How to call the score in doubles pickleball: the three numbers and server 1 and 2

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Pickleball doubles is the only common sport where the score has three numbers, and calling it is the thing new players find most confusing. Once you understand what each number means and how the serve passes from player to player, it becomes automatic. This guide uses the traditional side-out scoring that most recreational doubles is played with.

The three numbers

Before each serve, the server calls the score aloud in this order:

The serving team's score
The receiving team's score
The server number: 1 or 2

So "4-2-1" means the serving team has 4, the receivers have 2, and the first server on the serving team is serving. Only the serving team can score. If the receivers win the rally, nobody scores; the serve moves on.

Server 1 and server 2

Each team gets two serves in turn, one per player, before the serve passes to the other team.

Server 1 is the player who serves first when the team wins the serve. That is whoever is standing in the right-hand service court at that moment.
When server 1 loses a rally, their partner becomes server 2 and serves from wherever they are standing.
When server 2 loses a rally, it is a side out: the serve passes to the other team, and their player on the right becomes their server 1.

The server number is not fixed to a person. It depends on who is on the right when your team gets the serve.

Why the game starts at 0-0-2

At the start of a game, the first serving team only gets one server, not two. To show this, the first serve of the game is called "0-0-2", as if the first server is already server 2. When that team loses a rally, the serve goes straight to the opponents. This stops the team that serves first having an unfair advantage.

Switching sides while serving

The first serve of each service turn is made from the right court.
Each time the serving team wins a point, the server switches sides with their partner and serves again, now from the other court, to the other receiver.
The receiving team does not switch sides.
When the serve passes to the partner (server 2), that player serves from wherever they are standing at that moment.

Checking your position

Each player's starting side gives you a quick check. If your team's score is even, the player who served first for your team in the game (the starting server) should be on the right. If it is odd, they should be on the left. If that is not where they are, someone is out of position.

A worked example

Team A serves first. The call is 0-0-2. Team A wins the rally: 1-0-2, the server switches sides and serves again.
Team A loses the next rally. Side out. Team B's player on the right serves: 0-1-1.
Team B wins a point: 1-1-1, the server switches sides.
Team B loses a rally. Their partner serves: 1-1-2.
Team B loses again. Side out to Team A, whose player on the right serves: 1-1-1.

Tips for keeping track

Call the score every time, loudly enough for the other team to hear, before serving.
If you lose track, stop and agree the score before playing on. Working back from the last score everyone agreed on is quicker than arguing.
Wearing something to mark your starting server, such as a wristband, helps some pairs.
Under rally scoring, which is allowed in some formats, a point is scored on every rally, so check how your session handles the score call before the game.

Did the 0-0-2 start confuse you at first? Ask a question or share your own trick for remembering the score in the comments below.