Singles Padel: Can You Play Padel With 2 People?
The short answer. Yes. Two people can play padel on a dedicated singles court, which is 20 metres long and 6 metres wide, or on a normal court using half the width. The official rules are written for doubles, so singles has no rulebook of its own. Most clubs simply play the doubles rules with one player per side.
What is a singles padel court?
A singles court is a narrower padel court built for one player per side. It is 20 m long and 6 m wide (65 ft 7 in × 19 ft 8 in), against 20 × 10 m for a standard court. The net, the walls and the service lines, 6.95 m from the net, are the same.
Two things are worth knowing.
- It is not an official court. The FIP Rules of Padel describe one court, 20 × 10 m, and one game, doubles. The 20 × 6 m size is a convention among builders and clubs.
- They are not common. Most clubs have none. They tend to be added where space is tight, because a singles court takes 120 m² where a full court takes 200 m².
For the full specification of a standard court, see our guide to padel court dimensions.
Singles padel rules: what changes and what stays the same
Very little changes. The LTA, which governs padel in Britain, puts it in one line: singles padel follows the main rules of doubles padel.
| In singles | |
|---|---|
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce, diagonally into the opposite service box. Two attempts |
| Server | The same player serves the whole game, alternating sides each point |
| Walls | Used exactly as in doubles |
| Bounces | The ball may bounce once before you return it |
| Scoring | 15, 30, 40, game. Sets to six games, as in doubles |
| Partner | None, so there is nobody to cover the lob or the middle |
On a purpose-built singles court the serve still goes diagonally, into the service box opposite. Line markings vary by builder, so check the court before you start.
Since none of this is written down officially, agree the details with your opponent before you start. Our padel rules guide and serve rules guide cover the doubles rules that singles borrows.
How to play 1v1 on a normal doubles court
You do not need a singles court. Two players can book any court and choose one of three layouts.
| Layout | How it works | Good for | Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full court | The whole 10 m width is in play | Fitness | Too wide to defend. Rallies are short |
| Crosscourt | Each player uses the half diagonally opposite the other. A ball landing in the other half is out | Technique. It copies the most common rally in doubles | You only practise one diagonal at a time |
| Straight half | Both players use the same side of the court | Down-the-line shots and side-wall work | The least like a real match |
Crosscourt is the one most players settle on. The serve already goes diagonally, the side wall and back wall both come into play, and the court is narrow enough to keep a rally going.
The LTA says the same thing from the other direction: you can play singles on a standard doubles court for recreational practice, but the wider playing area makes it more physically demanding and changes how the game is played.
Is singles padel good training?
For some things, yes.
- You hit far more balls. With two people on court instead of four, every ball comes to you.
- It is a harder workout. There is no partner to share the running.
- It exposes weaknesses. You cannot hide a weak backhand or a poor lob.
What it does not train is the thing padel is built around: playing as a pair. Moving up and back together, covering the middle, deciding who takes the lob. A player who only plays singles will be fitter and cleaner on the ball, and no better at doubles positioning.
Opinion among players is split. Some treat a weekly singles session as the best practice they do. Others say it is a different game that happens to use the same court. Both are fair. As a supplement to doubles it is useful. If you are just starting out, our guide on how to improve in padel as a beginner is a better first step.
Why isn't padel played in singles professionally?
Because the court was designed for four. A 10-metre-wide court enclosed by walls is too much ground for one player to defend, so professional-level singles on a full court would be decided by whoever hit wide first.
The rules reflect that. The FIP rulebook talks about pairs throughout, and the professional tours, Premier Padel and the FIP Tour, are doubles only. There is no professional singles circuit.
Can you play padel with 3 people?
Yes, and there are two usual ways to do it.
- Two against one. The pair plays normal doubles. The single player defends only half the width, usually the crosscourt half, so the pair has to aim there.
- King of the court. Two play a point or a short game one against one in the crosscourt halves. The winner stays on and the third player comes in.
A third option is to turn the hour into drills: one player feeds and the other two play out the point.
Where to find singles padel courts
- In the UK, the directory Padel Court Finder lets you filter clubs by singles courts.
- On booking apps, search for “single” or “individual” in the court name, or look for courts that take two players.
If there is none near you, book a normal court. The booking is the same and the fee is split two ways. If you are wondering how long to book for, see how long a padel match lasts.
Quick answers
Can you play 1v1 padel?
Yes. You can play on a singles court or on a normal court, where most people use the crosscourt halves. The official rules only describe doubles, so agree the format first.
Do single padel courts exist?
Yes. A singles court is 20 metres long and 6 metres wide. They are not in the official rules and most clubs do not have one.
Can singles play on a doubles padel court?
Yes. The LTA says you can play singles on a standard doubles court for recreational practice. Playing the full width is hard work, so most players use half.
Is padel better as singles or doubles?
Padel is designed as a doubles game, and that is how almost everyone plays it. Singles is a good workout and good practice, but it leaves out the teamwork.
Why isn't padel played in singles?
The court is too wide for one player to cover. The rules are written for pairs and the professional tours are doubles only.
Can you book padel for two people?
Yes. You book the court, not the number of players. Two people pay the same court fee and split it two ways.
Is padel for 2 or 4 people?
Four. The rules describe a game between two pairs. Two or three people can still play using the formats above.
Sources
- FIP Rules of Padel, 2026 edition. The court and the game are described for doubles only; there are no singles rules.
- LTA Padel: frequently asked questions. Singles on a doubles court and the rules of singles padel.
- Padel Addict: the dimensions of a padel court. Singles court size.
- Padel Court Finder. UK club directory with a singles filter.
