Pickleball formats vary from event to event: games to 11 or 15, win by two or by one, one game or best of three. ScoreCastr asks for your format when you create the match, then closes each game for you. In doubles, it also shows the score call viewers hear on court. This guide explains the rules the app follows.
How a game ends
You pick Points to Win (11 Points, 15 Points or 21 Points) and Win By (Win by 1 or Win by 2) when you create the match. A game ends on the point where both are true: the side has at least the target score, and leads by at least the margin.
| Format | Ends at | Keeps going at |
|---|---|---|
| 11, win by 2 | 11-9, 12-10, 13-11 | 11-10, 12-11 |
| 11, win by 1 | 11-10 | 10-10 |
| 15, win by 2 | 15-13, 16-14 | 15-14 |
| 21, win by 2 | 21-19, 22-20 | 21-20 |
There's no point cap: a win-by-two game carries on until someone is two ahead.
When the game ends, its final score is saved, the points go back to 0-0 and the winner's games go up by one. The scorebug shows each finished game's score in order.
How the match ends
Best of Sets on the setup screen is the number of games for pickleball:
| Best of | Games to win |
|---|---|
| 1 Set | 1 |
| 3 Sets | 2 |
| 5 Sets | 3 |
When a side wins that many games, the match is over. The card title shows (Match Complete), the buttons lock and the scorebug shows MATCH COMPLETE with the winner. Using End Match on the Game Actions tab also completes it.
Who can score
ScoreCastr counts the points you give it. It doesn't enforce side-out scoring, so it won't stop a point going to the receiving side, and it doesn't move the serve. That works for traditional and rally formats alike: you click +1 for whoever won the point under your event's rules, and click a serve button whenever the serve changes.
The AUTO POINT TAB on Apex and Primetime does assume side-out scoring: it only shows GAME POINT or MATCH POINT for the serving side, when its next point would win.
The doubles server number
In doubles, each side has two serve buttons, one per player, like "Smith Serve" and "Jones Serve".
- The first player's button (the name entered first for that side) sets server 1.
- The second player's button sets server 2.
The scorebug shows one serve dot for server 1 and two dots for server 2. Because the number comes from the button, click the partner whose number you want shown: when the second server takes over after the first loses the rally, press the other partner's button.
The score call (4-2-1)
On the Apex and Primetime templates, a doubles match shows the score call while the match is live. It's the classic three numbers:
- The serving side's score.
- The receiving side's score.
- The server number, 1 or 2.
So if the serving side leads 4-2 and their second server is up, the call reads 4-2-2. Apex shows it on the scorebug; Primetime adds it to the subtitle strip. The call isn't shown in singles, on Classic, or once the match is complete.
The call is worked out from what's on the dashboard, so it's only as right as the serve buttons. Keep them up to date and the call takes care of itself.
Fix a wrong score
- A point to the wrong side: -1 for that side, +1 for the other.
- The wrong server: click the right player's serve button.
- A game closed by mistake: -1 can't reopen it, and pickleball has no games buttons. Reset Match on the Game Actions tab starts the match over.
Stream Deck codes
Pickleball uses the universal codes: 2002 and 2005 add a point for side 1 and side 2, 2001 and 2004 take one away. For the doubles server, 2003 and 2007 set side 1's server 1 and server 2, and 2006 and 2008 do the same for side 2. Build them with the Text action; see Set up a Stream Deck.
Checklist
- Points to Win, Win By and Best of set to your event's format
- Partners entered in the order you want for server 1 and server 2
- Serve buttons clicked at every change of server
- Score call checked on the scorebug, if you're on Apex or Primetime