Rally scoring is a system where a point is awarded on every rally or point, regardless of which team served. This is different from the traditional side-out scoring system, where only the serving team can score a point.

Rally Scoring (Traditional Format – Used Informally)

Before 2025, rally scoring was occasionally used in recreational or time-limited games to speed up matches. Here’s how it typically worked:

• A point is awarded on every rally—whether you’re serving or receiving
• Games usually go to 15 or 21 points, win by 2
• Easy to follow and ensures faster game turnover
• No special rule about who must serve to win the game

Drawback: Some purists felt it removed the strategic value of serve and return sequences.

The 2025 USA Pickleball Rally Scoring (Provisional Rule)

In 2025, USA Pickleball officially introduced a provisional rally scoring format—but with specific guidelines and restrictions to preserve key elements of traditional play:

How It Works:

• A point is still awarded on every rally, just like traditional rally scoring
• However, the final point (match point) must be won by the serving team
• This aims to preserve the importance of the serve while modernizing scoring

Common Rally Scoring Formats:

• Games played to 11, 15, or 21, win by 2
• Players switch sides when the combined score is a multiple of 6, 8, or 11 (depending on game length)

Where It’s Allowed:

• Round-robin play (singles or doubles)
• Team events
• Singles double-elimination

Where It’s NOT Allowed:

• Doubles double-elimination brackets
• National or Golden Ticket qualifying events (still use side-out scoring)

Why the Change?

USA Pickleball is testing rally scoring to:

• Shorten match times for scheduling consistency
• Make scoring easier for beginners
• Create a more viewer-friendly experience for broadcast and streaming

It is provisional in 2025, meaning it could become permanent depending on player and tournament feedback.

The Bottom Line

The new 2025 rally scoring rule keeps the fast pace and simplicity of traditional rally scoring but adds a strategic twist: you must serve to win. This hybrid approach helps balance modern play with the traditional feel of pickleball strategy.