orUnderstanding the Basics of Pickleball Scoring
Simple Steps to Track the Game and Win
Welcome to the exciting world of pickleball! One of the first things you'll need to grasp is how to keep score. While it might seem a little different at first, it's quite logical once you understand the key principles. This guide breaks down pickleball scoring in easy steps to get you playing and tracking the game like a pro in no time.
- Serving Team is the Scorer: In pickleball, only the team that is serving can score points. If the receiving team wins the rally, the scoreboard doesn't change; instead, the serve simply switches over to the receiving team. This is known as a "side-out."
- The Importance of the Server Number (Doubles): In doubles play, each player on the serving team gets a chance to serve before the serve goes to the opposing team. Think of it as "Server 1" and "Server 2." The very first server of the game is always designated as "server number 2." If the serving team wins a point while either server is serving, the serving players will switch sides on their court, but the same server continues to serve. When the serving team loses a rally, the serve progresses to their partner (if it's their first side-out of the inning) or goes to the other team (if it's their second side-out).
- "0-0-2" - The Starting Call: Every pickleball game begins with a specific score announcement: "0-0-2." Let's break this down:
- The first "0" represents the serving team's score.
- The second "0" represents the receiving team's score.
- The final "2" indicates that it's the second server of the initial serving team.
- Reaching Victory: Winning by Two: The standard winning score for a pickleball game is 11 points. However, there's a crucial rule: you must win by at least 2 points. So, if the score gets to 10-10, play continues until one team achieves a two-point lead (e.g., 12-10, 15-13, etc.).
- Calling the Score - The Server's Responsibility: Before each serve, the server must clearly announce the score. The format is always: (Serving Team's Score) - (Receiving Team's Score) - (Server Number, only in doubles). For example:
- If your team is serving and has 5 points, the opponents have 3, and you are the first server, you'd call "5-3-1."
- If your team is serving and has 2 points, the opponents have 7, and you are the second server, you'd call "2-7-2."
- In singles, there's no server number to call, so it''s simply "(Your Score) - (Opponent's Score)."
Mastering the scoring is your first step to enjoying all the fun and excitement of pickleball. Get out there, keep track, and have a blast on the court! Find your pickleball paddle and high performance pickleball gear at body helix. Feel free to contact us at customer.service@bodyhelix.com
