Free pickleball scorekeeper
How to call the score in pickleball
In doubles you call three numbers before every serve: server score, receiver score, server number. Tap who won each rally below and the scorekeeper tells you exactly what to call next.
0 – 0 – 2
Us serving. Start of game — first server only.
Doubles, side-out scoring. Game to 11, win by 2.
The three numbers, explained
Pickleball doubles uses side-out scoring: only the serving team can score, and each team gets two servers before the serve goes back to the other side. That's why the score has a third number.
4
Server's score
Always said first — the team about to serve.
2
Receiver's score
The team returning serve.
1
Server number
1 for the first server on the team, 2 for their partner.
So “4–2–1” means the serving team has 4, the receivers have 2, and it's the first server's turn.
How the score moves
- Serving team wins the rally: they get a point, and the same player serves again from the other side of the court.
- Serving team loses the rally as server 1: no point. Their partner becomes server 2.
- Serving team loses the rally as server 2: side out. The other team takes over the serve, starting with server 1 — whoever is on the right-hand side.
- Start of the game: the first serving team only gets one server, so the game opens at “0–0–2”. Lose that first rally and it's a side out.
Try it: the first few serves of a game.
- Game starts. Server calls
0 – 0 – 2. - Serving team wins the rally. Server switches sides and calls
1 – 0 – 2. - Serving team loses the rally. Side out — the other team serves:
0 – 1 – 1. - They lose a rally. Partner serves:
0 – 1 – 2. - They win a rally. Server switches sides:
1 – 1 – 2.
Which side do you serve from?
Check the serving team's score. Even (0, 2, 4…) means the player who started the game on the right should be on the right. Odd means they should be on the left. If your positions don't match the score, someone is out of place — fix it before the serve.
Singles
Singles skips the server number. Call your score, then your opponent's. Serve from the right when your score is even, from the left when it's odd.
Scoring questions we hear on court
Why does the game start at 0–0–2?
Serving first is an advantage, so the starting team only gets one server. Calling that player “server 2” means that when they lose a rally, the serve passes straight to the other team.
Can the receiving team score?
Not with traditional side-out scoring. Win the rally as the receiving team and you just win the serve back, or move the other team on to their second server.
What does a game go to?
11 points, win by 2, for most rec play. Tournaments sometimes play to 15 or 21 — still win by 2.
Somebody called the wrong score. Now what?
Stop before the serve and sort it out. Replay the last few rallies out loud, and use the even/odd starting-position check above. If you're still stuck, most groups agree on the score both teams can live with and move on.
Who calls the score?
The server, loud enough for the receiver to hear, before every serve. If you're the receiver and didn't hear it, ask before they serve.
Want the rest of your game this sorted?
We're Chris and Jennifer Bowring, PPR & DUPR certified coaches in southern Maine. We run lessons, skill clinics, camps, leagues and tournaments — and yes, we'll make sure your group can call the score.