The Rally vs Traditional scoring debate may have cooled off in recent weeks, but it is certainly not over. Late last year, Anna Leigh Waters—the #1 pick in this season’s Major League Pickleball draft—kicked off a public debate on Rally vs Traditional scoring. We gave some initial, off-the-cuff thoughts at the time in response relating to Rally Scoring’s perceived deficiencies in identifying the better team and affording trailing teams with a unique advantage.
This is why I love data!! Most of the time what we think about things are based on our perceptions and what we “feel”. Then when you look at the data, we find out our perception is skewed. Data just gives facts, and you all did a great job mining and presenting. Thank you.
Thanks for putting some data and analysis into the conversation. It's a much better approach than banning the spin serve based on opinions and feelings without data. That said, your conclusion point of "No stacking complication and confusion" is intentionally misleading. This has nothing to do with the debate between rally scoring and regular scoring. It (along with not having the server keep serving when a point is won on the serve) is a MLP rule not related to scoring (or this debate). And, these are biggest flaws in the MLP scoring, IMO. Switching sides and continuing to serve (when a point is won on the serve) allows for a more dynamic game where players have to play both sides, serve and return to/from both opposing players, and keeps strategy (to stack or not and how to attack stacking teams) and needs to stay in pickleball regardless of the rally vs regular scoring debate.
Fantastic statistical breakdown here Ben (I think that’s your name. Haha). I just played in my first rally scoring “mini tournament” using playTKD yesterday and it was a BLAST!
There is a mathematical basis for these results. See the recent academic research paper at https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.02942
This is why I love data!! Most of the time what we think about things are based on our perceptions and what we “feel”. Then when you look at the data, we find out our perception is skewed. Data just gives facts, and you all did a great job mining and presenting. Thank you.
This was incredible to read, thank you!
Thanks for putting some data and analysis into the conversation. It's a much better approach than banning the spin serve based on opinions and feelings without data. That said, your conclusion point of "No stacking complication and confusion" is intentionally misleading. This has nothing to do with the debate between rally scoring and regular scoring. It (along with not having the server keep serving when a point is won on the serve) is a MLP rule not related to scoring (or this debate). And, these are biggest flaws in the MLP scoring, IMO. Switching sides and continuing to serve (when a point is won on the serve) allows for a more dynamic game where players have to play both sides, serve and return to/from both opposing players, and keeps strategy (to stack or not and how to attack stacking teams) and needs to stay in pickleball regardless of the rally vs regular scoring debate.
I think I know which scoring style sports bettors would prefer. The one which is less volatile.
Fantastic statistical breakdown here Ben (I think that’s your name. Haha). I just played in my first rally scoring “mini tournament” using playTKD yesterday and it was a BLAST!
I wonder what the data would show between rally scoring to 11 vs traditional scoring to 11?
Seems like the data makes sense for the professional level but may take out some of fun at the recreational level. Which is the majority of players.