A standard pickleball game is played to 11 points, and you must win by two. In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving side can score; in rally scoring, a point goes to whoever wins each rally, no matter who served.
In doubles with side-out scoring, the score is called as three numbers: the serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score, then the server number (1 or 2). Every game starts at “0–0–2”. Singles uses just two numbers. The rest of this guide walks through each part with real score situations.
Games, matches and winning by two
Most recreational and club games are played to 11 points. You need a two-point margin to win, so there is no cap: 11–9 wins, but 11–10 does not. From 10–10 the game carries on to 12–10, 13–11 and so on, until one side is two clear.
Some formats play to 15 or 21 instead, usually single-game events, pool play or certain tournament draws. Win by two still applies. Which target you use depends on the event or your group, so agree on it before the first serve.
A match is often just one game in casual play. Tournaments commonly use best of three games to 11, and best of five is seen too. The exact format is set by the organiser, not by a single universal rule.
| Format | Points to win | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Standard game | 11 | Win by 2 |
| Longer game (some events) | 15 | Win by 2 |
| Single-game formats (some events) | 21 | Win by 2 |
| Typical tournament match | Best of 3 games | Each game win by 2 |
Side-out scoring: only the server scores
Traditional pickleball uses side-out scoring. If the serving side wins the rally, it scores a point and keeps serving. If the receiving side wins the rally, nobody scores; the receivers simply win the right to serve. That handover is called a side out.
This is why pickleball scores can stay low for a long time. Two strong teams can trade side outs for several minutes without the score moving at all.
A short example in singles:
- Anna serves at 4–2 and wins the rally. She scores: 5–2, and she serves again.
- Anna serves at 5–2 and loses the rally. No point is scored. Side out: Ben now serves, and he calls the score from his side, 2–5.
- Ben wins the next rally on his serve: 3–5.
A fault by the serving side (a serve into the net, a ball hit out, a kitchen violation and so on) ends that server’s turn. A fault by the receiving side gives a point to the server.
The three-number score call in doubles
In side-out doubles, both partners get a turn to serve before the serve passes to the other team. The score call tracks this with three numbers, said in this order:
- The serving team’s score
- The receiving team’s score
- The server number: 1 for the first server of this turn, 2 for the second
The first server of each service turn is the player on the right-hand side. While their team keeps winning rallies, they keep serving and swap sides with their partner after each point. When they lose a rally, their partner becomes server 2. When server 2 loses a rally, it is a side out and the other team starts with its own server 1.
There is one exception, and it explains the strange opening call. At the very start of a game, the first serving team gets only one server before the side out. To show that, the game starts at “0–0–2”, as if the first server had already been used.
| Situation | Score call |
|---|---|
| First serve of the game | 0–0–2 |
| Serving team wins the rally | 1–0–2 |
| Serving team loses the next rally: side out | 0–1–1 (other team now serving) |
| New server 1 loses a rally | 0–1–2 |
| Server 2 wins a rally | 1–1–2 |
Notice that the first two numbers flip after every side out. The score is always called from the serving team’s point of view.
Singles scoring and which side to serve from
Singles is simpler. There is only one server per side, so the call is two numbers: the server’s score, then the receiver’s. A singles game starts at “0–0”.
Your serving side follows your own score:
- Even score (0, 2, 4, 6…): serve from the right-hand court.
- Odd score (1, 3, 5, 7…): serve from the left-hand court.
The serve always goes diagonally to the opposite service court. This even-right, odd-left rule doubles as a built-in check: if a player is about to serve from the left at 6–3, someone has lost track of the score.
Worked examples:
- The server leads 7–4. Their score is odd, so they serve from the left.
- The server trails 2–9. Their score is even, so they serve from the right, even though they are well behind.
- The server wins the point at 2–9 and moves to 3–9. They now serve from the left.
In doubles the positions work differently: partners swap sides only when their team wins a point on its own serve, and the receivers never swap during a rally sequence.
Rally scoring: a point on every rally
In rally scoring, every rally produces a point, whichever side served. If the receivers win the rally, they score and take the serve. There is no such thing as a rally that changes nothing.
Rally scoring makes games shorter and more predictable in length, which is why it appeals to leagues, scheduled events and televised play. Some professional and recreational leagues use it, and governing bodies have trialled it alongside traditional scoring. Whether a given event uses it, and with which details, varies by organisation, so always check the event rules.
Rally formats also differ in the small print. Many drop the server number and call the score with two numbers, and some add special rules close to game point. The core idea never changes: win the rally, win the point.
Here is the same short sequence under both systems. The serving side leads 8–6:
| Rally result | Side-out scoring | Rally scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Server wins | 9–6 | 9–6 |
| Receiver wins | 9–6, serve changes hands | 9–7, serve changes hands |
| Receiver wins again | Still 9–6 | 9–8 |
Rally scoring is also the easier system to keep track of, because nothing depends on who is serving. That is the system Voleo’s pickleball score keeper uses: rally scoring to 11, win by two, over one game, best of three or best of five, in singles and doubles. It does not track side-out scoring or the server number.
Switching ends during a match
Sun, wind and a slower side of the court can all decide a close game, so players change ends to keep things fair. The usual pattern is:
- Between games: teams switch ends after each game of a match.
- During the deciding game: in a game to 11, ends are commonly switched when the first side reaches 6 points. Longer games switch around the halfway mark, such as at 8 in a game to 15 and at 11 in a game to 21.
Exact procedures, including whether single-game matches switch midway, are set by the rulebook your event follows. In casual play, agree on it before you start.
When you swap ends mid-game, the score carries on as normal. In side-out doubles, the same player keeps serving with the same server number, and players stay with their partner on the side they were on, just at the other end.
One practical tip: say the score out loud right after the switch. A short pause plus walking around the net is exactly when groups lose track of who was serving.
How to keep score without arguments
Most pickleball scoring disputes are not about rules. They are about memory. A few habits fix almost all of them:
- Call the score before every serve. Loudly enough for the receivers to hear. It is expected in pickleball, and it lets mistakes be caught straight away.
- Use positions as a cross-check. In singles, even means right and odd means left. In doubles, the player who started the game on the right should be on the right whenever their team’s score is even.
- Agree on the format first. Points to win, side-out or rally scoring, and how many games. Settling it mid-game rarely ends well.
- Write down game results. In a best-of-three, a quick note between games saves a debate about who won the first one.
If you would rather not track it in your head at all, a score keeper app helps. With Voleo you tap the side that won the rally and it keeps the score of every game and the match, with rally scoring. An Apple Watch version for scoring from the wrist is coming, and the app itself is not released yet.
Playing other racket sports too? The padel scoring guide and the tennis scoring guide explain how those sports count very differently.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a game of pickleball?
A standard game is played to 11 points and you must win by two. Some events play to 15 or 21 instead, still with a two-point margin.
Why does pickleball start at 0-0-2?
In side-out doubles, the first serving team only gets one server before the side out at the start of a game. Calling it 0-0-2 marks that server as the second, so the next lost rally passes the serve to the other team.
Can you score when you are not serving in pickleball?
Not in traditional side-out scoring, where only the serving side scores. In rally scoring, a point is awarded on every rally, so the receiving side scores when it wins the rally.
What is rally scoring in pickleball?
Rally scoring awards a point to whoever wins each rally, regardless of who served. It is used in some leagues and professional formats, and its exact details vary by organisation.
How do you call the score in pickleball singles?
Call two numbers: the server's score first, then the receiver's. The server serves from the right when their own score is even and from the left when it is odd.
When do you switch sides in pickleball?
Players switch ends between games, and in a deciding game to 11 they commonly switch when the first side reaches 6. The exact rule depends on the event's rulebook.