How to Keep Score In Pickleball

Roosportz is your partner in having fun and keeping it simple so you can just "HOP ON IN"

Yes, pickleball scoring could have made this more intuitive but it is still pretty easy if you keep a few things in mind. 

The score is kept in 3 numbers

The FIRST number is the score of the team serving.  7-3-1

The SECOND number is the team receiving the serve.  7-3-1

The THIRD number is simply if you are the first person or the second person on your team to serve. 7-3-1 

See, one of the unique things about pickleball is that except for the opening serve both people on the team serve when it is your team's serve. As an example, if I call the score as 7-3-1. It simply means my team is ahead 7 to 3 and I'm the first server for my team.  I keep serving until I lose a point then my partner serves. Once they lose a point it goes to the other team for both of them to serve. 

Most recreational games are played until one team has 11 points and is at least 2 points ahead. If it is tied after 10-10 nothing special happens, you just keep playing until somebody gets 2 points ahead. Remember I said there was one "IF" about each person serving for your team. Well, to keep it fair the team that serves first only gets one person to serve.  They keep serving until they lose a point then it goes to the other team.  So the very FIRST score called before you play a point is 0-0-2 (meaning, the starting team is only getting to use person to serve).

2) You only get points when you are the serving team

3) When it is your team's turn to serve you stay on the same side of the court where you started the prior point.  If you win the point you change sides with your partner and the receivers always stay where they are.  Keep doing that until you lose a point - then your partner serves from wherever they are currently standing - easy!!!

With all this said, don't worry if you don't have this 100% committed to memory.  Just go play and do your best. Usually with 4 people, somebody remembers!

Here is the link for the USA/IFP Rules web site if you really feel like digging in.

https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/ifp-official-rules/