Tonight, I was playing with my regular group of picklers, and after one grueling 14-shot rally, I looked at my partner and said: “I have no idea who just served.” I’m not sure why I could not remember a simple event that occurred 45 seconds ago, and I was surprised it happened to me. I have seen it happen many times to other groups, and at times, the discussions were fairly heated.

This led me to research methods of keeping score in pickleball. I figured since it is such a common problem, there has to be a solution! My findings led me to several options for pickleball players to track rally scoring and who served, including beaded bracelets, smartwatch apps, utilizing a digital scoreboard, and even using a simple clothespin.

How Does Scoring Work in Pickleball?

Scoring in pickleball may seem complicated at first, but it is relatively straightforward. Most players are able to recall the score, and the score is called out before every point. Here is a video that illustrates how pickleball scoring works when put into practice:

For players who find themselves so caught up in a rally (or simply forgot to drink their morning coffee), there are other methods for keeping track of the pickleball score.

Are There Pickleball Score Keeper Apps?

If you have an Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Scorekeeper App is integrated with Apple Health and can help you track matches, unforced errors, and even player strengths and weaknesses. It can help you easily keep track of the score and will record the score over multiple sets.

What is a Pickleball Scoring Bracelet?

A pickleball beaded bracelet is a fashionable scorekeeper solution. This bracelet has tiny numbered beads which are manually moved as the score changes. Some people refer to these as a wearable “abacus” because they are similar. Pickleball bracelets are inexpensive and can be purchased on websites like Etsy.

Image courtesy of pickleballscorekeep on Etsy

What is a Pickleball Scoreband?

A scoreband is a device that you wear on your wrist, similar to a watch. It has two buttons that you can press in order to keep score. One button controls your team’s score, and the other your opponent’s score. They typically go up to 99, so if you have an epic pickleball showdown, you can easily keep track of how many points have been scored.

Courtside Score Keeper Options

Both manual scorekeepers and LED digital display options exist. Some can be draped over the net, while others attach to chain link fences. The choice of which type to buy depends on personal preference.

A manual scorekeeper is usually a board that has numbers printed on plastic cards that can be flipped to indicate the score. They don’t require batteries or an energy source, so they can be easily transported and are reliable.

Digital LED display scoreboards do require an energy source, but they look amazing and may be a better option for players who enjoy playing in low-light conditions. Some of the options available have sound effects, timers, or will call out the score. Due to this, it may be important to test run your device before playing in an area with a noise ordination or find one that you can adjust the settings and volume.

Even the Odds: Scoring Based on Position

If you forgot your fancy pickleball score device at home, there’s another way of tracking the score based on who is currently serving and the side they are serving from.

1. The first server in a pickleball game always starts on the right side of the court. Whenever this person serves from the right side, the score will always be even.

2. The second server is the person playing on the left side of the court, and when this person serves, the score will always be odd.

Use this simple rule to determine the score based on who is serving and their service court area. This tip will help you identify your team’s score based on it being even or odd, and your opponent’s score can also be helped by this logic. Of course, since scoring is a collaborative effort, talk to your partner and opponents to get it right and call the score before every point.

This helpful graphic from Pickleball Kitchen illustrates how this method works:

The left panel of this diagram shows that the score is even (4) for the serving team, so the current server (green dot) began the game on the right side.

The right panel shows the score is odd (3), so the current server began the game on the left side.

This technique will not identify the exact score, but it will help determine who should be serving and what the score could be. Use the rule to work through it with your partner to deduce the score.

Sleuthing: Who Served the Last Point?

Typically, the service return team is set in a staggard formation – receiver at the baseline and partner up at the kitchen line – when a serve occurs.

If you have forgotten who served the last point, take a moment to walk through that point, starting with either the return of serve or the 3rd shot delivery.

These questions will help you remember who served last:

Does anyone remember the placement of the serve or how it was returned?
Did the service returning team poach?
Was the third shot a dink or a drive? Who returned it?

In these scenarios, it may take a little detective work to walk back to the original server, but these questions can lead you in the right direction.

Final Tips for Keeping Track of the Server During Your Games

These methods may be good for beginners to use to help you keep track of who is serving.

A clothespin is attached to the top of the net that is flipped to the server side after every side out.
A wristband or sweatband is worn by the server to indicate who is serving.
Small towel, held in the pocket of the current server, or placed in the backcourt.

Keep Your Cool - Pickleball is Fun!

Lastly, always keep your cool and work out scorekeeping and service issues quickly and with a friendly demeanor. No use in wasting energy over a scoring discussion. Save your energy for your next rally during the games, and remember to have fun out there!