Guide
Tennis, padel and pickleball: three ways to count
Anyone switching between racket sports brings their scoring habits along, and some are wrong. Tennis and padel are twins; pickleball is another world: points that go up by one, only for the serving side, and a three-number call. Here are the differences that matter, and how TennisScore handles them.
Points
- Tennis and padel: 15, 30, 40 and game; at deuce the advantages, or the deciding point (in padel the golden point, the professional rule from 2020 to 2025)
- Pickleball: 0, 1, 2, 3… up to 11 (or 15, or 21), win by two; at 10-all play goes on
- In tennis and padel whoever wins the rally scores; in traditional pickleball only the serving side, and the receiver earns the serve
Games, sets and match
- Tennis and padel: games make a set, to six with a two-game lead and the tie-break at 6-all; the match is best of three or five sets, sometimes with a super tie-break instead of the deciding set
- Pickleball: there are no sets; the match is best of 1, 3 or 5 games, and there is no tie-break
- Tennis and padel call the score from the server (40-15); pickleball with three numbers: server's points, receiver's points, server number
Who serves
- Tennis and padel: one player serves the whole game, then the other side; in doubles the order of the four servers stays for the whole set
- Pickleball: the serve changes hands within the game, with the side out; in doubles each team has two servers in a row, and the team starting the game has only one (the "0 - 0 - 2" call)
- The serving side: in tennis and padel it alternates every point; in pickleball it depends on your own score, even on the right and odd on the left
Changes of ends
- Tennis and padel: after the odd games of every set and every six points in the tie-break
- Pickleball: after every game and, in the deciding game, halfway (6 points in a game to 11, 8 in a game to 15, 11 in a game to 21)
In the app
TennisScore has one engine for tennis and padel and one for pickleball: choose the sport in the new match and the right rules are already there. For tennis and padel the buttons say "Point" and the board shows sets and games; for pickleball they say "Rally", the board shows the call and the games won, and the ball carries the server number. Live score, notifications, statistics, watch and photos are the same for the three sports.
Frequently asked questions
Is padel really scored like tennis?
Yes, in everything: 15, 30, 40, game, sets to six with the tie-break at 6-all, match best of three sets. Official events use the golden point at deuce, and the app sets it by itself when you choose Padel.
Is there deuce in pickleball?
No: points are numbers that go up by one, and a game is won at 11 with a two-point lead. At 10-all play goes on until one team is two points ahead.
Why do the pickleball buttons say "Rally" and not "Point"?
Because whoever wins the rally does not always score: if they were receiving, they get the serve. The app knows when to score and when to pass the serve.
Can I use the same watch for the three sports?
Yes: the watch app shows sets and games for tennis and padel, and for pickleball both sides' points, the games won and the server number.
More guides
Three sports, one app
TennisScore counts tennis, padel and pickleball with their own rules, from the phone or the wrist: free, with no ads.
