Can You Play Pickleball Singles? Rules, Strategy and Whether You Should

Most pickleball is doubles, and plenty of people play for years without ever trying singles. So the question comes up: can you actually play pickleball one on one?

Yes. Singles is an official format, played at every level up to professional tournaments. It uses the same court and the same rules, with two small changes to the score and the serve. It is also a very different game to play, much more athletic and much less about patience.

Here are the rules, the strategy that wins, the practice version called skinny singles, and an honest look at who singles suits.

What stays the same

Almost everything:

• The court. Twenty feet by 44 feet, the same size as doubles, with no separate singles lines. Every measurement is in the court dimensions guide.
• The net. Thirty-six inches at the posts, 34 in the middle.
• The kitchen. No volleys from the non-volley zone or its line, exactly as in doubles.
• The two-bounce rule. The serve and the return each bounce before anyone volleys, which is covered in detail in how the two-bounce rule works.
• The serve. Underhand, diagonal, and it must land in the correct service box past the kitchen line.

What changes: the score and where you serve

Two numbers, not three

In singles you call two numbers: the server's score, then the receiver's. There is no third number, because there is no second server. If you lose the rally while serving, the serve goes straight to your opponent.

The logic of the three-number call, and why doubles needs it, is explained in the scoring walkthrough.

Serve from the side that matches your score

• Even score (0, 2, 4...): serve from the right side.
• Odd score (1, 3, 5...): serve from the left side.

The receiver stands diagonally opposite. It is simple once you know it and very easy to forget mid-game, which is why many singles players call out "right side" or "left side" along with the score.

If you would rather not track it, the free pickleball scoreboard has a singles mode that tells you which side to serve from.

Games and scoring formats

Singles games usually go to 11, win by 2, just like doubles. Some leagues and tournaments use rally scoring, where every rally scores a point. Check before the first serve.

Singles strategy: a different game

In doubles, the soft game rules. In singles, one player has to cover 20 feet of width alone, and that changes everything.

Serve deep

A deep serve keeps your opponent at the baseline and makes it harder for them to hit an aggressive return and rush the net. Power matters more in singles than in doubles, but depth matters most. The mechanics are in how to serve, from stance to follow-through.

Return deep, then come in

The return of serve is the most important shot in singles. Hit it deep, ideally to your opponent's backhand, and move forward toward the kitchen line while they deal with it. The two-bounce rule means the server has to let your return bounce, so a deep return buys you time to get to the net first.

Get to the net, but only when you can

The player at the kitchen line usually controls the point. In singles, though, you cannot always get there, because nobody is covering behind you. Move forward behind a deep ball, not a short one.

Passing shots win points

With only one opponent at the net, there is a lot of open court on either side. Passing shots, hit hard and low down the line or crosscourt past the net player, are a much bigger weapon in singles than in doubles.

Lobs work, carefully

A lob over a net player who has come in too close can win the point outright. A short lob gets smashed. Use it when your opponent is right on the kitchen line and moving forward.

Third shot: drive more, drop less

In doubles, the third shot drop is the classic play. In singles, many players drive the third shot more often, because one opponent cannot cover the whole court. Drops still have a place, especially against a strong net player, and when to hit a drop instead of a drive is its own guide.