Pickleball Scores Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Rather than a static line score, block scoring brings a game or match to life by visualizing the momentum swings along the way.

In pickleball, the final score rarely tells the whole story of a game or match. For your consideration: It's time to discuss "Block Scoring."

In traditional pickleball scoring, we know the basics: the first team to 11 points (with a 2-point margin) wins. The match is typically recorded using line scorekeeping — a simple list of final scores, game by game.

But what if there was a way to see how a game was won — not just the final tally?

Introducing: block scoring, a fresh take on documenting the story behind the score.

What Is Block scoring?

Block scoring tracks points in "blocks" — consecutive streaks of points earned by a team — instead of just listing the final score.

Each block is labeled alphabetically (A, B, C...) and alternates based on which team was scoring.

In short, instead of saying "Team A won 11–5," block scoring might show:

Block A: Team A scores 4
Block B: Team B scores 2
Block C: Team A scores 3
Block D: Team B scores 1
Block E: Team A scores 4 to win the game

That’s a 5-block game, and it already tells you more than a simple line score.

A Simple Example: One Game

Let’s start with a basic single-game match: Anna Bright and JW Johnson vs. Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns in the finals at the PPA Cape Coral Open.

In game 2, Waters/Johns won 13-11. It was a great game, but the score alone doesn't tell the full story.

However, if we block out the scoring, you'd see this:

Block score:

A: Bright/Johnson – 2
B: Waters/Johns – 4
C: Bright/Johnson – 5
D: Waters/Johns – 5
E: Bright/Johnson – 1
F: Waters/Johns – 1
G: Bright/Johnson – 3
G: Waters/Johns – 3

Final Score: Waters/Johns 13, Bright/Johnson 11

This shows an incredibly close game with momentum swings throughout. In fact, if not for a strong start from Waters/Johns, this one could have easily gone the other way.

A Deeper Dive: Full Match Breakdown

Let’s now look at the full match.

Compared to a single game block score (above), the score of a full match tells a much more interesting story when laid out block score style.

Game 1: Bright/Johnson open with a 7-point streak
Game 2: Waters/Johns and Bright/Johnson trade long streaks — a true battle
Game 3: Waters/Johns go on a 7-point run to take control
Game 5: Waters/Johns close the match with a dominant 6-point final block

This was a five-game slug-fest with lots of lead changes and momentum swings.

When Games Get Wild: Close Contests vs Blowouts

Block scoring shines in two scenarios:

Blowouts – A single 6- or 7-point block can seal the game early (like Game 1, above) or late (like Game 5).
Back-and-forth battles – Alternating blocks show momentum swings that the final score can’t.

Compare:

A lopsided game (11–3) might only need 2–3 blocks.
A tight game (15–13) could require 10+ blocks, especially with frequent momentum changes.

Is 'Block Scoring' New?

Block-style breakdowns exist in some form across other sports. For instance:

In volleyball, analysts track point runs.
In tennis, “games won in a row” is sometimes noted.
In wrestling, scoring breakdowns are grouped by action.
In baseball, we can see an inning-by-inning report to see where the game was won/lost, not just that the game was won or lost.

But this particular block scoring format is new to pickleball — and possibly unique in the way it visualizes momentum. It's designed to give fans, analysts, and players a clearer window into how games unfold.

Pros and Cons of Block Scoring for Pickleball

Of course, just because it's our idea, doesn't mean it's a good one. Let's examine some pros and cons.

Pros:

Captures game flow and scoring momentum
Highly visual
Great for storytelling and analysis
Useful for broadcasters, coaches, and stats fans
Easy to implement for pro matches

Cons:

Not intuitive to the untrained eye
More complex to read at a glance
Takes up more space — especially in long games
May not be practical for casual or recreational play

Who’s It For?

Block scoring may not replace line scoring, but it adds a layer of depth — perfect for:

TV broadcasts
Coaching breakdowns
Fan engagement
Match recaps on social or in newsletters

For the pickleball fan who watches live broadcasts or match replays, on-screen displays of the block score during and, particularly, after a game would deliver a high-level perspective of the game’s dynamics, akin to the line score used in televised baseball games.

Pickleball is a game of momentum—block scoring helps bring that to life.