If you are new to the sport of pickleball, there is nothing more confusing than the pickleball kitchen rules.
For many players who come from another racket or paddle game, when they first begin playing the game of pickleball, their introduction to the kitchen is the “oh crap, this isn’t tennis anymore” moment.
The kitchen rules are drastically different from anything you’ll find in badminton, tennis, or ping pong.
And if you are a tennis player, it’s even more confusing: The court is similar. You’re still hitting a ball over net. But the rules of the game have changed.
It’s like aliens have invaded your court and want to take over everything you’ve ever known.
But don’t worry!
Like Will Smith in Independence Day, we’re taking back our world.
In this post, we will teach you everything you need to know about the kitchen:
- Simplified Kitchen Rules
- What is the Pickleball Kitchen?
- How to use the kitchen rules to your advantage.
- And we will answer many of the questions that you may have about how the rules apply in different game situations.
It’s time to show those rule-changing aliens that this is your planet…uh…we mean: court.
What is the pickleball kitchen?
The pickleball kitchen is a 7-foot area near the net on both sides of the pickleball court.
It is also called the non-volley zone or NVZ.
The area is designated by a court line–called the kitchen line (also known as the non-volley zone line or NVZ line). And these associated lines are considered part of the non-volley zone.
PIckleball Kitchen Size (Dimensions & Layout)
Okay, so we’ve learned that the kitchen zone is a rectangular area in the playing court that stretches 7 feet on both sides of the net.
But how wide does it go?
A pickleball court is 44 feet long by 20 feet wide (similar to a badminton-sized court).
And the kitchen area actually spans the entire width of the court–sideline to sideline–a distance of 20 feet.
In all, the kitchen covers 140 square feet on each side of the court (280’ total).
And the kitchen line, itself, is 2 inches thick and surrounds the area on the court.
But it’s important to note: the kitchen only includes the physical space on the court. It does not include the area above the kitchen.
The Pickleball Kitchen Rules 2023: Simplified Breakdown
The rules of the kitchen can be intimidating, especially for a new player.
But consider us your doubles partner for this journey: we’ve got your back.
We’ve broken down each rule into simple-to-understand parts.
Here are 9 basic rules of the kitchen:
You may enter the kitchen at any time during the game.
New pickleball players sometimes misunderstand the kitchen rule and think that they can’t enter the area until the ball bounces.
This is not true.
You may go in at any time during the game as long you are not volleying.
USAPA Rule: 9E
You cannot hit a ball out of the air while standing in the kitchen.
This is the simplest rule of the kitchen.
If any part of your body is touching the non-volley zone while you hit a volleyed ball, it is a fault. Your foot, your hand, your pinky toe: it doesn’t matter. Nothing can touch the non-volley zone during a volley.
When I was first starting to play, it was way too easy for me to get excited and lunge forward to smash a ball out of the air, only to realize I had run into the kitchen. Rookie mistake on the volley rules.
But you don’t have to make the same ones.
Stay out of the kitchen unless the ball bounces.
USAPA Rule: 9A
If the ball bounces, you can hit it while standing in the kitchen.
You can, in fact, play the ball from inside the kitchen.
As long as it bounces first, you may enter the kitchen and hit it.
A player can even wait in the kitchen–though that’s not a good idea–and then hit the ball after it bounces if they want.
The point is: if the ball bounces, you can hit it while standing in the kitchen.
USAPA Rule: 9F and 9G
You cannot fall into the kitchen after hitting the ball out of the air.
A player’s momentum cannot carry them into the non-volley zone after a volley.
This is the momentum rule: if you swing and hit the ball out of the air and you fall forward into the NVZ, it is a fault.
When you are around the kitchen line, you must maintain your balance and keep your body outside of the kitchen all the way through your swing.
Even after the result of a volley, the volleying player must maintain their footing outside the kitchen area.
USAPA Rule: 9C
After you volley, you cannot touch your partner if they are standing in the kitchen.
Sometimes a player will hit a volley and they will begin to fall into the kitchen, but they will reach out and grab their partner to stabilize balance. Is this legal? Yes and no.
If the partner is standing outside the kitchen, it is legal and excellent teamwork. If their partner is inside the kitchen when the other player touches them, it is a fault.
USAPA Rule: 9C
Your paddle or clothes also cannot touch the non-volley zone during or after a volley.
Let’s imagine a scenario for a moment.
You are in the middle of a blistering rally and both teams are at the non-volley zone line.
Your opponent pops a shot up, and you volley it down the right side of the court. You watch the ball fly past your opponent and hit in.
You check your feet. They are outside the kitchen.
But then you look down.
During the struggle, your hat came off your head and fell into the kitchen.
Oddly enough, this is a fault.
This kitchen rule states that, if anything comes off the player and makes contact with the NVZ during a volley, that player loses the point. This includes the player’s paddle, hat, watch, shoe, and anything that comes off the player during the act of volleying.
I’ve scraped my paddle in the kitchen playing surface on many occasions as I tried to return a shot. This is a no-no.
USAPA Rule: 9B
You cannot touch any part of the kitchen line while hitting the ball out of the air.
The non-volley line is a part of the kitchen. It is illegal for your foot or any part of your body to touch it during a volley.
If you are on the line, you are in the kitchen area of the pickleball court. This is a foot fault.
If you enter the kitchen for any reason, you must re-establish your entire body outside the kitchen before you hit the ball out of the air.
This rule is simple.
If you go into the kitchen, your feet must be back on the ground outside the kitchen before you volley.
You cannot jump out of the kitchen and hit the ball in mid-air before re-establishing your feet beyond the kitchen line.
USAPA Rule: 9D
Your partner can stand in the kitchen while you volley.
In pickleball doubles, you and your partner have a symbiotic relationship. Members of each team move as one and play as one–except for when it comes to the kitchen rule.
While you cannot go inside the kitchen while you volley, your partner is permitted to be inside the kitchen during your act of volleying.
USAPA Rule: 9H
When can you go into the kitchen?
You can stand in the kitchen anytime during the game.
And while we don’t recommend it, you can stay there as long as you want.
You just can’t volley the ball out of the air while standing there.
So what can you do inside the kitchen?
Almost anything else.
Heck, go ahead and pack a lunch and lay a blanket down and have a beautiful picnic there.
It won’t be good for your pickleball game, but you certainly won’t be breaking any rules (and you’ll get a great meal).
Can You Be in the Kitchen Before the Ball Bounces?
Yes, you can be in the kitchen before the ball bounces–as long as you don’t touch it until the bounce.
If your opponent hits a dink or drop shot, you can move your feet into the kitchen and prepare for the shot.
Let it bounce first, and then you can return it.
But don’t go into the kitchen too early.
If you get into the area before your opponent hits their shot, they may use you as target practice.
If they hit a hard shot at you, you likely won’t have time to respond to the speed of the ball.
And if it hits your body while you are standing in the kitchen, you will be called for a fault and lose the rally.
We always tell people: get in the kitchen and then get out of the kitchen. Only stay in as long as you need.
My kids love to play a game called: The Floor is Lava. It’s where they pretend that the floor is covered in lava and they try to stay off it as much as possible.
Treat the pickleball kitchen the same way.
Can you jump and land in the kitchen in pickleball?
If you are hitting a volley shot, you cannot jump and land in the kitchen.
Any movement that happens directly after your shot is considered a part of your shot.
So if you volley and jump and land inside the kitchen court surface, you will be called for a fault.
Which brings us to…
Can your momentum carry you into the kitchen?
Your momentum cannot carry you into the kitchen after a volley, even if you didn’t jump. If your follow-through takes you into the kitchen, or even just onto the kitchen line, it is a fault.
Imagine you are in a rally, and your opponent pops a ball up. Your eyes dilate. It’s kill time.
You reach back and hit the ball with force, but you use a little too much force, and your momentum carries you into the kitchen.
Even if your shot lands in-bounds, you lose the point.
Ugh.
This can be very frustrating, and this rule gets a lot of players who are just starting to play.
Work on your balance and stay out of that kitchen.
What is an Erne shot in pickleball?
This is where things get interesting.
While you can’t jump into the kitchen on a volley shot, you can jump over the space above the kitchen.
An Erne is a shot where you stand outside the kitchen and jump over the corner of the kitchen, hitting the ball out of the air, as you land out of bounds.
As long as you don’t touch the kitchen surface, this is a completely fair method.
Why are the kitchen rules important in pickleball? Why does the pickleball kitchen rule exist?
The kitchen rule keeps players from standing at the net and gaining a volley advantage by smashing high balls straight down for a quick pickleball point.
When the game was first invented, Dick Brown exploited the lower net.
Brown was a 6-foot, 4-inch pickleball monster who would stand right in front of the net and smash everything in sight. Regular players didn’t stand a chance.
So the creators of the game invented the pickleball kitchen rules to keep Brown (and other players) back 7 feet.
It was the right call.
It’s one the many pickleball rules that keep the game fair for players of all shapes and sizes.
How to Stay Out of the Kitchen: Proven Techniques
In pickleball, when you have to enter the kitchen to hit a shot, the best practice is to get in and out as quickly as possible.
In order to stay out of the kitchen, you will want to develop these skills and techniques:
6 Kitchen Techniques
- Awareness: As a beginning player, it is easy to lose track of where you are on the court. You need to develop a feel for the court and where the lines are, especially the kitchen line. At the start of each new game, familiarize yourself with the kitchen line and keep it in mind throughout the game.
- Toe the Line: When you arrive at the kitchen, you will want to get your toes right up to the kitchen line. Get as close to the kitchen as you can without falling in. This allows you to gauge how close you are, and set yourself just outside the area.
- Anchor Footwork: When you move around or in the kitchen to dink, keep one foot anchored in the court and lunge or step with the other foot. Using this technique, you always have a reference point to go back to–outside the kitchen. This will allow you to return right back to the spot that you were previously.
- Keep Your Body in Athletic Position: You want to stay on balance as much as possible. If you fall in, even after your shot, you will be called for a fault. So you will want to keep getting back into an athletic or ready position–feet at shoulder width apart and knees bent.
- Practice Your Dink: The dink is the most common shot around the kitchen, and it is the primary shot you will hit when you go into the kitchen. You should practice your dink regularly so that you can place the ball low and toward the corners of your opponent’s kitchen. This will give you time to get in and out of the non-volley zone.
- Anticipate: Study your opponent’s tendencies and anticipate when they are going to hit a shot that leads you into the kitchen. This will keep you one step ahead.
What is a dink shot? And how can you use it to take advantage of the kitchen rules?
The dink shot in pickleball is a finesse shot that you hit while standing near the net. It’s the opposite of a volley.
As you prepare to hit a dink, allow the ball to bounce and then hit the ball with an upward arc that peaks on your side of the net and lands softly near the net on your opponent’s side.
Ideally, you will land the dink near the corner of their kitchen.
A dink is the perfect shot to take advantage of the pickleball kitchen rules by forcing your opponent out of position and into their non-volley zone.
For more on dinking and how to use it to win games, check out our article on What is a Dink in Pickleball?
How to Use the Pickleball Kitchen Rules to Your Advantage: 4 Steps
While the kitchen is intimidating, you can actually use it to your advantage in a pickleball game.
When you begin a rally, here are some steps you can take to use the kitchen rules to win a pickleball match:
Hit Your Early Shots Deep
Early in the rally, both teams have to stay deep in the court and let the ball bounce (following the double bounce rule).
Serve deep into the proper service court to keep the receiving team back, and then keep hitting your shots deep to keep your opposing team at the basline.
Get to the Kitchen Line ASAP
The first team to reach the kitchen line gains the advantage.
Again, keep your opponent deep, and try to quickly work your way up to the kitchen line.
It’s like storming the castle. Get there and hold position.
Stand Right at the Kitchen Line
As we mentioned earlier, get as close to the kitchen line without stepping on it.
This will give you better angles to hit difficult shots at your opponent and return their difficult shots from the corners of your kitchen.
Hit Shots That Push Your Opponent Into Their Kitchen
You want to get in and out of your kitchen. You are an easy target in there.
But that is also true for your opponent.
Use dink shots and drop shots to force them to step into their kitchen. These are good shots.
Then, if they linger too long, hit a smash at the feet or body of the opposing player. If it hits part of the player, it’s a dead ball.
This is a great way to score points.
The Pickleball Kitchen Rules: FAQs
Can your serve land in the kitchen?
If you are the serving team, your serve attempt cannot land in the kitchen. It must travel over the kitchen in the air and land in the correct service courts (diagonal from their serving side).
It doesn’t matter if you are the first server or second server, the ball must land in the service box in the other team’s court–outside the non-volley zone.
For more on pickleball serving rules, check our article on What is a Legal Serve in Pickleball Serve?
Does the return of serve in pickleball have to clear the kitchen?
The return of the serve is allowed to land in the kitchen.
You will often want to hit your return of serve deep to keep your opponent back by the baseline.
But there are times where a short shot into the kitchen will catch them off guard and give you an advantage.
Just remember: if you are the receiving team, the ball must first bounce, and then you can hit (i.e. double bounce rule).
Are the pickleball kitchen rules the same for singles and doubles play?
Yes, pickleball’s kitchen rule list is the same for both singles and doubles formats.
Of course, there are certain kitchen rules that involve a partner, and these won’t apply to singles play.
But there are no other changes, and you should follow the pickleball kitchen rules in both formats.
How long can you stay in the kitchen in pickleball?
You can enter and stay inside the kitchen as long as you want during a rally.
The kitchen is open at all times.
But we would not recommend staying in the kitchen.
If you do, you become a target for your opponent, who may try to hit you with a smash.
You also are not able to hit any shots out of the air while you are in there.
So get in and get out.
Can you stand in the kitchen and spike the ball in pickleball?
You cannot stand in the kitchen and spike the ball.
If you are standing in the kitchen, you must let the ball bounce first before you hit it.
But what if the ball bounces high enough for you to spike it back at your opponent?
In this case, as long as it has bounced first, you may hit the ball however you want–spike, smash, dink, etc.
Why is the kitchen also known as the “non-volley zone” (NVZ)
The kitchen is sometimes also called the non-volley zone.
Why?
This is simple. It’s right there in the name.
It is the non-volley zone because it is a zone where there are no volleys allowed.
What is a volley in pickleball?
A volley is when a player hits the ball out of the air before it bounces on the ground.
If you are standing in the non-volley zone (or on the non-volley line), you cannot hit the ball out of the air (aka a volley).
What happens if you break the kitchen rules?
If you break a kitchen rule, you will be called for a fault and you lose the rally.
For example, let’s imagine a rally.
It’s the first service sequence of the game.
You call the server score and receiving score, and then you hit a deep serve to the left side of your opponent’s court.
They return it, and you let it bounce and hit a drop shot into their kitchen.
(You’re playing amazing! Keep it up!)
As the drop shot falls on their side, you rush toward the kitchen.
They pop the ball up to you, and you reach overhead and smash the ball. Boom!
But as you follow-through, you step into the kitchen.
Play is dead, and even though you hit an amazing shot, the other team is awarded the rally. They get the next serve.
Kitchen Rules: The Break Down
The pickleball kitchen rules are some of the most important rules of pickleball.
If you would like, you can read the official rules of the pickleball non-volley zone rules on the USA PIckleball Association website (scroll down to section 9).
But after making it through this guide together, we know: you’ve got them down.
And if you forget: just remember these very abbreviated form of the rules.
If the ball bounces, you can go in.
If the ball is in the air, stay out.
And if you are looking to learn more about the pickleball rules, check our Printable Pickleball Rules. We cover all of the rules of the game, in-depth, and you can print off a simplified version to take to the court.