If you’re new to Pickleball, it can be difficult to keep track of the scoring system. You can play Pickleball through singles or doubles, so the scoring system is different with each game.
So, if you’re confused, don’t worry. We’ll help you find out everything you need to know about the number of points you need to earn to win at Pickleball.
How Do You Score In Pickleball?
When playing Pickleball, you can only win points when you’re serving. When the score is even, you serve from the right, while if the server’s score is odd, you serve from the left.
When you’re serving, you call your score first, so you would yell server score, receiver score. If you win a point while serving, you would move to the left side of the court, and continue each way as you score.
If you’re on the receiving side, you won’t have to change sides when you score, but only when the serving team does.
You can only score when your opponent is unable to return your serve, or if you win a rally. You need to serve with an underhand stroke, and must have at least one foot on the surface of the court behind the baseline (Check out Can Your Foot Cross The Line When You Serve In Pickleball?).
If you serve and it hits either of your opponents before it bounces, then you will get a point.
How Many Points Do You Have To Win In Singles?
To win a singles match, you need to play until someone reaches 11 points, but to win, you need to have two more points than your opponent.
When playing singles, it is always the right-hand player on the service court who will serve first.
Each player has to serve from the right hand when the score is even, and from the left hand side of the court when the score is an odd number.
How Many Points Do You Have To Win In Doubles?
In doubles, the amount of points you have to win by is essentially the same.
However, to win, you will need to win two out of three games or more. In each match, you need to get a minimum of 11 points with a two point lead over your opponent.
Like in singles, you need to serve from the right hand side when the score is zero or an even number, and the left when the score is odd.
Calling The Score In Pickleball
It’s essential that you call the score when you’re playing Pickleball. It is always called by whoever is serving. In doubles, you call the score with three numbers and the score.
You need to call number one and then the serving team’s score. Then, number two followed by the receiving team’s score. You will then say number three, followed by the server number.
As you’d be playing doubles, the server number one or two. If you’re playing singles, you won’t have to include the server number. If you want to remember a trick to remembering the call order, consider thinking of it as: me, you, and who.
It should be noted that the only time you have to call the server number is during the service turn.
When the team gets their next serve, it might be the other player who serves first, so you don’t have to keep the same server number throughout the whole game.
The First Serve
As you can only score a point when your team is serving, there are certain rules that fall under the first serve so that the server won’t get an advantage.
The first serve is always done by the second server, so if they lose the rally, it means they will get a sideout. Once the first server loses the rally, the second server gets their turn.
The players must stay on the side where that point ended, and it’s from these areas that the server serves.
When it is the very first serve of the game, you need to call 0-0-2, so that everyone knows it is the second server who is starting the game. So, once they lose the point, the other team gets to serve
What’s The Serving Order?
Whoever is on the right-hand side of the court is the one who serves first. The players on the serving side will move from the right or left side of the court when they score a point.
However, you’re not allowed to alternate sides unless you score a point, and the receiving side is never the one to alternate. The first server has to continue to serve until they lose a rally by committing a fault.
When you do serve, you need to serve diagonally across the court. Once the second server loses their serve, the other team gets to serve, where the player on the right goes first.
What Are Considered Faults?
Any faults can be called by the other team, and when a fault is called, you should defer to the player with the best angle.
All calls should be immediate, and you should always call out any questionable play respectfully, and be fair to your opponents.
There are numerous faults that you need to keep in mind, such as when the server’s foot (Also check out What Is A Foot Fault In Pickleball?) is outside the extension of the sideline and centerline of the court.
The ball hitting the side posts is considered a dead ball, and you can’t catch the ball, or get hit, as the ball needs to bounce on the court. If the ball hits a player prior to bouncing, regardless of where you are in the court, it’s also considered a fault.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the scoring system of Pickleball is simple. You just need to win by two points, with the lowest score to win being 11. So, to win, you would need a minimum score of 11-9.
You then keep playing until you’ve won by two, with doubles being decided through two wins out of three.
Pickleball has been played for decades, and it is a great way to let off some steam, engage in friendly competition, and improve your fitness levels.
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