Initial Service & Side for Decisive Third Game — Switch Again or Reflip the Coin?
This post has been updated in 2026 according to the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (2026).
Here’s the Scenario. You Make the Call.
The match format is 2/3 to 11. A coin is flipped at the beginning of the match to determine serve & end. At the end of the 1st game, serve & end is appropriately switched. Is the coin flipped again at the beginning of the 3rd game to determine serve & end if the teams split games? What’s the call?
Initial Service & End Determination
One of the first duties a pickleball referee will perform in a tournament match is to meet with players courtside and flip a coin (or perhaps write the number 1 or 2 on the back of the scorecard for one of the teams to guess) to determine initial service and end. In a 2-out-of-3 games match, at the end of the first game, the initial service and end are to be switched. It’s rare that this is done incorrectly between the first and second games.
What if Games are Split?
What happens, however, if the games are split and the match goes to the decisive third game? Is initial service and end switched again? Or is the coin reflipped? I played in a non-sanctioned tournament recently where the referee incorrectly reflipped the coin to determine initial service and end for this decisive third game. Wrong! Initial service and end should have been switched so that the initial service and end for the third game exactly mirrored that of the first game.
Please note, however, that in the third game, ends are once again switched when one team reaches six points. Shown below is the official ruling.
USA Pickeball Official Rulebook
Rule #21.F.2
End Change and Initial Service Change. Singles players or doubles teams must change ends and initial service for the next game of the match.
Rule #21.B.1
11-Point Game. In a single game or tie-breaker game to 11 points, the players will change ends when the first singles player or doubles team reaches a score of 6.
Related Articles
For more information on Serving Rules, check out the articles below:
- Legal or Illegal Serve
- Pickleball Serve Rules
- Pre-Serve Routine
- Serve Hits Receiver’s Partner
- Service Foot Fault
- Swing and Miss on Serve
- Two Bounce Rule
For information on all of the Pickleball Rules, check out our complete guide.
Final Thoughts
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What if it’s a double elimination tournament and the team from the winner’s bracket loses in the finals and there is a game to 15 to determine the winner. Is that last game considered a continuation of match or would it be treated as a new match with a choice of serve or side?
Hi Sam, The last game is treated as a “new match” with the winner of the “coin toss” once again choosing serve or side.