Pickleball Scoring

Side-Out Scoring

Pickleball uses side-out scoring — a system where only the serving team can score points. This is different from rally scoring (used in volleyball or badminton) where every rally produces a point regardless of who served.

Here's the key principle:

A fault is anything that ends the rally — hitting the ball out of bounds, into the net, stepping into the kitchen to volley, failing to let the serve or return bounce, etc. See the Rules Guide for the full fault list.

Winning the Game

Standard games are played to 11 points. You must win by a margin of at least 2 points. If the score reaches 10–10, play continues until one team leads by 2 (e.g. 13–11, 14–12, etc.).

Tournament formats may use 15 or 21 points, also win by 2. Players traditionally switch ends of the court when either team reaches half the winning score (6 in an 11-point game, 8 in a 15-point game, 11 in a 21-point game).

Doubles Scoring & the Server Number

Doubles scoring is the same as singles in terms of side-out scoring — but adds a server number (1 or 2) to the score call that indicates which of the two players on the serving team is currently serving.

How server numbers work

• At the start of a rally, the serving team has a server 1 and a server 2.
• Server 1 serves first. If they fault, the serve passes to Server 2 on the same team (not a side-out yet).
• If Server 2 also faults, a side-out occurs — the opponents take over serving.
• When the opponents receive the serve, they become the new serving team, and their servers are now numbered 1 and 2.

Which side of the court do you serve from?

• A player serves from the right service court when their team's score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10…).
• A player serves from the left service court when their team's score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9…).
• Server 2 continues serving from wherever Server 1's last serve was made — they do not restart from the right. The court positions are determined purely by the score parity, not by any reset.

Doubles Scoring — Worked Example

Singles Scoring

Singles scoring is simpler — only two numbers are called: server's score – receiver's score. There is no server number since each player is their own server.

• Serve from the right court when your score is even (0, 2, 4…)
• Serve from the left court when your score is odd (1, 3, 5…)
• After a side-out, the new server may start from either the right or left court depending on their current score (not always the right).
• Opening score call: "0 – 0"

Singles Scoring — Worked Example

Calling the Score

The serving player must call the score before every serve. If there is a referee, they call it instead. Failing to call the score before serving is a technical fault in officiated play, though in casual games it is generally just corrected.

The score is always called in the same order:

1. Serving team's score (or serving player's score in singles)
2. Receiving team's score
3. Server number (doubles only: 1 or 2)

The scores "reverse" when a side-out occurs because the former receiving team now becomes the serving team — their score is now called first.

Frequently Asked Questions

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