Pickleball Singles Rules: How the One-on-One Game Works
Quick Answer: Pickleball singles rules match doubles on almost everything: same 20 by 44 foot court, same two-bounce rule, same kitchen. The differences are serving and scoring. You serve from the right when your score is even and the left when it is odd, there is no second server, and the score is called as two numbers.
Singles pickleball is the one-on-one version of the game, played on the same court as doubles under nearly all of the same rules.
What court do you play singles on?
The same one. Under the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook, the court is a rectangle 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for both singles and doubles. The net stays at 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 in the middle, and the non-volley zone still covers the 7 feet on each side of it.
That surprises players coming from tennis, where the singles court narrows. In pickleball you defend the full width alone, which is why singles is so much more physical than doubles.
Where do you serve from in singles?
Your own score tells you. Rule 5.A.1 of the 2026 rulebook says the serve comes from the right side when the server’s score is zero or even, and from the left side when it is odd. Serve into the diagonal court, as always. The serve itself can be struck forehand or backhand, as our guide to serving backhand in pickleball explains.
That makes the score a positioning system. If a server is standing on the right at 3, someone has lost track. There is no second server in singles. Lose a rally on your serve and it is an immediate side out, and your opponent serves.
How does singles scoring work?
Two numbers, not three. You call your score first, then your opponent’s. The third number in doubles identifies the server, and with one player per side there is nothing to identify. Games run to 11, win by 2, with points scored only on your serve, exactly like standard doubles. Tournaments sometimes play to 15 or 21.
The rest of the rulebook carries over whole:
- The serve and the return must each bounce (the two-bounce rule)
- All kitchen rules apply unchanged
- Line calls, faults and lets work exactly as in doubles
What is skinny singles?
Half-court singles, and since the 2026 rulebook it has an official version called mini-singles, rule 14.B. Only the right or left half of each side is in play, decided by each player’s score. It keeps the chess of singles while cutting the sprinting roughly in half, which is why coaches lean on it for drilling.
The informal game has been around far longer than the official rule. Our guide to what skinny singles is covers how players set it up casually.
How is singles strategy different?
Serve deep, return deep, and take the net first. With no partner, the whole court is your problem, so depth buys you time and the net position wins rallies. Third shot drives make more sense in singles than doubles because a drop that sits up leaves you defending 20 feet of width alone.
One competitive singles game costs the legs roughly what two or three games of doubles do. Plan your legs accordingly. If you are new to the format entirely, start with whether you can play pickleball as singles and graduate to singles strategy once the rules feel automatic.
FAQ
Do you get two serves in pickleball singles?
No. One server, one chance. Lose the rally on your serve and it is a side out. The second server exists only in doubles.
What are the serving rules for singles pickleball?
Serve from the right when your score is even, from the left when it is odd, diagonally into the opposite service court. All standard serve rules apply, including the upward arc and below-the-waist contact under the 2026 rulebook.
How do I call the score in singles?
Two numbers: your score, then your opponent’s. Call it before every serve.
Is the court smaller for singles?
No. Same 20 by 44 foot court for both formats. Nothing about the lines, net or kitchen changes.
Does the two-bounce rule apply in singles?
Yes. The serve must bounce, and the return of serve must bounce. After those two, volleys are live outside the kitchen.
What is a game of singles played to?
Eleven points, win by two, in standard play. Tournament formats sometimes use 15 or 21.
Is singles harder than doubles?
Physically, much. You cover the full 20-foot width alone, and rallies demand constant movement. Tactically it is simpler, since there is no partner to coordinate with.
Singles rewards fitness and a reliable serve more than anything else. A session with one of the coaches in our directory can tighten both faster than another month of open play.
Written by the Pickler Junction Team.
