The kitchen is the most misunderstood part of a pickleball court. It isn't a place you're banned from. It's a place you can't volley from. Get that one idea straight and most kitchen arguments disappear. Here are the rules in plain English, the faults that catch players most often, and three drills to keep your feet legal.
The short answer
The kitchen (officially the non-volley zone) is the 7-foot area on each side of the net. You can stand in it whenever you like, but you can't volley while you're touching it.
- The kitchen line counts as the kitchen
- If your momentum from a volley carries you into the kitchen, it's a fault, even after the ball is dead
- After you've been in the kitchen, get both feet back out before you volley
- Balls that bounce are fair game: step in, hit, and stay if you want
What the kitchen is, and why it exists
The non-volley zone keeps players from camping at the net and smashing every ball out of the air. Because you can't volley from inside it, the best spot on the court is right behind the kitchen line, and that's why so many points turn into dinking battles. The two-bounce rule works alongside it: the serve and the return each have to bounce before anyone can volley, which is why the serving team needs a third-shot drop to get up to the line.
The kitchen rules, in plain English
These are the rules from the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, translated into what they mean on court.
- 1
The line is part of the kitchen
Touching the kitchen line counts the same as standing in the kitchen. A toe on the line during a volley is a fault.
- 2
You can't volley while touching the kitchen
A volley is any ball you hit before it bounces. If any part of you, or anything in contact with you, touches the kitchen while you volley, it's a fault. That includes your paddle and even your partner, if you're touching them.
- 3
Momentum counts, even after the ball is dead
Your volley doesn't end when the ball leaves your paddle. It ends when your follow-through stops and you're back in balance. If that momentum carries you into the kitchen, it's a fault, even if the ball has already bounced twice on the other side.
- 4
Both feet out before your next volley
If you've stepped into the kitchen, both feet need to touch the ground completely outside it before you volley again. One foot back isn't enough.
- 5
Bounced balls are always fair game
You can step into the kitchen at any time to play a ball that has bounced, and you don't have to leave after you hit it. Just get out before you try to volley.
- 6
Serves can't land in the kitchen
A serve that lands in the kitchen, including on the kitchen line, is a fault. Returns and every shot after that can land in the kitchen.
The kitchen isn't a no-go zone. It's a no-volley zone.
Ball bounced? Go in. Ball in the air? Make sure you're out, and stay out until you've stopped moving.
Legal or fault?
The situations that start the most arguments, and how the rules settle them:
You volley, then step on the line to stop yourself
That's momentum from the volley carrying you into the kitchen. Fault, even if the ball is already dead.
You step in to hit a short dink, then stay there
The ball bounced, so it wasn't a volley. You can stay in the kitchen as long as you don't volley from it.
One foot back out, then you volley
Both feet have to be completely outside the kitchen before you volley again.
You volley and your paddle tip brushes the kitchen line
Anything in contact with you counts, paddle included.
You jump from inside the kitchen and volley in the air
Your feet never got back outside the kitchen first, so it's a fault.
An Erne: you volley from outside the sideline next to the kitchen
Ground outside the sideline isn't the kitchen. It's legal as long as you never touch the kitchen or its line during the volley, momentum included.
Your partner is standing in the kitchen when you volley
No problem, as long as you don't touch them. If you do, or your momentum carries you into them, it's your fault.
Your return of serve lands in the kitchen
Only the serve can't land in the kitchen. A short return is legal, and often smart.
5 kitchen faults that cost points
-
MistakeToes on the line while you volley.FixSet up just behind the line, not on it. Leave yourself a couple of inches.
-
MistakeFalling forward after a punch volley.FixStay balanced and volley with a short, compact stroke. Big swings drag you forward.
-
MistakeVolleying right after a dink from inside the kitchen.FixAfter you step in for a short ball, shuffle both feet back out before the next shot.
-
MistakeReaching for a ball just over the net.FixIf you can't reach it without leaning into the kitchen, let it bounce or let your partner take it.
-
MistakeArguing about calls.FixIn casual play, you can only call kitchen faults on your opponents, and a disagreement between teams means you replay the rally.
3 drills to keep your feet legal
Kitchen faults are mostly footwork habits, and habits change with reps:
Drill 1
Line check
Both players at the kitchen line, volleying back and forth gently. After every volley, freeze and look down: are your toes behind the line?
Goal20 volleys without touching the line.
Make it harder: speed up the volleys, still freezing after each one.
Drill 2
In and out
Your partner alternates a short dink into the kitchen and a high ball you can volley. Step in for the dink, then shuffle both feet out before the volley.
Goal10 clean in-and-out sequences in a row.
Make it harder: your partner mixes them up without warning.
Drill 3
Stick the landing
Your partner feeds medium-paced balls at your body. Punch-volley each one and hold your finish for a full second before moving.
GoalNo step into the kitchen on 10 straight volleys.
Make it harder: feed from closer for faster balls.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the kitchen?
Nobody knows for sure. “Kitchen” is the nickname; the official name in the rulebook is the non-volley zone.
How big is the kitchen in pickleball?
7 feet deep and 20 feet wide on each side of the net. The lines around it are part of the kitchen.
Can you stand in the kitchen in pickleball?
Yes, at any time. You can't volley while you're touching it, and you need both feet back outside before you volley again.
Is the kitchen line in or out?
The kitchen line is part of the kitchen. Touching it while you volley is a fault, and a serve that lands on it is a fault.
Can you hit a ball in the air while in the kitchen?
No. Hitting the ball before it bounces is a volley, and you can't volley while touching the kitchen. Let it bounce, or step out first.
Is it a fault if I step into the kitchen after the point is over?
If the step comes from the momentum of your volley, yes, even if the ball is already dead. Once you've regained your balance, you can walk into the kitchen freely.
Who calls kitchen faults?
With a referee, the referee does. In casual play, you can only call kitchen faults on your opponents, and if the two teams disagree, the rally is replayed.
Want a second pair of eyes on your footwork? Ask a Royal Ambassador.
Your local Royal Ambassador is on court every week. Find yours to work on your kitchen game, try a few paddles, book a demo and get a good deal.
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