Free Pickleball Scoreboard App
Track Games to 11, Win by 2, Best of 3 — With Automatic Game-End Detection and Live Sharing
Last updated: April 6, 2026
JudgeMate's Free Scoreboard supports pickleball with rally scoring — every rally earns a point, games to 11 points with win-by-2, and matches are best of 3 games. Create a board in one tap, track points with +/- buttons, and the system handles game management automatically: detects when a game should end, records completed game scores, and ends the match when one side wins 2 games. Share a live link or QR code with spectators — they follow every point in real-time on any device. No account, no app download, completely free.
Step 1 — Create a Pickleball Scoreboard
Creating a pickleball scoreboard takes about 5 seconds:
- Go to the Free Scoreboard page on JudgeMate.
- Select Pickleball from the available sports.
- Tap "Create Scoreboard".
The system instantly generates two links:
- An admin link (with a secret token) — this is your control panel. Bookmark it.
- A spectator link (no token) — this is what fans and players see.
Important: The admin link is the only way to control the board. If you lose it, you cannot regain access. Save it to your bookmarks or send it to yourself before the match starts.
No account registration is needed. No app download. The scoreboard works entirely in the browser on any device — phone, tablet, laptop, or Smart TV.
Step 2 — Game Setup
After creating the board, you will see the Setup Screen where you configure the match before going live:
Team/Player Names:
- Type up to 20 characters per side.
- Default names are HOME and GUEST — change them to the actual player or team names.
- For doubles, you might use team names or both players' names.
Team Colors:
- Pick from 12 preset colors: red, orange, amber, lime, green, teal, cyan, blue, purple, pink, gray, white.
- Colors appear on the spectator screen as team identifiers.
Start the Match:
- Tap "Start Game" when both sides are ready.
- While in setup, spectators see a waiting screen: "Game Starting Soon — Waiting for the host to start..."
- Once you tap Start, the board goes LIVE and spectators see the score in real-time.
You can take your time in setup — there is no time limit. The match only begins when you tap Start.
Step 3 — Score Controls
The score area is split into two zones:
- Left half — Home team/player
- Right half — Guest team/player
Each side has:
- A large "+" button to add 1 point.
- A smaller "−" button to subtract 1 point (for corrections).
Key behaviors:
- The score never drops below 0 — tapping minus at 0 does nothing.
- Every tap updates the spectator screen instantly — there is no delay.
- Points are tracked per game. When a game ends and a new one begins, both scores reset to 0.
Pickleball uses simple +1 scoring because every rally is worth exactly 1 point under rally scoring.
Tip for fast-paced play: The buttons have generous tap targets and respond immediately. Pickleball rallies can be quick, but you will have no trouble keeping up.
No Clock — Pickleball Is Pure Points
Like volleyball, pickleball has no game clock. JudgeMate's pickleball scoreboard reflects this by completely removing clock controls from the admin panel.
This means:
- No START/PAUSE buttons.
- No time display on the spectator view.
- No timer to configure or manage.
The interface shows only what matters for pickleball: the current game score, the overall match score (games won), the serve indicator, and completed game history.
This makes pickleball one of the simplest sports to manage in JudgeMate. If you have never used a digital scoreboard before, pickleball is an excellent starting point — just add points and the system handles the rest.
Game Management — Automatic Detection & History
JudgeMate's pickleball scoreboard handles game transitions intelligently:
Auto game-end detection: When one side reaches 11 points with the required 2-point advantage, a pulsing "End Game" button appears automatically. The button appears as soon as the winning conditions are met — for example, at 11-9, 12-10, or 13-11.
If the score is 11-10, the button does not appear because the 2-point advantage requirement is not yet satisfied. The system knows the rules.
What happens when you tap "End Game":
- The game score is recorded in the history (e.g., Game 1: 11-7).
- Both scores reset to 0-0.
- The game counter advances to the next game.
- The side that lost the game becomes the server (serve indicator switches automatically).
Game History Display: Completed games appear as a running log visible to both admin and spectators:
- Game 1: 11-7
- Game 2: 9-11
- Game 3: (in progress)
Automatic match end: The match ends automatically when one side wins 2 games (best of 3). The scoreboard status changes to ENDED and the score freezes for all spectators. No further points can be added.
Serve Indicator
A yellow dot on the scoreboard shows which side is currently serving. This is visible to both the admin and all spectators.
How to use it:
- Tap the serve indicator to switch it between sides manually.
- Use it whenever the serve changes hands.
Automatic behavior:
- When a game ends and the new game begins, the serve indicator automatically switches to the side that lost the previous game.
Why track the serve? The serve indicator is useful for:
- Spectators watching remotely who cannot see who is serving.
- Keeping track of which side should be serving, especially in recreational play where tracking can be confusing.
- Tournament organizers who need clear records.
The serve indicator is a simple toggle — tap to switch. Under JudgeMate's rally scoring, serve tracking is simpler than traditional side-out scoring since every rally produces a point.
Sharing with Spectators & Font Size Control
Sharing the live score: Tap the "Share" button in the top bar to open the share modal:
- QR Code — spectators scan it with their phone camera to open the live scoreboard.
- Link — copy and send via any messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, email).
- Native share — use your phone's built-in share sheet (if supported by your device).
Anyone with the link can follow the match. No login, no app download — just open it in a web browser. Works on phones, tablets, laptops, Smart TVs, and projectors.
Font size remote control: As the admin, you control the text size on all spectator screens:
- A− / A+ buttons adjust the font scale.
- Range: 50% to 300% of the default size.
- This is ideal for venues where the scoreboard is displayed on a large screen or projector — scale up so everyone at the courts can read the score.
Spectators can also adjust their own local font size (range: 70%-160%) by tapping their screen, but the admin's global setting takes priority.
Ending the Match & Post-Game Options
Automatic ending: The match ends automatically when one side wins 2 games. After the final game's "End Game" button is tapped, the board transitions to the ENDED state.
Manual ending: You can also end the match at any time by tapping "End Game" in the top bar. A confirmation dialog appears: "End game? This will freeze the score for all spectators." Tap "Yes, End Game" to confirm.
What happens after the match ends:
- The score is permanently frozen — no one can modify it.
- Spectators see the final score with an "ENDED" label.
- The admin panel shows a match summary with all game scores (e.g., Game 1: 11-7, Game 2: 9-11, Game 3: 11-8).
Post-game actions:
- "New Game — Same Teams" — creates a new scoreboard with the same names and colors. One tap, instant rematch. Perfect for round robins where the same teams play multiple matches.
- "New Game — Change Sport" — takes you back to the sport selection screen.
- "Share Final Results" — opens the share modal so you can send the final score to players, fans, or tournament organizers.
How long does the board last? Completed scoreboards remain accessible for up to one week. After that, the board expires. Save or screenshot the final results if you need a permanent record.
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