Keeping score in pickleball can be just as confusing as learning the rules for the first time. I will walk you through it so that you can announce the score with confidence next time you play!

The Basics

• The score is made up of three numbers - the first number is the serving team’s score, the second number is the receiving team’s score, and the third number is the server number (1 or 2).
• A game is played to 11 points, and you must win by 2 points.
• Only the serving team can score points.
• The player on the right side of the court, when it’s their team’s turn to serve, always serves first. 

Pickleball Doubles Scoring

• The player on the right side of the court serves first. The serve must be done underhand, and the ball has to clear the kitchen and land in the diagonally opposite side of the court.
• You can only win a point when your team is serving. 
• If the serving team wins the point, the server and their partner switch sides and they serve diagonally again. Each time the server scores a point, they alternate sides and serve until they lose the point.
• If the serving team wins the point, only the serving team’s partners will switch sides of the court.
• If the receiving team wins the point, neither team’s partners will switch sides.
• For the very first serve in the game, only one player from that team serves. So, as soon as the first serving team loses a point, the serve switches to the other team.
• Other than the very first serve, both players on the team get a chance to serve, which is where the third number in the score comes into play. If you are on the right side of the court when it is your teams turn to serve, you are server #1, but only for that serve turn.
• If the serving team loses the point, the serve goes to the second server on the team.
• After both server #1 and server #2 lose their point, the serve passes to the other team, starting with whichever player is on the right side of the court. 

Calling the Score

The player serving always calls the score right before they serve, by saying three numbers.

• The first number is the serving team’s score.
• The second number is the receiving team’s score.
• The third number is the server number, 1 or 2.
• The very first score called in the game will always be 0-0-2.