PICKLEBALL SCORING

PICKLEBALL SCORING

In Doubles  

In addition to the knowledge below, go through the service sequence rules in Section 5 of the Official IFP Rules. Points are scored only on the serve. 

The receiving side cannot score a point. At the start of the game, the player on the right side serves cross. If a point is gained, the server moves to the left side and serves to the opposite court. Each time that a point is scored or recorded, the players on the serving side alternate his/her position from the right to left or left to right. 

That player continues to serve until the serve is lost by losing a rally or point. Players on the serving team do not change sides unless a point is scored. The receiving side never alternates sides. 

When the service receiving team wins a service turn, the player on the right side of court serves first and continues to serve and alternates sides each time that a point is won. 

When the primary server loses the serve, the serve goes to the second server on the side. 

When the second server loses the serve, the serve goes to the opposing team and the player on the right serves first. That pattern continues throughout the game. 

Call the score within the order of server’s score, receiver’s score, then the server number. For example, if the score of the serving team is 3 and therefore the score of the receiving team is 6, and the second server on the side is serving, the score would be announced as 3-6-2. Some players might say “first” or “second” for the server number, for instants 3-6-second. Either way is correct. 

Note that the server number is only for that service turn. Whoever is on the right side when the team gets the serve back is that the first server for that service turn only. The next time that the team gets the serve back, it may be the other player that is on the right and is the first server for that service turn only. Beginners often mistakenly assume that the player keeps the same server number throughout the game. 

It is important to call the score including the server number before each serve. That helps the players to keep the server and the score straight and right. When you announce, as part of the game score, that you are the first server, everyone on the court knows that when you lose the serve, the serve goes to your another partner. When you announce that you are the second server, everyone knows that when you lose the serve, the serve goes to the opposite team. 

To minimize the advantage of being the first team to serve in the game, only one player gets a service turn on the first service turn of the game, that is second serve. To help everyone remember that the serve goes to the other side when that player loses the serve, it is obvious to say that the player is the last server or second server. Therefore, at the start of the game, it is customary to say that the score is 0-0-2, play ! The “2” means that the serve goes to the other side when the serve is lost and the server is the second server.

 

At the beginning of each game, make a mental note of the player that served first for each side. If the rotation is done correctly, then a team’s score will always be even when that player is on the right and odd when that player is on the left. As you call the score or you are the refree to the match, then use the player position as a double check on whether you have the correct score. 

In Singles

Singles scoring is very similar except that there is no second server in the game. The serve is always done from the right side when the server’s score is even and from the left side when the server’s score is odd, very simple as compared to doubles. 

Note that it is the server’s score that matters, not the combined added score of server and receiver.