Mastering the Scoring System in Pickleball: A Comprehensive Guide
Pickleball, a sport that merges elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, is not just fun and engaging but also comes with a unique scoring system. It's often joked that learning how to score in pickleball is more difficult than learning how to play the game itself! While this isn't entirely true, the scoring system can seem complex at first. In this post, we'll demystify pickleball scoring, discuss its various formats, and even touch on the humorous debates that often surround it.
The Traditional Scoring System in Pickleball
In traditional pickleball, the scoring system is a bit different from other racquet sports. Here are the basics:
Points and Serving: Only the serving team can score points. The game begins with the player on the right side of the server's court serving diagonally to the opponent's court.
Two Bounce Rule: The ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed. This means the serving team must let the return of serve bounce and the receiving team must let the serve bounce.
Scoring Format: The score is usually called out in a three-number format: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, and the serving player's number (1 or 2). For example, if the serving team has 6 points, the receiving team has 5 points, and the second server is serving, the score would be called out as "6-5-2."
Serving in Pickleball
In pickleball, you can only score a point if your team is serving. Each player on a team gets to serve at least once. The player on the right side of the court will always be the first person to serve. If a player gets to keep serving if their team scored a point, this means that you can get to 11 points and win the game with just one person serving. But what happens if you're serving and you hit it into the net or your team otherwise makes a fault? Then it’s your partner’s turn to serve. That player then becomes the second server.
Win by Two!
You have to win by at least two points in pickleball. There are no exceptions to this rule. This means that if your game is playing to 11 points and the current score is 10-10, then getting to 11 points isn’t going to cut it. You will have to go to 12 in order to put yourself two points ahead of the other team. Then you automatically win. This can go on forever until the two-point spread is achieved.
Alternative Scoring Formats
While the traditional scoring system is widely used, alternative formats exist and are sometimes used in casual play or specific tournaments. These include:
Rally Scoring: In this format, a point is scored on every serve, not just the serving team's. This tends to speed up the game and is often used in time-constrained situations.
Varying Game Points: While most games are played to 11 points, some games or matches might be played to 15 or 21 points, especially in tournament settings.
Conclusion
The scoring system in pickleball is a unique aspect of the game that adds to its strategic depth. Whether you're a beginner learning the ropes or an experienced player keeping up with potential reforms, understanding the scoring system is key to enjoying and excelling at pickleball.
