Prefer to watch the video on this topic instead of reading it? Here’s the link to the YouTube video version.

What’s up! If this is your first time here, welcome. If you’re learning how to be a lone wolf and play mano-a-mano on the pickleball court, then you’ve come to the right spot. Here are 3 fundamental rules you NEED to know when playing singles pickleball.

How Do Serves Work? 

First things first, let’s talk about the pickleball server rules. 

There are 2 types of serves:

Volley serve - You can hit the ball in mid-air without bouncing it. But remember, the serve has to be below your waist and the paddle must be below your wrist.  Like this:

In addition, you must have one foot on the ground at all times while serving, so there's no jump serving.

Drop serve (Common for beginners) - On this serve, you can bounce the ball on the ground before hitting. Keep in mind, you’re not allowed to throw or slam the ball, you can only drop the ball.  

Remember that rule about hitting the ball below your waist & wrist? Those rules don’t apply to a drop serve.

Side note: You can make both of these serves with a forehand or backhand.

OO, and yes, you can also drop the ball onto the court before hitting the drop serve. You’re also able to fall into the court after you make contact with the ball. It’s completely legal and okay!

Where To Serve:

In pickleball, the server starts on the right side of the court and can only serve the ball diagonally across the net. 

If it lands in the kitchen area or on the line of the kitchen area, you’re at fault. Any line outside of the kitchen line (sideline, mid-line, or baseline) is acceptable.

The Two Bounce Play:

Let’s go over the two-bounce rule. 

In pickleball, after a serve, each team must let the ball bounce once on their side before they can hit it out of the air (aka, a volley). Volleying the ball is completely legal as long as you’re not standing in or on the kitchen line.

The Kitchen Rules:

Next, let’s break down the rules of the kitchen, also known as the “non-volley zone.” 

When you’re standing inside the kitchen or your foot is on the kitchen line, you’re not allowed to hit the balls in the air. Hence why it’s called the “non-volley zone.”

If you’re hitting the ball out of the air and your momentum carries you into the kitchen, I’m sorry to tell you… but you’re at fault. (And yes, even if the point is over). 

Did you know there’s a way to legally hit the balls in the kitchen? If the ball BOUNCES in the “non-volley zone”, you’re 100% ALLOWED to step in to hit your next shot. 

You don’t have to wait for the ball to bounce before you step in either. You can anticipate the ball bouncing and step in there to hit it after it does bounce.

Just remember, after stepping in to hit the ball, you need to get out of the kitchen because there’s a good chance your opponent will hit the ball hard at you, called a “speed up,” and you need to have both of your feet behind the kitchen line in order to counter their shot out of the air.  

How Points Work?

Finally, let’s talk about how points work in pickleball. The first team to 11 points, wins! You can only score points when your team serves the ball, and you have to win by at least two points. This means that if the score is tied at 10–10, you’ll have to keep playing until one team wins by at least two points.

There are 5 different ways to win a point:

• If your opponent’s ball hits the net, you win.
• If your opponent hits the ball out of bounds, you win.
• If your opponent commits a kitchen violation, you win. 
• If your opponent lets the ball bounce twice on their side, you win.
• If your opponent gets hit with the ball, you win.

Positioning:

Now, let’s talk about which side of the court you should stand on during any point of the game, remember that positioning is always determined by who is serving! 

Let's take this a step further… If you have an even number of points, let’s say 2 points for example, and it’s your serve, you would then serve the ball on the right side of the court. But if it’s your serve and you have an odd number of points, then you would serve on the left side.  

A Few Quick Tips To Remember:

1. You can only score points when you’re serving. 
2. You only get one opportunity to serve. So, if you lose the rally when serving in any of the ways I mentioned above, you lose possession. 
3. If you lose on your serve, this is what’s called a Side Out, which means the other person gets a chance to serve and score points. 

Congrats! You’re An Official Singles Player! 

You made it to the end! And now, you know everything you need in order to crush it in singles pickleball. If you’re curious to see me break down an actual singles game step-by-step… 

I got you covered. Just tap here to watch that quick gameplay.

See you there!