Why Does Pickleball Start With 0-0-2?
If you're new to pickleball, you've probably heard someone call out, "Zero, zero, two!" and wondered...
"How can the game start with the second server?"
It sounds backwards, but there's a simple reason for it. Once you understand what each number means, the opening score call makes perfect sense.
The Setup
Every doubles score in pickleball has three numbers.
1. The first number is your team's score.
If your team has 4 points, the first number is 4.
2. The second number is your opponents' score.
If they have 2 points, the second number is 2.
3. The third number tells you which server is serving.
A 1 means it's the first server. A 2 means it's the second server.
So when the game begins and you hear 0-0-2, here's what it means:
- Your team has 0 points.
- Your opponents have 0 points.
- The starting server is considered the second server.
Why It Works
This is one of the few special rules in doubles pickleball.
Normally, each team gets two servers before the serve passes to the other side. The only exception is the very first serving team.
To keep the opening serve from becoming too much of an advantage, only one player on the first serving team gets to serve. If that player loses the rally, the serve immediately goes to the other team instead of switching to their partner.
If they keep winning rallies and scoring points, they simply continue serving until they eventually lose one.
After that first side out, the game returns to the normal serving sequence, where both partners get a chance to serve before the serve changes teams.
The next time you hear 0-0-2, don't think of it as the second server starting the game.
Think of it as the first serving team using its one and only opening server before the match settles into the regular serving order.
It sounds confusing at first, but after a few games, calling the score becomes just another part of the rhythm of pickleball.