Pickleball Scoring Explained: Side-Out, Rally, and How to Call the Score

Pickleball uses side-out scoring by default: only the serving side can score a point. If the receiving side wins a rally, the serve simply transfers; no point is awarded. Games are played to 11 points, and a team must win by at least 2 (so a game tied 10-10 continues until someone leads by 2).

Calling the Score in Doubles

Before every serve, the server must announce the score out loud using three numbers in this order: serving team's score, receiving team's score, server number. The server number is either 1 (first server for that team's turn) or 2 (second server). Calling the score is a courtesy and a rule: an incorrect score call can result in a replay if caught before the serve.

1. 1Server announces serving team score first.
2. 2Server announces receiving team score second.
3. 3Server announces server number: 1 (first server this turn) or 2 (second server).
4. 4Example: '4-6-2' means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 6, and this is the second server of the serving team's turn.
5. 5At the very start of a doubles game, the opening serve is called '0-0-2' to indicate that this team has only one serve in its first rotation.

Side-Out Scoring: How It Works

In side-out scoring only the server can score. When the serving side faults (hits out, hits the net, volleys from the kitchen, etc.) the serve passes to the partner or to the opposing team. No point changes hands. When the receiving side faults, the serving side scores one point and keeps the serve. This means a team can win a long rally and score nothing if they were not serving.

Rally Scoring: The Alternative Format

Rally scoring awards a point on every rally regardless of which team served. The team that wins the rally either scores a point or earns the serve (or both, depending on variation). Rally scoring is used in some tournaments, including certain MLP (Major League Pickleball) formats, and is popular for league play because it produces more predictable game lengths.

Win by 2

A team that reaches 11 points must lead by at least 2 to win. If the score reaches 10-10, play continues. If one team reaches 11 and the other is at 10, a point does not end the game. The game ends only when one team's score is at least 2 more than the other. There is no cap in standard play, though some recreational leagues set a cap (for example, first to 15 if tied after a set number of rallies).

Scoring in Singles

Singles pickleball uses the same side-out scoring rules, but the score is called as two numbers (server score, receiver score) because there is no server number. The server's position on the court tells both players whether the score is even or odd: serve from the right when your score is even, from the left when odd.