Traditional (side-out) scoring. Games to 11, win by 2. Only the serving team scores. Points are called as three numbers: server's score, receiver's score, server number (1 or 2). Standard for USA Pickleball sanctioned play.
Rally scoring. Every rally scores, regardless of who served. Faster — a game to 15 by 2 finishes in about 15 minutes. Increasingly common at rec tournaments.
Whichever the tournament uses, it must be published in advance so teams know what they are playing to.
Round robin. Everyone plays everyone in the pool. Fair; ideal for small draws. See what is a round robin tournament for the mechanics.
Single elimination. Lose once, you are out. Fast but harsh — a top team having a bad first match goes home.
Double elimination. Two losses to eliminate. Winner's bracket and loser's bracket. Fairer than single elim, more matches to schedule.
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