§ match
FMTScoring Format
Pickleball uses two scoring systems — traditional side-out and rally — and matches are played to 11, 15, or 21 in best-of-1/3/5 series.
Formula
game ends at target_score with margin ≥ 2; match ends when one side wins ⌈series/2⌉ gamesExample
A best-of-3 to 11 traditional match: first to win 2 games of 11 (each game win-by-2) takes the match.
Why it matters
Stats only make sense within a format. A 21-point rally game produces very different points-for totals than an 11-point traditional game — ArcStat normalizes by tracking target-score and format alongside the score.
In depth
Traditional (side-out) scoring: only the serving team can score. This is the historical format and the one most rec leagues still run. Games are typically to 11, win by 2.
Rally scoring: every rally scores a point regardless of who served. Adopted as a 2026 USA Pickleball provisional opt-in to keep matches on schedule. Rally games are typically to 15 or 21.
A "match" is a best-of series — best-of-1 (one game), best-of-3 (typical), or best-of-5 (championship rounds). ArcStat configures all three per-season via `pickleball_season_config`.
Available in ArcStat Free tier (every pickleball league).
Related terms