How Many Serves In Pickleball Singles?
If you would like to play more pickleball but don’t have a partner, you may want to try pickleball singles. Playing pickleball singles is a great workout as you need to cover the entire pickleball court instead of just half as you would when playing doubles. One of the many questions people new to singles ask is how many serves are in pickleball singles.
There is only one serve per player in singles pickleball. Singles pickleball has many of the same rules as doubles with a few exceptions like the number of serves. There are also skinny singles pickleball, and in skinny pickleball, there is only one serve per player, just like in regular singles.
When you want to get more exercise, you can play pickleball singles. The rules of pickleball singles are very similar to the rules of pickleball doubles, except for the number of serves and calling out the score. To find out more about the number of serves, we spoke to a few experts, and here is what they had to say.
How Many Serves In Pickleball Singles?
Many people who love to play pickleball will tell you that playing pickleball single is not easy, and you need to have the best strategy in place, as all the decisions are up to you. You have no partner, so you will need to get an early advantage. The rules of pickleball singles may surprise you.
You may think that to play pickleball singles, there are many different rules, but generally, that is not true. The number of serves is not the same when you are playing pickleball doubles. In pickleball doubles, each team will get two serves, one for each player.
Two main rules that are different in pickleball singles are,
- The number of servers,
- Calling the score.
In singles pickleball, there is only one serve per person. 4.B.5.a of the rules state that if the players’ scores are even (0,2,4,6 etc.), the player must make the serve from the right/even serving area, and the opponent must receive it from the right/even service court.
4.B.5.b of the rules state that if the players have an odd score (1,3,5,7 etc.), the player must make the serve from the left/odd serving area, and the opponent must receive it for the left/odd service area.
How Many Serves In Pickleball Skinny Singles?
If you are new to pickleball but want to try it, then maybe you should start playing skinny pickleball singles. Skinny pickleball singles have the same rules as pickleball singles, except you are not utilizing the entire court. You only need to use half the court when you want to play.
That makes pickleball skinny singles the perfect sport for those who are not at the right fitness level, people who are pickleball beginners, and those who are coming back to pickleball after an injury or being gone a while.
The serves in pickleball skinny singles are much the same as in regular singles; one serve per person. Some of the rules that are different when you are playing pickleball skinny singles are,
- Because you will only play on half the court, you may play diagonally or directly across from your opponent.
- With pickleball skinny singles, the centerline extends all the way to the net. Some players draw a line up to the net, especially if they are serious about their singles play.
- You must always land the ball in your opponent’s half of the court, and your opponent must always land the ball in your half of the court.
A Few Important Rules When Playing Pickleball Singles
Some rules might confuse you if you are unfamiliar with playing pickleball singles. You will also need to be fit as you must traverse the entire half side of the court because you have no partner to lean on or to pick up when you need them. To lessen the confusion, here are some steadfast rules to help you get your pickleball singles game on.
- Each player only gets one serve as you don’t have a partner,
- The serve for both sides has to start on the righthand/even side,
- If the server wins a point, only the server will then switch sides of the court,
- If the receiver wins, then neither of the players will switch sides of the court,
- The server keeps the serve until they lose the rally,
- The moment the server loses the rally, the serve goes over to the receiver,
- If the server is found to be in the wrong position, it will be a fault, and the server will lose the rally,
- A fault can be called as soon as the serve makes contact or up to the point the next serve occurs,
- Whenever a fault is called before the next serve by a singles player, no point will be awarded, but all previous points will stand even if the players were in the incorrect position,
Pickleball Singles Serve Strategy
If you are new to playing pickleball singles, you may not be aware of the general strategy as it is different when playing doubles. Here are a few tips to remember,
Ensure You Use Big And Deep Serves
It would help if you used big deep serves. When you are playing singles, you must get the advantage over your opponent right from the beginning of the game.
Ensure You Give Big And Deep Return Serves
You have to try to give a big, and deep return serve. When you return a serve, a big and deep return allows you to get into the pickleball net and thus cut off your opponent’s angles. When you return a serve, make sure you return the serve deep into a corner, then move into the Non-Volly Zone.
The Non-Volly Zone is also known as the Kitchen line, then cut off your opponent’s angles on the third shot.
Conclusion
Many people think that all the rules for pickleball singles are the same as pickleball doubles, but while many of the rules are the same, a few are different. The most important rule to remember when you are playing pickleball singles or pickleball skinny singles is that there is only one serve per player or side. In pickleball doubles, each team gets two serves or one for each of the four players.
