Rules guide
The kitchen rule explained: when you can and can’t be in the non-volley zone
You’re allowed in the kitchen. What you can’t do is volley while you’re touching it. Here’s what that means in practice, including the two parts people get wrong: momentum and the line.
Quick answer
The kitchen, officially the non-volley zone, is the area 7 feet from the net on each side, including its line. You may stand in it any time. You may not volley while touching it, and if your momentum carries you into it after a volley, that’s also a fault.
What and where the kitchen is
The non-volley zone stretches 7 feet back from the net on both sides, across the full width of the court, and the kitchen line counts as part of it. Why have it at all? Without it, players would camp at the net and smash everything.
Pickleball court dimensions at a glance
| Measurement | Size |
|---|---|
| Full court (doubles and singles) | 44 ft × 20 ft |
| Non-volley zone (kitchen), each side | 7 ft deep × 20 ft wide |
| Service court, each | 15 ft deep × 10 ft wide |
| Net height at sidelines | 36 in |
| Net height at center | 34 in |
| Line width | 2 in |
From USA Pickleball rules, Section 2 (court and equipment). The kitchen line counts as part of the kitchen.
The core rule: no volleys from the kitchen
A volley is hitting the ball before it bounces. You commit a fault if you volley while:
- Either foot is touching the kitchen or the kitchen line.
- Anything you’re wearing or carrying, including your paddle or a hat, touches the kitchen during the volley.
Momentum: the part most players get wrong
The volley isn’t over when the ball leaves your paddle. If your momentum then carries you into the kitchen (or carries your paddle, hat, or anything else you’re wearing or holding), that’s a fault. It still counts even when the ball is already dead because your opponent missed it.
What you’re allowed to do
- Stand in the kitchen as long as you like when you aren’t volleying.
- Step in to hit a ball that has bounced, like a short dink.
- Stay in the kitchen after hitting a bounced ball, as long as you get out before you volley.
- Hit an Erne: a volley from outside the sideline next to the kitchen, as long as you never touch the zone.
The kitchen and the serve
A serve must clear the kitchen and its line. A serve that lands on the kitchen line is short and a fault. That’s the one time a ball touching a line counts as out. See our serving rules guide.
Common kitchen myths
- “You can’t go in the kitchen.” False. You can’t volley there.
- “It’s only a fault if the ball is still in play.” False. Momentum into the kitchen after a volley is a fault even after the ball is dead.
- “Touching the line is fine.” False. The line is part of the kitchen.
Why this matters for your gear
Footwork matters too: quick side steps along the line are why court shoes beat running shoes here (see our best pickleball shoes). At the kitchen line, points are mostly won with soft dinks and resets. Power rarely decides them. For newer players, a forgiving, control-oriented paddle makes those soft shots a lot easier to land.
Frequently asked questions
Can you step in the kitchen in pickleball?
Yes. You can stand in or walk through the kitchen at any time. The only thing you can’t do is volley, meaning hit the ball before it bounces, while you are touching the kitchen or its line.
Is the kitchen line part of the kitchen?
Yes. Touching the kitchen line while volleying is a fault, just like touching the zone itself.
Can you hit a ball in the kitchen after it bounces?
Yes. If the ball bounces first, you may stand in the kitchen and hit it. That’s a groundstroke, not a volley.
Is it a fault if my momentum carries me into the kitchen after a volley?
Yes. If you volley and your momentum then carries you, or anything you are wearing or carrying, into the kitchen, it’s a fault, even if the ball is already dead.
Is the Erne legal?
Yes, as long as you never touch the kitchen. An Erne is a volley hit from outside the sideline next to the kitchen, after moving around or jumping over the corner of the zone.
Sources
Checked on Nov 7, 2026. Rules change, so the official pages win if anything here is out of date.