Want to Excel Using Rally Scoring? Here are the 8 Strategies you need.
1. Using Scoring Shorthand in Rally Scoring
Rally scoring presents a twist on how we think about our score progress during a game. More specifically, the shorthand we use to know what we need to do to succeed in a game change between traditional (server-only) scoring and rally scoring.
With traditional scoring, we understand that if the score is 8-4, for example, that the team with 8 needs to score 3 more points on its serve to win and the team with 4 needs to score 4 more points to tie or 7 to win. If we are the team with 4, we know that if we can hold the other team at 8 we can keep “chipping away” at the score to tie and then, hopefully, win the game.
By comparison, a score of 18-14 in rally scoring is very different. You can no longer “chip away” at their lead if you have 14. And if you have 18, except for the final point, you can still score when you are playing the return side. As you will see more fully below, a 4-point gap in rally scoring is not the same as a 4-point gap in a traditional scoring game. And understanding that difference will make it a much easier transition from using traditional scoring to excel at playing using rally scoring.
2. Keeping it Close
If we are behind in a game, we always want to keep the score close. This is even more important if you want to excel at rally scoring. Rally scoring is a game where the relative score is paramount, particularly as you get into the teens.
Because each rally ends in a point being awarded, you do not want to fall too far behind in the score. If you are ahead, the more you can pad the score the better. A lead of 1 or 2 points in rally scoring does not provide the same advantage that a 1-2 point lead in a traditional scoring game does.
3. The ½ lead perspective
If you start the game as the return team, chances are you will win the first rally played and will thus lead the game 1-0. It is helpful to think of this lead as a ½ lead. This is because your opponents, who are now the return team, are favored to win the next rally, thus making the score 1-1.
Let’s play this game out until the end to see how the ½ lead benefits you. You and your opponents keep trading blows evenly, each of you winning when you are on the return side. The score will eventually be 20-19. And here is the key: you will be the team with 20.
Thus, you will have the first chance to close out the game by breaking the streak of not winning on your serve until then. You can just hold on, trading return side points until 20 and then win it.
From the serve side in the same example, you will first half to take the ½ lead and then win the game. This means you have to win 2 points on serve in order to win the game.
Using the same numbers as above, the score is 20-19 and you have 19 (your opponent is serving). You win on the return side, making the game 20-20. You win 1 point on the serve side and the score is now 21-20. You still have to win 1 more point as the serve side in order to close the game out.
One more note about keeping the ½ lead in mind as you play.
If at a sideout you are the team “catching up,” then the other team has the ½ lead at that point of the game. So if the score was 14-13 with your opponent serving and you win (from the return side) to make it 14-14, you caught up and your opponent has the ½ lead.
This is important because in a back-and-forth game your first goal will be to capture the ½ lead. This can make the difference at the end of the game when all you need is 1 serve side point to win while your opponent needs 2.
4. Electing to Serve or Return
The last section should have made it clear: when you get to pick side (as in a tournament), you always want to pick return in rally scoring. There is no exception in rally scoring where you would pick serve first.
5. Playing game point
Closing out the game is always important, but it is more so in rally scoring. This is because in rally scoring your failure to close out the game will result in a point being awarded to your opponent. Say you are serving at 20-19 and you do not close out the game. The score will now be 20-20 and you will need to score 2 points to close it out (assuming the other team does not score on its next serve).
In traditional scoring, you want to close the game out at 10-9, but losing the rally on your serve does not result in a tied game. You can still sideout your opponent and then serve again at 10-9. Not so in rally scoring. Your world gets a whole lot more complicated in rally scoring when you do not close out the game.
What you want to do here is hyper focus on game point to excel in a rally scoring match. Play smart, optimal pickleball and put as much pressure on your opponents as possible. While it is never a good time to hit the net with the ball or to try a crazy low percentage shot, game point in a rally scoring game is certainly not the time.
6. Risky Serve Side Play
With traditional scoring, you could take more risks on the serve side. If you tried something and it did not work, you could just side out your opponents and then get the serve back, no harm done. Not so with rally scoring. Low percentage shots often bite you in rally scoring, and they bite you right away.
7. Extending rallies
On a related note, while extending rallies has always been a good strategy, it becomes even more important in rally scoring. Third shots landing in the net, for instance, will torpedo your chances to excel in a rally scoring game. Each time you do that, you award your opponents a point. The days of making those mistakes and not paying a price are over when you move to rally scoring.
8. Court Positioning
In rally scoring we do not switch left to right when we play. It is important that your place your team in the best position at the start of the game. If all else is equal, then consider placing your best server on the right side. That will give you the best serve at 20-x.
Stacking is still available to you in a rally scoring game. Use it as will best help your team. If you do not understand the strategies behind stacking, you can get our master lab on stacking – click here for more information. Stacking is a tremendously powerful tool to have in your toolbox.
You can switch positions left to right during a timeout. If you find that your initial starting positions are not working, then consider switching. In recreational games that use rally scoring, we recommend allowing 2 position changes per team: once whenever a team wants to and once if you are switching sides at 11 (if not, then a second opportunity when the team wants to).
Final Words
It is unclear when rally scoring will become widespread, or even exclusive, to pickleball. But it is likely only a matter of time until we are all playing rally scoring games some or all of the time. If you would like a free download of our Guide to Rally Scoring click here
If you are a player who wants more out of pickleball, join us. At Better Pickleball we provide professionally designed courses and materials to help you get the most out of pickleball. Check out our Pickleball Academy for a list of all of our pickleball courses.
Note: we use MLP rally scoring rules here as MLP is the leader in rally scoring development and implementation. These strategies may change if different rally scoring rules are ultimately adopted. An area that has changed and can have a big impact on how you approach certain parts of the game is the freeze for the team that is behind in the score. There is currently no trailing team freeze.
Still not sure if you are ready for rally scoring? Leave us a comment below and then check out our 7 Reasons to Adopt Rally Scoring here.
