The name of the game, “pickleball,” sounds silly to start with, and the scoring isn’t easy when you’re first learning, but there’s a reason so many new players are becoming addicted to the game.
It’s fun, you can have some success the first time you take the court, and, with a bit of patience, you’ll be an expert on the scoring, too. It’s not as tough as you think.
- How to call the score in pickleball
- How do you score points?
- What happens when a point is won?
- When does the serving team switch?
Ready? Here we go.
How to call the score in Pickleball
In pickleball, there are three numbers the server must call out before every serve. Calling out the score isn’t an option, it’s necessary. Not only does it ensure everyone understands the score, it alerts everyone the service is on the way.
The serving call is as follows:
- The serving team's score
- The receiving team's score
- Whether it's the serving team's first or second server (1 or 2)
Things to Note:
- The team to serve first only gets one serve. As soon as the point is lost, the opposing team starts to serve. From that point on, each team gets two serves.
- The only time this scoring method is not used is when the game is played in rally format.
Thomas Shields
How do you score points?
A point is earned when the point ends by any of the following:
- A ball bounces twice on the same side of the net
- A ball is hit into the net
- A ball is hit out
- A fault is committed
Only the serving team can score a point. Think of it like baseball, only the team at bat can score runs. The team in the field can only get outs, it can’t score. In pickleball, the receiving team must make two “outs” before getting a chance to serve and earn points for their team.
What happens when a point is won?
Every time the serving team scores a point, the server and their partner switch sides on the court and the person serving continues to serve. When that first “out” is made, the team's partner becomes the second server and serves from the side of the court they are on.
The receiving team does not switch sides ever.
Example: the score is 3-0-1 and the serving team wins the rally. The serving team switches sides and serves the next point with a score of 4-0-1. The serving team then loses that rally and is forced to move on to their second server. They do not switch sides as they did not win the point. The score is 4-0-2.
When does the serving team switch?
The serving team switches when the current serving team loses the point on their second serve. This is called a "side-out" and the person on the right side of the opposite team becomes the first server.
Example: the score is 5-5-2 and the serving team wins the rally. They switch sides and continue to serve with a score of 6-5-2. They then lose this rally and therefore, the serve. The opposing team begins to serve and will call the score 5-6-1.
Quick Hits to Remember
Just keep in mind a few things and you’ll be ready to play:
- Only the serving team can score points
- The first server always starts on the right-hand side
- A team must make two stops or “outs” to earn the serve back
- When the serving team scores a point, the serving team switches sides of the court
