Pickleball singles vs doubles

Doubles is what almost everyone plays, and it is what you should start with. Singles uses the same court and almost the same rulebook, but the serving and scoring are simpler, the running is much harder, and the winning strategy inverts — the patient soft game that dominates doubles gives way to hitting into space.

The rule difference that matters is short and worth memorizing: in singles, the server serves from the right-hand court when their score is even and from the left when it is odd. There is no second server and no partner position to track. That one change removes most of the scoring confusion beginners have with doubles.

What changes, and what does not

Serving and scoring in singles

Because there is no partner, there is no second server and no need to track which of you is serving. Your score alone tells you which side to serve from: even score, right side; odd score, left side. Since only the server scores, your position and your score stay in sync automatically, which is a much smaller mental load than doubles.

The score call is correspondingly shorter: your score, then your opponent's. If you have been struggling with the three-number doubles call, our pickleball scoring guide breaks both down.

Everything else stays the same

The court is the same size — singles does not narrow it the way tennis does. The serve is still underhand and diagonal, the two-bounce rule still applies, and the non-volley zone is still seven feet either side of the net with the same restrictions. See serving rules and the kitchen rule if either is new to you.

Why singles is so much harder physically

A 20-by-44-foot court is small for four players and large for one. In doubles you cover roughly half the width and rarely sprint; in singles you cover all of it and you are moving on almost every shot. The court has not changed size — your share of it has doubled.

That is why singles is played much less at recreational level, and why it favors younger and fitter players. It is also why the strategy inverts: in doubles a well-placed dink is safe, but in singles a soft ball to a single opponent who is already moving is an invitation. Hitting to space wins singles.

How the strategy differs

• Doubles rewards patience. Get to the kitchen line, dink, and wait for a ball that pops up. Our dinking guide covers the shot that makes this work.
• Singles rewards angles and pace. Move your opponent corner to corner and hit behind them when they commit.
• The serve matters more in singles. A deep serve buys you time to get forward; in doubles the serve is mostly a formality.
• Recovery position differs. Singles players return toward the middle after every shot; doubles players hold the kitchen line with a partner.

What about "Skinny Singles"?

A common practice format where two players use only half the court width — either the same diagonal or the same half — which makes singles playable without the full running load. It is an excellent drill format because it forces accuracy and rewards the same shot patterns as doubles. Groups also use it when only two people turn up. It is a practice convention rather than a formal rule, so agree the version you are playing before you start.

Which should a beginner play?

Doubles, without much hesitation. It is what open play offers, the rallies last longer so you get more repetitions, the running is manageable, and it is far more social. Learn the format the sport is actually played in, then try singles once you can rally reliably. Our how to play pickleball guide assumes doubles for exactly this reason.

Does your equipment change? Barely. A slightly heavier or more powerful paddle suits singles because driving the ball pays off more, but nobody needs two paddles for this — see control vs power if you are curious. Court shoes matter more in singles because you cover far more ground; if you are still in running shoes, read do you need pickleball shoes.