5 Common Scoring Mistakes Pickleball Players Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Pickleball may be easy to learn, but scoring correctly? That’s where things get messy. Even experienced players can slip up, especially in the heat of a close match. Here are five of the most common scoring mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Forgetting the Score Between Rallies

You're between rallies, get tossed the ball to serve, and then suddenly… "Wait, what’s the score again?" This happens more often than you’d think, especially after long or intense points.

How to avoid it:

• Always call the score before serving.
• Use a scoreboard like Dropshot that tracks it for you after every rally.

2. Calling the Score Incorrectly

You say "5-4-2," but it’s actually "4-5-1." Now everyone’s confused. Calling the wrong score can derail the rhythm and cause disputes.

How to avoid it:

• Practice calling the score out loud.
• Use Dropshot to verify the current server and score before each serve.

3. Losing Track of the Server Number

In doubles, each team has two servers per side-out. Mixing up who’s serving leads to confusion and often an incorrect game state.

How to avoid it:

• Remember who started the game on each side, that player is always the first server when their team gets the ball back.
• Let Dropshot automatically track server order and number.

4. Not Switching Sides Correctly

During side changes (like at 6 points in games to 11), players often forget to switch or do so incorrectly, which messes up positioning.

How to avoid it:

• Know the switch points for your format.
• Use a scoreboard that makes it easy to track side switches without second-guessing, Dropshot makes this much more intuitive.

5. Guessing Instead of Clarifying

You’re unsure of the score or serving position, and instead of asking, you guess. One mistake leads to another.

How to avoid it:

• Always pause and clarify if unsure.
• Or better yet, let technology handle it so you can just play.

Dropshot Makes These Mistakes Nearly Impossible

With Dropshot, you just tap the button after each rally. The score updates, the server rotates, and the game logic flows—without you needing to remember a thing.

Play better. Dispute less. Focus more.

👉 Learn more about Dropshot and take the stress out of scorekeeping.