Pickleball Singles How to: Rules, Scoring and a Bit of Strategy
Can just two people play pickleball? Absolutely. While doubles (2 vs. 2) is currently more popular than singles (1 vs. 1), the singles game has become a bit more common-place at tournaments and at your local venues. If you welcome the challenge of the physical demand, pickleball singles is a great way to get your heart pumping and your body moving.
If you are a tennis player or former player, singles is a relatively “easy” way to venture into pickleball as tennis strategies can be more easily and effectively incorporated into the pickleball singles game.
Singles Court
Singles is played on a standard pickleball court. In contrast to tennis, there are no separate lines for singles on a pickleball court.
The size of a pickleball court is 20 ft x 44 ft. On each side of the court, there is 15 ft from the baseline to the Non-Volley Zone (kitchen). The Non-Volley Zone is 7 ft from the net to the NVZ (kitchen) line.
With a pickleball court size of only one-fourth to one-third the size of a tennis court, there is still considerable ground to cover.
The net is 34 inches high in the center and 36 inches high at the posts.
How to Play Pickleball Singles
There are similarities to playing singles and doubles. However, in addition to the sheer physical effort required, there are several distinctions between the two – including scoring and strategy differences as we’ll discuss below.
- Like doubles, singles pickleball is typically played to 11 points, win by 2. It is played similarly to tennis or other racket/paddle sports, in that the objective is to get the ball over the net without it bouncing twice.
- The ball is served underhand (as a volley or drop serve) and diagonally across the net to the opponent’s service court. The ball is then hit back and forth across the net until a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules.
- If the server wins the rally, a point is scored. The server continues serving until they lose a rally. At that time, their opponent gets the chance to serve.
Pickleball Singles Scoring
Singles scoring is similar to doubles scoring; however, there are some nuances. Here are three important scoring rules to remember when playing:
1. Points are only Won on the Serve
Similar to doubles scoring, points are only won on the serve — unless, of course, you are playing rally scoring. When the server scores a point, he/she switches sides from which he/she just served. If the server just served diagonally (and won a point) from the right side, he/she will now serve diagonally from the left side. If the server just served diagonally (and won a point) from the left side, he/she will now serve diagonally from the right side.
2. There is No Second Server
As the name implies – there is no second server when playing singles. As such, the server only calls out two numbers when calling the score – the server’s score first, then the opponent’s score. Because there is no second server, once the server loses a rally, the serve reverts to the receiver.
3. The Server’s Score Dictates Whether They Serve from the Right Side or the Left Side
The serve is always executed diagonally from the right side of the court when the server’s score is represented by an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 points) and diagonally from the left side of the court when the server’s score is an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 points).
It is important to note that it is the server’s score that matters when determining the side from which to serve – not the receiver’s score or the combined score of the server and receiver.
Pickleball Singles Rules
The rules are similar when playing doubles or singles pickleball.
- When serving in pickleball, it must be done underhanded. It can either be done as a drop serve or volley serve.
- The serve must go diagonal across the net and land beyond the opponent’s non-volley zone.
- Only one serve attempt is given to the server.
- All lines on the court are considered good or ‘in’, except on the serve. If the ball touches the Non-Volley Zone (kitchen) line, it is considered a fault.
- There is a two-bounce rule which states that the ball has to bounce one time on each side of the court before a player is allowed to hit the ball out of the air. A player cannot step into the Non-Volley Zone (kitchen), or step on the Non-Volley Zone line while hitting the ball out of the air.
Pickleball Singles Strategy for Beginners
With twice the court to cover, singles requires strategies that leverage quickness, anticipation, and the ability to hit a variety of shots.
For a variety of strategies, check out the following articles:
- Top 10 Pickleball Singles Strategies to Up Your Game!
- Pickleball Singles Strategy – Hit Behind your Opponent & Wrong Foot ‘Em!
- Bisect the Angle – A Pickleball Singles Court Positioning Strategy
Pickleball Pro Singles
While you don’t see many playing singles recreationally, it is played competitively in tournaments. Since singles pickleball strategies are more similar to tennis, you will typically see tennis players break into the sport by playing in tournaments.
Many of the top pickleball singles specialists were former tennis players, however, not all. Dylan Frazier is a great singles and doubles player who didn’t play tennis. Most of the other singles pro players have played tennis previously.
FAQs
Can You Play Pickleball as Singles?
Yes, pickleball can be played either as singles or doubles. However, doubles is more common.
How Do You Score In Singles Pickleball?
A player scores a point only on their serve (unless playing rally scoring). The ball can only bounce once on each side. When serving, if the ball bounces more than once on your opponent’s side or commits any other fault, the server is awarded a point. If the server commits a fault, it is simply a side-out and the other player serves.
How Many Serves Do You Get in Singles Pickleball?
A player gets one attempt to serve the ball across the net to their opponent. Because there is no partner when playing singles, once the server loses the rally, it’s a side-out and serve goes to the other player.
Where Should You Stand in Singles Pickleball?
When serving, the player needs to serve from behind the baseline. Strategically, so they can cover both sides of the court, they should position themselves near the center line. The return-of-server should position themselves 2-3 behind the baseline to return the serve so that their momentum is going forward as they swing.
Are There Separate, Singles Lines for Pickleball?
There are no additional lines on the court for singles. Players use the entire width of the court for both singles and doubles.
Related Articles
For a complete overview of Singles mentioned in this guide, check out the articles below:
Final Thoughts
Singles is a great change of pace from playing doubles. However, if you’re going to play – be prepared to run! Even though a pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Whether you want to play singles competitively or use it to practice your doubles game (learn how to play Skinny Singles here), get out on the court and play!
See you on the courts!
Pickleball court layout
Before learning pickleball serving rules in doubles, let’s review the placement and basic court layout from this diagram.
Baselines:
The baselines are the lines that define the court’s boundaries at each end of the court.
Sidelines:
The sidelines, which indicate the boundaries of the court, run parallel to the net. Pickleball must land on the sidelines in order to be considered in play.
When playing singles and accepting the serve is it mandatory to remain behind the baseline or is OK to stand anywhere?
Hi Jim, You can stand anywhere to return the serve. Strategically speaking, however, I would recommend standing just beyond the baseline as you must let the serve bounce before returning it.
In singles, does the no volley rule stand for the serving side when returning the first serve receive as is the case in doubles pickleball?
Hi Barbara, Not sure what your question is. In singles, like doubles, the serve has to land beyond the non-volley line. Also, as in doubles, one cannot hit the ball out of the air in the non-volley zone. Finally, in both singles and doubles, the ball has to bounce on each side before hitting any ball out of the air. Hope that helps.
Is there a such thing as an “ace” in pickle ball like there is in tennis?
Hi Sherry, The terminology is the same as that in tennis. An ace would be a serve that isn’t touched by the receiving player.
I live in Arizona, southeast valley. I have been rated as a 3. I would like to be better at my game. Are there higher skilled players in my area that would be interested in tutoring players such as myself.
Thanks Rick Kendall
A friend and I have started to play singles at the end of our practice session. We’ve found that it really helps us learn to cover the court better and to place shots better and is strengthening our doubles game.
Excellent, Janice. Thank you for your feedback. I wholeheartedly agree!
Help. All sites say that pickle ball can be played by 2, 3 or 4 players. We have been stuck with 3 people from time to time. How do you play a 3 person game and how does the scoring work?
Thanks
Hi Lillian,
Thanks for your question. I just wrote a blog post about 3-person pickleball drills that you may wish to try. You can view that post here: https://www.pickleballmax.com/3-person-pickleball-drills/. Hope that helps!