If you’re new to pickleball, you may be wondering how to keep score. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do just that.
- Determine the serving order: In pickleball, players serve diagonally, starting from the right side of the court. The server serves the ball to the opposing player on the other side of the net, and play continues until one team fails to return the ball. The team that wins the rally earns a point.
- Keep track of points: The first team to score 11 points wins the game, but they must also win by at least a two-point margin. For example, if the score is 10-9, the game continues until one team reaches 12 points.
- Alternating serves: Each player serves for two points in a row, and then the serve alternates to the other team. If the score is tied at 10-10, each player serves one point at a time until one team breaks the tie and wins by two points.
- Serving from the correct court: The server must serve from the right side of the court, and must serve diagonally to the opposing player on the other side of the net. If the server serves from the wrong side of the court or fails to serve the ball diagonally, it is a fault and the opposing team earns a point.
- Scoring when a player faults: If the serving team faults, the opposing team earns a point. If the receiving team faults, the serving team earns a point. If both teams fault on the same rally, the serving team retains the serve and the rally continues.
- Winning the match: A pickleball match is typically played as the best of three games. The first team to win two games wins the match. If the score is tied at one game apiece, a third game is played to determine the winner.
- Keeping score on the scoreboard: Most pickleball courts have a scoreboard to keep track of the score. The serving team’s score is typically displayed on the right side of the scoreboard, while the receiving team’s score is displayed on the left side.
To summarize, keeping score in pickleball is relatively simple. The team that serves first tries to score points by winning rallies, and the opposing team tries to score points by returning the ball and winning rallies of their own. The first team to reach 11 points and win by a two-point margin wins the game, and the first team to win two games wins the match.