What does 7-4-2 mean in pickleball?

In doubles with traditional side-out scoring, the server calls three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, and the server number (1 or 2). 7-4-2 means the serving team has 7, the receivers have 4, and the second server on the serving team is serving.

Why does the first server of a pickleball doubles game call 0-0-2?

The team serving first in a game only gets one server before a side out. Calling the server number as 2 from the start means the first fault ends their serve instead of passing it to a partner.

Who can score in pickleball?

With side-out scoring only the serving side can score. With rally scoring either side scores on every rally.

How do you win a game of pickleball?

Reach the target score (11 is common; 15 and 21 are also used) with a lead of at least two points.

Pickleball Scoring Explained: How to Call the Score (7-4-2)

Try the calls on a practice board

Format Scoring Game to

0-0-2

zero, zero, two

The short version

Say the serving team's score first, then the receiving team's score.
In doubles with side-out scoring, add a third number: which server is serving, 1 or 2.
In singles and in rally scoring, there are only two numbers.
A game goes to 11 points (some events use 15 or 21) and you must win by two.

Side-out scoring, the traditional way

Only the team that is serving can score. If they win the rally they get a point and the same server serves again, moving to the other side of the court. If they lose it, the serve passes on and nobody scores.

Doubles: two servers per team

Each team has a first and a second server. When the serving team loses a rally, the first server hands over to their partner (the second server). When the second server loses one, it is a side out: the other team takes over, and the player standing in the right-hand court serves first.

Why every game starts at 0-0-2

The team that serves first in a game gets just one server, so the call starts as "zero, zero, two". The first lost rally is already a side out, and from then on both teams get two servers each turn.

Where each player stands

The serving team's players only switch sides after winning a point, so a team's positions follow its own score: the player who started the game in the right court is in the right court whenever their team's score is even. The server serves from the right when the serving score is even and from the left when it is odd.

An example game

What happened	Call	Why
Game starts, Team A serves	0-0-2	One server only for the first serve.
A wins the rally, twice	2-0-2	The same server keeps going and the score rises.
B wins the rally	0-2-1	Side out. B serves, so B's 0 is called first; A has 2; B's first server serves.
B wins the next rally	1-2-1	The serving team scores.
A wins the next rally	1-2-2	B's first server lost it, so B's second server serves. No score change.

Rally scoring

Some events use rally scoring, where every rally scores a point for whoever wins it, serving or not. The call is two numbers only, serving score then receiving score, because there is no second server: when the receiving side wins a rally they score and take over the serve. A rally scoring game still has to be won by two points.

The practice board above runs both systems, so you can see how the third number simply disappears.

Singles

Singles has one server per side, so there is no server number and the call is two numbers: your score, then your opponent's. You serve from the right court when your score is even and the left when it is odd. When you lose a rally in side-out singles it is a side out and your opponent serves.

Ending a game and switching ends

A game ends when one side reaches the target (11, 15 or 21) and leads by at least two. 11-10 keeps going; 12-10 ends it.
Between games the teams change ends and the team that received first serves first in the next game.
In a deciding game, teams change ends the first time a side reaches the midpoint: 6 in a game to 11, 8 in a game to 15, 11 in a game to 21.

If you also play tennis or padel

Tennis-style scoring is called the other way round for your own server: the server's score is still said first, but in words and in steps of love, fifteen, thirty, forty.

Points	Spoken
Server 15, receiver 0	Fifteen, love
Both 30	Thirty all
Both at 40	Deuce
One point ahead after deuce	Advantage, (player)

At deuce you can play it three ways. Classic advantage means you must win by two points. No-ad (or golden point in padel) means one deciding point at the first 40-40, and the receivers choose which side to receive on. The Star Point version used in some padel events lets the game go to deuce up to three times, with one deciding point at the third deuce, where the receivers again choose the side.