Singles rules and how they differ

What stays the same

Singles is played on the same 20 by 44 foot court as doubles, with the same net and the same lines. All the core rules apply unchanged:

• The serve must be a legal underhand volley serve or a legal drop serve, landing in the diagonal service court beyond the kitchen line.
• The two-bounce rule applies: the return of serve must bounce, and the server's next shot must bounce.
• The kitchen rules are identical.
• Faults, line calls and lets work the same way.

What changes: the score

Singles uses side-out scoring with two numbers: the server's score, then the receiver's score. There is no server number, because each player gets only one serving turn before a side out. The game starts at "0-0," not "0-0-2."

Games are usually played to 11, win by 2, just like doubles.

Where the server stands

In singles, the server's own score decides the side:

The receiver lines up diagonally opposite the server. When a side out happens, the new server looks at their own score to decide where to stand.

Example: The score is 5-3, server to serve. The server's score is 5, which is odd, so they serve from the left. If they win the rally, it becomes 6-3 and they move to the right.

Physical demands

Singles is a much more physical game. You cover the whole 20-foot width by yourself, and the two-bounce rule keeps the server near the baseline at the start of every rally. Expect longer runs, more sprints to the net and more points decided by passing shots.

Strategy differences in short

• Serves and returns are more aggressive. A deep, hard return pins the server back.
• The return-and-approach is crucial. After returning, the receiver moves forward quickly.
• Drives and passing shots dominate. There is too much open court for long dink rallies.
• Lobs are risky but useful when an opponent crowds the net.

See singles strategy for patterns and drills.

Skinny singles

Skinny singles is a popular practice format played on half the court, split down the centerline, either straight ahead or cross-court. It keeps the rally pattern of doubles while letting just two players practice. Scoring is the same as singles, but only the agreed half of the court counts as in. Many players use it to sharpen their dinks and third-shot drops.

Common singles mistakes

1. Serving from the wrong side because you looked at the total score instead of your own score.
2. Staying back after the return instead of moving forward.
3. Dinking as if playing doubles, which leaves huge gaps for passing shots.
4. Going for winners from the baseline instead of building the point.

Quick checklist before a singles match

• Agree on game length and win by 2.
• Remember: your score even, right side; odd, left side.
• Warm up longer than usual, because the movement is more intense. See warm-up.
• Bring water and plan short breaks between games.