Scoring

Deciding who gets to serve first

In a major tournament, a coin toss is used to decide which side will serve first.

Points, games, and matches

Every time you win a rally, you get a point. Starting from 0, the first person to reach 21 points wins the game.

In standard league or tournament play, however, what really matters is the match. A match is the best of three games. You win the match by winning two games. 

To win, you need a 2 point lead

You have to win the game by at least 2 points. If the score reaches 20–20, then 21 points are no longer enough to win the game. You need to win 2 points in a row. If you reach 30–29, however, you’ve won the game. 30 points is the upper limit.