How does scoring work in pickleball?

Only the serving team scores. Games go to 11 points, win by 2. In doubles, the score is called as three numbers: serving team score, receiving team score, and server number (1 or 2).

What is a side out in pickleball?

A side out happens when the serving team loses the serve. Both players on a doubles team get to serve before a side out occurs (except the very first serve of the game).

How Pickleball Scoring Works: Simply Explained

Q: What does 0-0-2 mean in pickleball?

0-0-2 is the score at the start of every pickleball game. It means the serving team has 0 points, the receiving team has 0 points, and it's server #2's turn. The first serving team starts with only one serve (as server #2) to balance the game.

📅 Updated 2025 ⏱ 6 min read

Pickleball scoring confuses almost every beginner. The key things to know: only the serving team can score. Games go to 11, win by 2. In doubles, you call three numbers — not two. And the game always starts at 0-0-2 (not 0-0-1).

📋 In this guide

Scoring basics
The three-number score call
What is a side out?
Step-by-step example
Singles scoring
Rally scoring
FAQ

Scoring Basics

Pickleball uses a traditional side-out scoring system:

Only the serving team can score. If the receiving team wins a rally, they earn the serve, not a point.
Games go to 11 points, win by 2. You must win by at least 2 — so a 10-10 game continues until someone is ahead by 2.
Tournament games sometimes play to 15 or 21 points.

The Three-Number Score Call (Doubles)

In doubles, the score is called as three numbers — in this exact order:

Serving team's score
Receiving team's score
Server number (1 or 2)

📌 Example: "5-3-2"
The serving team has 5 points. The receiving team has 3. It's the second server's turn for the serving team. If this server faults, the serve passes to the other team (side out).

Why is there a server 1 and server 2?

In doubles, both players on the serving team get a turn to serve before the serve switches sides. The first player to serve that turn is server 1, and their partner is server 2. Once both players have lost their serve, it's a side out and the other team serves.

What Is a Side Out?

A side out happens when the serving team loses the serve. Both partners on a doubles team must lose their serve for a side out to occur (except the very first turn of the game).

When a side out happens, the entire other team becomes the serving team. The player in the right-hand court on the new serving team always serves first.

⚠️ The "0-0-2" start
Every pickleball game begins with the score called "0-0-2." That means both teams have 0 points, and the first server is designated server #2. This means if the first server faults, the serve immediately switches to the other team — giving the receiving team a fairer start instead of giving the serving team a full two-serve advantage right from the opening rally.

Step-by-Step Scoring Example

Let's walk through the first few rallies of a doubles game:

Score Called	What Happens	New Score
0-0-2	Server 2 (Team A) wins the rally	1-0-2
1-0-2	Server 2 (Team A) faults → side out	0-1-1
0-1-1	Server 1 (Team B) wins the rally	1-1-1
1-1-1	Server 1 (Team B) faults → moves to server 2	1-1-2
1-1-2	Server 2 (Team B) wins the rally	2-1-2
2-1-2	Server 2 (Team B) faults → side out back to Team A	1-2-1

Notice that when the serve returns to Team A (who had 1 point), they now call 1-2-1 — their score is 1, the opponent's is 2, and it's server 1's turn.

Singles Scoring

Singles scoring is simpler because there's no partner. The score is called as just two numbers: your score first, then your opponent's.

Same rules apply — only the server scores
If you serve and win the rally: you score a point and serve again from the opposite side
If you serve from the right side, your score is even (0, 2, 4...)
If you serve from the left side, your score is odd (1, 3, 5...)

This is a quick way to check if you're serving from the correct side in singles.

Rally Scoring (Alternative Format)

Some leagues and recreational groups use rally scoring, where either team can score on any rally — not just when serving. Rally scoring speeds up the game and is required in some professional formats. If you're playing rally scoring:

Every rally results in a point for someone
The team that wins the rally serves next (or retains the serve if they were already serving)
Games are typically played to 15 or 21 under rally scoring

Check with your local group which format they use — rec play varies widely.

FAQ: Pickleball Scoring

What does 0-0-2 mean in pickleball?

It's the score every game starts with. It means both teams have 0 points, and the first server is designated as server #2. This means if they fault, the serve immediately switches to the opposing team — it prevents the first team from getting a full two-serve advantage right from the start.

What is a side out?

A side out is when the serving team loses their serve. In doubles, both players on the serving team must use up their serve before a side out occurs. When a side out happens, the other team starts serving — and serves from server 1.

Can you win on a return in pickleball?

No — with traditional scoring, you can only score a point when your team is serving. If you win a rally while receiving, you get the serve (side out), but no point is added to your score.

What happens at 10-10 in pickleball?

You keep playing. In a game to 11, the score of 10-10 means both teams need to win by 2 — so play continues until one team reaches 12 (or more) with a 2-point lead.

How do you know which side to serve from?

Your serving position is determined by your score. If your score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10...) you serve from the right side. If it's odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9...) you serve from the left. This applies to both singles and doubles.