Who serves, and from which side?

The first serve: 0-0-2

The team that serves first gets only one server before the first side out: their starting server, who is called server 2. That's why every doubles game starts with the call 0-0-2. Here, Nina is Nina & Theo's starting server, so she serves from the right.

Rules 5.B, 5.B.2, 6.B.2

Win a point, switch sides

When the serving team wins a rally, they score a point and the server moves to the other side to serve again. The receivers don't move: their score didn't change.

Rule 5.B.5

Side out: who serves first?

When the serve comes over, the player standing on the right for their team's score serves first, as server 1. Dana & Marcus have 0, and zero counts as even, so their starting server, Dana, is on the right and serves.

Rules 5.B.2, 5.B.3

Server 2 serves from wherever they're standing

When the first server loses a rally, there's no point and nobody switches: the partner serves as server 2, from their own side. That can be the left. Here it's Marcus, from the left.

Rules 5.B.5, 5.B.6

Server 1 isn't always the starting server

After the next side out, Nina & Theo have a score of 1, an odd number. Their starting server, Nina, is on the left, so Theo is on the right and serves first.

Rules 5.B.2, 5.B.3

Singles

One server per side. Serve from the right when your own score is even and from the left when it's odd. Win the rally and you score and switch sides; lose it and it's a side out.

Rules 5.A.1, 5.A.2, 5.A.3

Rally scoring

With rally scoring, each team gets one server per turn: the player on the right for their team's score. Lose a rally and the serve goes over. Positions still follow each team's score. More in side-out vs rally scoring.

Rules 14.A.4, 14.A.5

Lost track?

Before the serve, you can ask your opponent who should serve and who should receive, and whether everyone is in the right place. They have to tell you.

Rule 5.C

If you stop a rally because the wrong player is serving or receiving, or someone is out of position, and you're right, the rally is replayed. If you're wrong, it's a fault on you. Once a rally is over, its result stands.

Rules 5.C.1.a, 5.C.1.b, 5.C.2

The easy way: remember who started the game on the right for your team. Even score, they're on the right; odd score, the left. Their partner is always opposite.

Try it with your own game in What's the call?

More scoring answers

• What does 0-0-2 mean?The three numbers of the call, and why the game starts on server 2.
• Side-out vs rally scoringWho scores, how the call works, and what changed in 2026.
• Skinny singles rulesHalf-court singles, the official way: your own score picks your half.
• Kitchen rulesStanding in it, momentum, the line, the erne, and who calls the fault.
• What changed in 2026Rally scoring game point, spin serves, out calls and more.