits are identical to the method used in singles pickleball. The server’s score always comes first, followed by the receiver’s.

What Do Server Numbers Mean?

The third number is the server number, which might be either 1 or 2. For example, suppose your team has the opportunity to serve, and you are on the right side. You will serve first as server 1. If you fail to serve, the ball is passed to your partner, who is on server 2.

The next time your team has the opportunity to serve, you might be on the left. In other words, you are server 2, and your companion is server 1. 

Your server number does not always remain the same during the game, which is a common beginner’s mistake. 

In case you missed it, after each side exits, serving possession is transferred to the other team. If a player is on the correct service court when the serve is made, they become server number 1; by default, their partner becomes server number 2.

This is why players are not guaranteed to be on server 1 or 2 for the entire game.

Single Pickleball Scoring Rules

Due to its popularity and slightly more complicated scoring system, doubles pickleball is the game we covered first. If you understand these concepts, score in singles pickleball will be simple.

In singles, the troublesome third number is thrown out the window and never seen again. Singles scores are just the number of points gained by each player, such as 5-6. That score indicates that the individual with five points is actively serving.

Another difference in pickleball scoring between doubles and singles games is that each player receives one serve, as opposed to two for each pair in doubles. Therefore, if you make a mistake with your serve, the other player gets to serve right away.

Does a Pickleball Score Need to Be Called Out Loud?

Another beginner’s mistake is believing that the pickleball court will feature a scoreboard with the current score displayed in large, glowing digits. 

You cannot rely on a digital scoreboard, let alone some frail plastic numbers, to keep score on a net post, even though that would be great and possibly an option in some serious tournament circumstances.

When you serve, you should instead announce the score. Although it’s not necessary, declaring the score before serving is generally considered proper playing etiquette according to USA Pickleball’s official regulations (4.A.1). 

However, many tournaments demand it and have rules in place to prevent errors like calling the score while serving. Others include serving the ball before calling the score after a replay.

Calling the score before you serve is a good practice to get into as soon as possible because of court etiquette and the possibility of faulting or redoing a serve. 

The serving player announces the score prior to their serve. If you’re serving at the start of a game, you’ll say “0, 0” in singles and “0, 0, 2” in doubles.

Which Side of the Court Should You Move to When a Point is Scored?

Pickleball players do not stand on the same side of the court during the game. You’ll move from one half of the court to the other, and it won’t be at random. 

Let’s say your doubles pickleball game starts with your team serving and you’re on the right side. If you score a point, you will move to the odd court, which is on the left side. If you score from there, you’ll flip sides again.

If you are serving and scoring points, you can keep doing this.

You should only exchange sides if you score a point because placements on the court in doubles might still indicate whether the score is even or odd. Only the serving side alternates court sides. The players on the receiving side remain in their positions.

What Happens If Servers 1 and 2 Fail?

This is called a side-out because it allows your opponents to serve. Imagine it as the baseball equivalent of the third out, when the batting and pitching teams trade positions.

In pickleball, an odd-numbered score is any of the listed numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11; an even-numbered score is 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10. That is why you always begin the pickleball game on the right side of the court because both you and your opponent have a score of 0-0, which is an even number.

If you’re playing pickleball and you forget to call your score, you can recall it by standing in the proper serving stance.

Even in doubles, the first server starts on the right side, so anytime the team’s score is even, the first server is on the right side of the court, and when the team’s score is odd, they are on the left side of the court.

More importantly, standing in the proper posture on the pickleball court is essential for avoiding a fault. You will instantly lose the rally if you are in the incorrect position (4.B.9.-4.B.10).

This can put you in a poor situation and potentially prohibit you from winning the game!

Final Word

In conclusion, this is our complete guide to pickleball scoring for beginners.

We hope everything made sense and that you learned the basics. We can assure you that after a few court sessions, you’ll be an expert!

When playing pickleball for the first time, keep in mind that you cannot depend on other players or even your partner (if you are playing doubles) to call the score when you serve. If you’re up to bat, you’re responsible for calling the score before serving. 

It’s fine if you forget to do this occasionally, especially when you’re initially getting started. However, the more often you do it, the more embedded it will become in your life.

Frequently Asked Questions