Skinny singles rules
The short answer
Skinny singles is singles on half the court. The official version is called mini-singles: each player uses only one half of their end, picked by their own score: the right half when it's even, the left half when it's odd. Your shots must land in the half of your opponent's end that's in play. Everything else is standard singles.
Rules 14.B, 14.B.1.a, 14.B.2, 14.B.3
The court
A standard court. For each rally, the half of each end in play is bounded by the baseline, its sideline and the centerline. An extra line carries the centerline on through each kitchen (any color will do). The other half is out.
Rules 14.B.1, 14.B.1.b, 14.B.1.c
Your own score picks your half
In regular singles, the server's score decides where both players stand, so the serve always goes diagonally. In mini-singles, each player's own score decides their half. When both scores are even, or both odd, the serve goes diagonally. When one is even and the other odd, it goes straight ahead. The shaded halves are out.
Rules 5.A.1, 14.B.2
Nina serves from the right half to Dana, on the right half.
Nina serves from the left half to Dana, on the right half. Nina won on serve: a point, and the server switches sides.
Scoring
As in singles: only the server scores, and the call is two numbers, the server's score first. Groups also play it with rally scoring.
Rule 6.B.1
Why play it?
Half the court means less running and more touch: dinks, drops and resets, the shots that win doubles points. It's a good game while you wait for a fourth.
House rules
Plenty of groups play their own skinny singles: cross-court only, straight ahead only, or kitchen-only games. Agree on yours before the first serve. The official version is the one above.
Follow a game of skinny singles in What's the call?: choose Skinny singles.
Try it with your own game in What's the call?
More scoring answers
- Who serves, and from which side?Which side to serve from, server 1 and server 2, and how to never lose track.
- What does 0-0-2 mean?The three numbers of the call, and why the game starts on server 2.
- Side-out vs rally scoringWho scores, how the call works, and what changed in 2026.
- Kitchen rulesStanding in it, momentum, the line, the erne, and who calls the fault.
- What changed in 2026Rally scoring game point, spin serves, out calls and more.
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