Complete step-by-step guide to mastering our free scoreboard app
🎯 Getting Started — Quick Setup
Start scoring your pickleball match in seconds:
1Open the Scoreboard: Visit PickleballScore.net on any device — no download or sign-up required!
2Set Team Names: Tap on "Team 1" and "Team 2" headers to customize your team names
3Choose Game Mode: Tap the mode button to cycle through Pickleball (11 pts), Rally Point (15 pts), or Badminton (21 pts)
4Assign Players: Click any court position (P1/P2) to pick players, or use the 👥 Players panel for drag-and-drop
5Start Scoring: Tap anywhere on a team's colored box to score a point!
💡 Pro Tip: The app automatically handles all serving rotations per official USAPA pickleball rules. The 🏓 bouncing paddle icon above a player's box on the court diagram shows who is currently serving. Learn advanced play with our strategy guide.
📊 Court Diagram & Player Assignment
The court diagram is a visual map of all 4 player positions. Here's how to use it:
Assigning Players to Positions
Click any P1/P2 box on the court — a popup picker appears
Type a new name or tap a saved player chip to assign them
Remove a player with the "🗑️ Remove from Position" button in the popup
Names auto-scale to fit the box — no truncation, always readable
Court Controls
↔️ Swap Teams: Flip Team 1 and Team 2 to opposite sides of the court
🔄 Orientation: Switch between horizontal (referee/spectator view) and vertical (player perspective)
📊 Show/Hide Court: Toggle the entire court diagram on or off
👥 Player Management Panel
Open via the 👥 Players button in game controls
Today's Players pool: Add names once, reuse across all games this session
Drag & Drop: Drag player chips onto mini-court positions
Tap to assign: On mobile, tap a player chip to select it, then tap a position
Players are saved in your browser; sign in to sync across devices
💡 Tip: The 🏓 bouncing paddle above a player's name on the court shows who is currently serving. On iOS/Android, you can also install the app to your home screen for quick access (see mobile guide).
🏆 Scoring Your Match
Adding Points
Tap anywhere on a team's colored box to award a point to that team. The app handles the rest.
In Pickleball mode: only the serving team can score. If the receiving team taps, it triggers a side-out or server switch.
In Rally Point / Badminton: any team can score; the winner of the rally serves next.
Understanding the Score Display
Doubles Scoring — 3-Number System
Example: 7-5-2
First number (7): Serving team's score
Second number (5): Receiving team's score
Third number (2): Server number (1 or 2)
Singles Scoring — 2-Number System
Example: 7-5
First number (7): Server's score
Second number (5): Receiver's score
Rally Point / Badminton Scoring
Example: 12-8
Two-number format since there is no server rotation
Winner of each rally scores and serves next
⚙️ Game Modes & Settings
Game Modes
🏓 Pickleball Mode (Side-Out Scoring)
First to 11 points, must win by 2
Only serving team can score
Official USAPA rules enforced — server 1 & server 2 rotation
🎯 Rally Point Mode
First to 15 points, must win by 2
Either team can score on any rally; winner serves
Faster games, great for casual play and practice
🏸 Badminton Mode
First to 21 points, must win by 2
Rally point scoring — winner serves
Players swap sides when serving team wins a rally
Additional Features
Match Mode (🎯 Game → Match): Play best-of-3 games with automatic game tracking
Singles/Doubles Toggle: Switch between 1v1 and 2v2; available in all modes
Winning Score: Customize via the Score settings button (11, 15, or 21)
Undo: Correct mistakes — unlimited undo history within a game
Fullscreen Mode (⛶): Clean tournament display with large text readable from across the court
Dark Mode (🌙): OLED-friendly dark theme for low light and battery saving
Notifications (🔔): Browser push notifications for score updates, even on your smartwatch
📱 Live Sharing
Share your match in real-time with spectators, coaches, or family!
How It Works
1Start scoring — sharing activates automatically on your first point
2Share the link via the notification bar at the top
3Show QR code for easy mobile scanning by spectators
4Spectators watch live as scores update in real time on their devices
🔒 Privacy: Only people with your unique share link can view the match. Each game generates a new link.
Use Cases
Family & Friends: Let loved ones follow your tournament from anywhere
Coaches: Remote coaching and live analysis during play
Tournaments: Spectators can follow multiple courts simultaneously
Streaming: Share the link in your livestream chat or social media
👤 User Accounts
Using the scoreboard as a guest works great, but signing in unlocks more:
Account Benefits
📊 Match History: All games automatically saved with scores, dates, and winners
⚙️ Cloud Sync: Team names, game mode preferences, and settings sync across all your devices
📈 Statistics: Track total matches, games played, and average scores over time
💾 Data Export: Download your entire match history as JSON anytime
👥 Player Pool: Your saved players are available wherever you sign in
Sign In Options
Google Sign-In: One click, no password needed
Email & Password: Traditional account creation
Guest Mode: Always available — no account required to score games
🏆 Tournament & Advanced Features
Match Mode
Best of 3: Automatically tracks games won per team
Match winner: First team to win 2 games takes the match
Auto-reset: New game starts automatically with scores reset and server rotated
Game Over Options
Continue with Same Team: Keep player assignments, reset scores for a rematch
Change Players: Reset and open the player management panel to pick new teams
Undo Last Score: Fix a mistaken game-winning point and keep playing
Fullscreen Tournament Display
Clean interface: Hides browser chrome, ads, and distractions
Large text: Readable from across the court using responsive scaling
Touch-friendly: Big tap targets for scorekeepers and referees
Court diagram: Available in fullscreen with the 📊 toggle button
❤️ Supporting the App
This scoreboard is 100% free and always will be — no paywalls, no premium features locked away. If you find it useful, consider supporting its continued development:
💝 One-time Support: Make a single contribution of any amount
🔄 Monthly Support: Subscribe to help keep the app running long-term
Access both options via the ❤️ Support button in the top navigation bar or the support buttons in the game controls. Payments are processed securely through Stripe.
🙏 Thank you! Every contribution helps cover hosting costs and development time. The app remains free for everyone regardless.
📱 Mobile Tips
Install to Home Screen (PWA)
1iOS Safari: Tap Share → "Add to Home Screen"
2Android Chrome: Tap Menu → "Add to Home Screen"
3Desktop: Look for the install icon in your browser's address bar
Mobile-Friendly Features
Tap-to-score: Large touch targets — no tiny buttons to hunt for
Haptic feedback: Subtle vibration on supported devices when you tap
Prevent double-tap zoom: Optimized for rapid scoring without accidental zoom
Dark mode: Saves battery on OLED screens during long tournament days
Responsive layout: Works on any screen size from smartwatch to tablet
❓ FAQ & Troubleshooting
Q: How do I know who is serving?
A: Look for the 🏓 bouncing paddle icon above a player's name on the court diagram. The serving team's box is also highlighted in orange. The header shows "Team X serving" with the server number.
Q: Why can't I score when I tap the other team's box?
A: In Pickleball mode, only the serving team can score points. Tapping the receiving team triggers a side-out (change of serve) instead. Switch to Rally Point mode if you want both teams to be able to score.
Q: Live sharing isn't working
A: Check your internet connection. Live sharing requires a stable connection for real-time Firebase sync. If on a poor connection, the app falls back to local scoring automatically.
Q: Can I use this for tournaments?
A: Absolutely! The app follows official USAPA rules and includes match mode (best of 3), fullscreen tournament display, live sharing for spectators, and undo for corrections — all designed with tournament play in mind.
Q: Is there a cost?
A: The app is completely free with no paywalls. We offer optional one-time and monthly support contributions via Stripe for those who want to help, but all features work fully without paying anything.
Q: My player names are too long for the court boxes
A: Names auto-scale down to fit. There's no character limit on the court — names just get smaller (down to 7px) to always show in full. No ellipsis truncation.
🚀 Ready to Start?
Now that you know how everything works, jump in and start scoring!