Pickleball singles rules and strategy
Singles uses the same court and the same rules as doubles, with a handful of differences that change the game completely. It is far more physical — one person covering 20 by 22 feet is a workout doubles never asks for.
What stays the same
- The full 20 × 44 ft court — nothing narrows
- The two-bounce rule
- All non-volley zone rules
- Games to 11, win by 2, only the server scores
- Serves go diagonally and must clear the kitchen
What changes
Scoring uses two numbers
There is no server number, because there is only one server. Call your score then your opponent's: "5–3". Games start at "0–0".
Serving position follows your score
This is the rule that trips people up, and it is simple once you know it:
- Even score (0, 2, 4, 6…) — serve from the right side
- Odd score (1, 3, 5, 7…) — serve from the left side
Your score, not the opponent's. Start at 0, serve from the right. Win the point, you are on 1, move left. The receiver simply stands diagonally opposite.
Side-out means the serve just changes hands
Lose a rally while serving and the serve goes straight to your opponent. There is no second server.
Singles strategy
Serve deep, every time
A deep serve pins your opponent behind the baseline and buys you time to take the net. A short serve invites them straight to the kitchen line and you have lost the point before it started.
Return deep and take the middle
Same logic in reverse. Return deep, then recover to the centre of the baseline — not the side you hit from. Court position in singles is about minimising the largest gap, and the middle does that.
Attack the open court, then the space behind them
Singles is won by moving your opponent. Hit to one corner, then the other. When they finally commit to covering the wide ball, hit behind them — the wrong-footing shot wins more singles points than power ever does.
Passing shots beat lobs
When your opponent is at the kitchen line, the low passing shot down the line is the percentage play. Lobs work occasionally but a good singles player will run them down and you will be the one out of position.
Fitness is the real skill
Doubles rewards touch and positioning. Singles rewards those too, but mostly it rewards being able to still move properly in the third game.
Skinny singles
A popular practice format: play singles using only half the court diagonally, or only one side. It gives you singles movement patterns with far less running and is excellent for drilling. Not an official format, but every serious player uses it.