# Side-Out Scoring vs Rally Scoring: What Is the Difference?

https://picklecall.app/blog/formats/side-out-vs-rally-scoring-pickleball · Game formats; published 2026-11-01, updated 2026-11-01 · Kallos Labs

> In side-out scoring only the serving side can score. In rally scoring every rally scores a point, whoever served. Both play to 11, 15 or 21 and win by 2. Side-out is the standard; rally scoring is an optional, provisional format.

The difference is who can score. In side-out scoring only the serving side can win a point. In rally scoring every rally ends in a point for the side that won it, whether they served or not. Both formats play to 11, 15 or 21 and you win by 2. Side-out scoring is the standard, and rally scoring is an optional format that is still provisional.

Not sure which one your group plays? The rest of this guide shows how each runs and how the call changes. More on this topic is in our [formats guides](https://picklecall.app/blog/formats).

## How does side-out scoring work?

Only the serving side can score. When the serving side wins the rally, it gets a point and the same server serves again. When the serving side loses the rally, it gets no point. The serve moves on instead, as [the rulebook's side-out description](https://usapickleball.org/usap-news/provisional-approval-of-rally-scoring-for-singles/) puts it: if the server loses, the serve passes to the opponent with no point.

In doubles that takes two steps. Server 1 loses a rally and the serve passes to server 2 on the same team. Server 2 loses a rally and it is a side out, so the other team serves. The very first server of a game is the exception: the team starts at 0-0-2, so that first server's loss is a side out right away. If you want the full walk-through, see [keeping score in doubles](https://picklecall.app/blog/scoring/how-to-keep-score-in-pickleball-doubles).

That's why a side-out game can feel slow at times. A team can win several rallies in a row on the other side's serve and still sit on zero.

## How does rally scoring work?

Every rally scores. [The rally scoring rules](https://usapickleball.org/pickleball-skills/level-three/pickleball-scoring-positioning-rally-scoring/) say a point goes to the serving team or the receiving team at the end of each rally. When the receiving side wins a rally, it scores and it also gets the serve.

Three things change in doubles:

- No second server. Each team serves until it loses a rally. There is no server 1 or server 2.
- The game starts at 0-0. The starting team picks one starting server, who serves from the right court at an even score and from the left court at an odd score.
- No freeze. If the serving team loses a rally while the opponent is on game point, the opponent gets the point and the game is over. The game does not wait for the receiving side to get the serve first.

You still win by 2, so a game to 15 can go past 15 if it reaches 14-14. At 14-14, whoever wins the next rally moves to 15-14, and play goes on until someone leads by two.

## What is the difference side by side?

| | Side-out scoring | Rally scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Who can score | Serving side only | Whoever wins the rally |
| Second server in doubles | Yes, server 1 then server 2 | No |
| Doubles starting score | 0-0-2 | 0-0 |
| Numbers in the call | Three in doubles | Two |
| Game length | 11, 15 or 21 | 11, 15 or 21 |
| Win by 2 | Yes | Yes |
| Status | Standard | Optional, provisional |

Game length isn't what separates them. In side-out scoring, a rally can end without any change on the scoreboard, while in rally scoring every rally moves it.

## How does the score call change?

In side-out doubles you call three numbers: the server's score, the receiver's score, then the server number. A game starts at 0-0-2, and after a side out the numbers swap because the serving side's score always comes first. [As the example goes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickleball), 5-3-2 becomes 3-5-1 when the serving team faults and the other team takes over. If that call still looks odd, here is [what 4-2-1 means](https://picklecall.app/blog/scoring/what-does-4-2-1-mean-in-pickleball).

In rally scoring you call two numbers, because there is no server number. Singles side-out scoring uses two numbers too.

## What does one rally look like in each format?

Say the score is 6-4 and the serving team loses the rally.

- Side-out scoring: the serving team scores nothing. Either server 2 takes over or, if server 2 was serving, the other team gets the serve. The score stays 6-4, with the numbers swapped when the serve changes sides.
- Rally scoring: the receiving team scores. It is now 6-5 from the old serving team's view, and the team that won the rally serves next.

Now say the serving team wins the rally. In side-out scoring that is 7-4, and the same server serves again. In rally scoring it is also 7-4, and the serving team's two players swap sides before the next serve. So a rally the server wins looks nearly the same in both formats. The difference shows up on the rallies the server loses.

## Which one should you use?

Use side-out scoring unless the organiser says otherwise. It is the standard, it is what most rec groups and leagues play, and it is what the rulebook assumes by default. A club that wants shorter, more predictable games can choose rally scoring, as long as everyone on court agrees before the first serve.

Rally scoring is provisional, so the details can change from one rulebook to the next. If a call is disputed, check the current rulebook rather than going by memory.

## How does Pickle Call handle both?

Try it in Pickle Call: you tap the side that won the rally, and the app keeps the call, the server number and the serving side for you. [Side-out scoring](https://picklecall.app/features/side-out-scoring) is the standard format, and singles and doubles games to 11 are scored without Unlock. [Rally scoring](https://picklecall.app/features/rally-scoring) comes with Pickle Call Unlock, a one-time purchase with no subscription, and you choose it when you start a game. Pickle Call is coming to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

## Bottom line

Side-out scoring lets only the server score and uses a three-number call in doubles. Rally scoring gives a point on every rally and uses two numbers. Agree on the format before you serve, then keep it for the whole game.

## Questions

### Which scoring system is standard in pickleball?

Side-out scoring is the standard. Rally scoring is an optional format that a tournament or club can choose, and it is still provisional in the rulebook.

### Is there a second server in rally scoring?

No. In rally scoring each team serves until it loses a rally, so there is no server 1 and no server 2 to call.

### Can the receiving team win the game in rally scoring?

Yes. Every rally scores, so a receiving team on game point can win the rally and the game. There is no freeze, and you still need to win by 2.

### Do both formats play to 11?

Both use games to 11, 15 or 21 and win by 2. Games to 11 are the usual choice for side-out scoring in recreational play.

### What is the starting score in each format?

Side-out doubles starts at 0-0-2. Rally scoring starts at 0-0, because there is no server number to call.


## Sources

- [Official rulebook: Rally scoring for singles, provisional approval](https://usapickleball.org/usap-news/provisional-approval-of-rally-scoring-for-singles/)
- [Official rulebook: Pickleball scoring and positioning, rally scoring](https://usapickleball.org/pickleball-skills/level-three/pickleball-scoring-positioning-rally-scoring/)
- [Wikipedia: Pickleball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickleball)