Pickleball · Rules explained
How does pickleball singles scoring work?
In singles pickleball the server calls two numbers, their own score first, and serves from the right-hand court when their score is even and the left when it is odd. With side-out scoring only the server can score, and losing a rally on serve is an immediate side out because there is no second server.
How do you call the score in singles?
Two numbers: the server's score, then the receiver's score. "7-4" means the server has 7 and the receiver has 4. There is no third number because singles has no server 1 or server 2, so a game opens at 0-0, not at the doubles call of 0-0-2. Call the score before every serve.
Which side do you serve from in singles?
Your own score decides it: not the total, and not the receiver's score.
| Server's score | Serve from | Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Even | Right-hand court | 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| Odd | Left-hand court | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 |
After each point you win, move to the other court and serve again. When you win the serve back, check your score: at 4 you serve from the right, at 7 from the left. The serve goes diagonally cross-court and must land beyond the non-volley zone, so the receiver lines up in the court diagonally opposite. The pickleball score caller shows the call and the serving court after every rally if you would rather not work it out.
What happens when the server loses a rally?
It is a side out straight away. The receiver becomes the server and the score does not change. A singles turn ends after one lost rally, which is the main difference from doubles, where both partners serve before the other side gets the ball.
A singles game to the finish, rally by rally
Ana leads Cal 9-8 and is serving from the left, because 9 is odd. Watch the call flip on each side out, the court follow the server's own score, and 11-10 fail to end the game. The call and the court for each rally are in the last column; on a phone, swipe the table sideways to reach it.
| Rally | Won by | Score | Games won (scores) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal | 9–8 | 0–0 | Cal | Side out, no point. Cal serves from the right (8 is even). Called 8-9 |
| 2 | Cal | 9–9 | 0–0 | Cal | Cal serves from the left (9 is odd). Called 9-9 |
| 3 | Cal | 9–10 | 0–0 | Cal | Game point to Cal. Serve from the right. Called 10-9 |
| 4 | Ana | 9–10 | 0–0 | Ana | Ana saves game point but scores nothing: side out. Ana serves from the left. Called 9-10 |
| 5 | Ana | 10–10 | 0–0 | Ana | Serve from the right. Called 10-10 |
| 6 | Ana | 11–10 | 0–0 | Ana | Not a win yet: 11-10 is only a 1-point lead. Serve from the left. Called 11-10 |
| 7 | Ana | Game to Ana | 1–0 (12–10) | Ana | 12-10: game to Ana |
Scored rally by rally by the same scoring rules the app uses. On the last row, Games shows the finished game's score.
At rally 4, Ana saved a game point by winning the rally but gained nothing on the scoreboard except the serve. That is side-out scoring in one row.
How is singles different from doubles?
| Singles | Doubles | |
|---|---|---|
| Score call | Two numbers | Three numbers |
| First call of a game | 0-0 | 0-0-2 |
| Servers per turn | 1 | 2 (1 on the first turn of a game) |
| Which court | Server's own score: even right, odd left | Team score places the starting server; server 2 serves from where they stand |
| Court size | 20 ft x 44 ft | The same court |
The full doubles walk-through is in how to keep score in pickleball.
Can you play rally scoring in singles?
Yes. USA Pickleball's provisional rally scoring for singles took effect on 1 May 2024. Every rally scores for whoever wins it and the winner serves next. The call is still two numbers, and the court rule is the same: right on an even score, left on odd. Rally vs side-out scoring compares the two systems rally by rally.
How the app handles it
Singles is the default format in Sport Score Tracker, with one player name per side. You tap the side that won each rally, and the scoreboard shows the points and games won and marks the serving side. Rally scoring is the default; choose side-out and a rally won by the receiver passes the serve and scores no point, as in the example above. The app does not show which court to serve from, so use the even/odd rule with the score on screen.
Questions
Is the singles court smaller in pickleball?
No. Singles and doubles use the same 20 ft x 44 ft court, including the non-volley zone, which reaches 7 feet from the net on each side.
How many games are in a singles match?
The same as doubles: usually the best 2 of 3 games to 11, each won by 2. Tournaments can also play one game to 15 or 21.
Do singles players change ends?
Yes. Players swap ends after every game. In a deciding game, or a match of just one game, they also swap once the first player reaches 6 in a game to 11 (8 in a game to 15, 11 in a game to 21).
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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