5 games to make pickleball actually fun

1. King or Queen of the Court

Start with four players on court, others queue on the side.
Winners stay; losers come off and go to the back of the line while the next pair steps in.
Play short games to 5 or even singlepoint rallies to keep things moving and social.

Example: Play one rally only; if the challengers win, they replace the winners, if not they go to the back of the queue.

2. Drop & Dink Only

Both teams must start any rally with a soft drop into the kitchen, then continue dinking; any hard drive is a fault.
You can play crosscourt only to narrow the focus and make it more about touch than power.
Play to 7 or 11 points to keep the game short; rotate partners often so that everyone mixes.

Example: Tap the net with your paddle to start a random soft ball, then every shot must land in the kitchen or the point is over.

3. Target Practice Challenge

Place cones, spots, or hoops in different parts of the opposite court and assign each a point value.
Players get 10 serves or feeds each to try to hit as many targets as they can, adding up their points.
You can do this as individuals or teams and give small “prizes” for high score or most improved.

Example: One hoop in each service box (1 point), one tiny cone near the sideline (3 points), one deep corner (5 points).

4. Around the World (Stations)

Set up 4–6 “stations” around the court: e.g. dinks at the kitchen, lobs from the baseline, serves to backhand, etc.
Players must complete a simple task at each station (such as 5 successful shots) before moving to the next.
First player or team to complete all stations “travels the world” and wins, but everyone keeps rotating so there’s little standing around.

Example: Station 1 = 5 kitchen dinks, Station 2 = 3 deep serves in, Station 3 = 3 backhand returns crosscourt, Station 4 = 3 controlled volleys.

5. Drop First to Score

Teams must drop at least one shot into opponent’s kitchen before hitting a scoring shot.
The dropped shot can be a scoring shot if not returned by the opponent.
Played as a regular game per rules and scoring.