If you are new to pickleball, hearing someone call “0-0-2” before the first serve can be confusing. Why are there three numbers, and why does the game start with a 2 when nobody has even scored yet?
It is actually much simpler than it sounds. In traditional doubles pickleball, the score is called in this order:
Serving team’s score – Receiving team’s score – Server number
So 0-0-2 means that both teams have zero points and the serving team is on Server 2.
The only unusual part is why the game starts with Server 2 instead of Server 1. Here is how it works.
What Does 0-0-2 Mean?
Each number in 0-0-2 tells you something different about the game.
The first number is the serving team’s score, the second number is the receiving team’s score, and the third number tells you whether Server 1 or Server 2 is serving.
So:
First 0: Serving team has 0 points
Second 0: Receiving team has 0 points
2: Server 2 is serving
An easy way to remember the order is:
Me – You – Who
The third number is not another score. It simply tells everyone which serving opportunity the team is currently using.
Why Is There a Third Number?
In doubles pickleball, each team has two players, and normally both players get a chance to serve before the serve moves to the other team.
The first player to serve during that turn is called Server 1. If their team loses the rally, their partner becomes Server 2. If Server 2 then loses a rally, the serving turn ends and the other team gets the serve.
So during most of the game, the pattern looks like this:
Server 1 → Server 2 → Other team serves
That third number in the score simply helps everyone keep track of where the serving team is in that sequence.
Why Does the Game Start at 0-0-2?
This is where pickleball scoring becomes a little unusual.
At the very beginning of the game, the first serving team does not get both serving opportunities. Only one player gets to serve before the serve can move to the other team.
Because the first team only has that one serving opportunity, the starting player is treated as Server 2.
That is why a traditional doubles game begins at:
0-0-2
instead of:
0-0-1
You can think of the 2 as a reminder that once this first server loses the rally, the serving turn is over.
What Happens After 0-0-2?
Imagine the game has just started and the score is 0-0-2.
If the serving team wins the rally, they score a point and the score becomes 1-0-2. The same player continues serving, but switches to the other side of the court.
They keep serving as long as their team continues winning rallies and scoring points.
Once that team loses a rally, their first serving turn is finished. Because the game began with Server 2, there is no additional server waiting to take over. The serve moves to the other team.
From that point onward, teams normally get both Server 1 and Server 2 before their serving turn ends.
What Do Server 1 and Server 2 Mean?
Server 1 and Server 2 simply tell you which player is serving during the team’s current serving turn.
After the serve moves to a team, Server 1 serves first. If that team loses the rally, the serve passes to their partner, who becomes Server 2.
If Server 2 loses the rally, the serving turn ends and the other team gets the serve.
So the normal pattern is:
Server 1 → Server 2 → Other team serves
The very beginning of the game is the exception:
Server 2 → Other team serves
Is Server 1 Always the Same Player?
No. A player is not permanently Server 1 or Server 2 for the entire game.
The numbers only describe the order of servers during that particular serving turn. After the serve changes teams and eventually comes back again, a different player may become Server 1. After a side out, the player correctly positioned on the right side of the court becomes Server 1 for that service turn.
So you do not need to remember that one person is always “1” and the other is always “2.”
Just remember that Server 1 serves first during that turn, followed by Server 2 if needed.
Quick Recap
In traditional doubles pickleball, the score is called using three numbers:
Serving team’s score – Receiving team’s score – Server number
So 0-0-2 means both teams have zero points and Server 2 is serving.
The game starts with Server 2 because the first serving team only gets one serving opportunity at the beginning of the game. After that first turn, teams normally follow the usual pattern:
Server 1 → Server 2 → Other team serves
Once you understand what the third number represents, 0-0-2 becomes much easier to remember.
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