Pickleball Kitchen Rule Explained: The Non-Volley Zone

The kitchen rule says you cannot volley the ball (hit it before it bounces) while any part of your body, paddle or clothing is touching the non-volley zone or its line, and your momentum after a volley cannot carry you into the zone. You can stand in the kitchen whenever you like and hit any ball that has bounced from there. The rule exists to stop players camping at the net and smashing everything, and it is the reason soft play and dinking matter. Most disputes come from the momentum rule and from the line, both covered below.

What the kitchen is

The non-volley zone is the area on each side of the net bounded by the net, the sidelines and the non-volley line 7 feet from the net. The line is part of the zone. See court dimensions. "Kitchen" is the universal nickname.

What you cannot do

• Volley while touching the kitchen. If any part of you, your paddle or anything you are wearing or carrying touches the zone or the line at the moment you volley, it is a fault.
• Carry momentum into the kitchen after a volley. If you volley from behind the line and your momentum takes you into the zone or onto the line, it is a fault, even if the ball is already dead or the opponents have already missed.
• Touch the kitchen with anything while volleying. A dropped paddle, a hat that falls, or a hand on the ground in the zone during a volley is a fault.

What you can do

• Stand in the kitchen at any time, as long as you do not volley from it.
• Hit a ball that has bounced from inside the kitchen. Dinks that land short are routinely played from inside the zone.
• Enter the kitchen before a ball bounces to be ready to play it after the bounce.
• Step out and then volley. You must have both feet established outside the zone (not touching the line) before volleying. You cannot jump from inside the zone and volley in the air.
• Have a partner hold you back. If your partner stops your momentum from carrying you into the zone, that is legal.
• Reach over the kitchen to volley as long as your feet and everything else stay out.

The momentum rule in detail

Momentum is the part players most often get wrong. The sequence that matters is: you volley from outside the zone, and then, as a result of that volley, you move into the zone or onto the line. It is a fault regardless of when it happens relative to the rally ending. If you volley, the ball lands out, and then you stumble into the kitchen, the opponents win the point (strictly, your fault occurred, and under the rules the fault stands).

Two consequences:

1. Stay balanced when you volley. Leaning forward on a volley is the usual cause.
2. After volleying, if you feel yourself moving forward, your partner may legally hold you back.

The line

The non-volley line belongs to the zone. Touching it while volleying is a fault. This is the opposite of most other lines in the sport, where the line is "in" for the ball. Players standing at the kitchen line should keep their toes just behind it.

Serve into the kitchen

A serve that lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault. This is a separate rule from the volley rule but it is why the serve must be deep. See serving rules.

Common misunderstandings

"You can't go in the kitchen." False. You can go in whenever you like; you just cannot volley from it.

"If the ball bounces in the kitchen, I can volley the next one from inside." False. After playing a bounced ball from inside the zone, you must re-establish both feet outside before volleying.

"The fault only counts if I'm still in the kitchen when I hit." False. Momentum after the volley counts.

"My paddle touching the kitchen doesn't matter." False. Anything touching the zone or line at the moment of a volley is a fault.

"If the ball was already out, my step-in doesn't matter." Under the rules, the momentum fault still stands. In friendly play, groups sometimes relax this; in tournaments, do not expect it.

Strategy built on the rule

Because no one can volley from the kitchen, a ball that lands softly inside it must be hit upward from below the net. That is the entire basis of the dink game and the third shot drop. Teams fight for position at the kitchen line, keep the ball low, and wait for a pop-up. See what is a dink and how to play pickleball.

Erne shots

Advanced players sometimes volley a ball while in the air beside the kitchen, having jumped from outside the court past the zone, or having run around it, to volley from beside the net. This is legal as long as they never touch the zone or its line during the volley or on landing as a result of it. Known as the Erne, it is a notable exception that proves the rule: the kitchen is defined by the lines, not by proximity to the net.

Calling kitchen faults

In recreational play, players call their own kitchen faults and opponents may point out ones they see. In officiated play, referees call them. If unsure, replay the point; in tournaments, the referee's call stands.

Related guides

• Pickleball rules
• Pickleball court dimensions
• Pickleball etiquette

FAQ

Can you ever go in the kitchen in pickleball?

Yes. You can stand in it any time and hit any ball that has bounced. You cannot volley while touching it or the line.

Is the kitchen line in or out?

The line is part of the kitchen. Touching it while volleying is a fault. A serve landing on it is a fault.

What if my momentum takes me into the kitchen after a volley?

It is a fault, even if the ball was already dead. Stay balanced or have your partner hold you back.

Can my paddle cross over the kitchen?

Yes, as long as nothing touches the zone or the line while you volley.

Can I jump from the kitchen and volley in the air?

No. You must have both feet established outside the zone before volleying.