Introduction:

Will you believe me if I tell you that our parents sold their first house, and we moved to a smaller house so that we have a bigger lawn to make a court?  That’s how much they love Pickleball. All my pickleball experience comes from there.

Each court has a seven-foot zone on each side of the net, commonly called the ‘non-volley zone’ or the ‘kitchen’. Beginner players may get confused while listening to the name ‘Kitchen’ because I did too. Today, we will explore everything about the kitchen for your better understanding. I will try to make it as easy as possible so that you don’t get afraid of this game just like me.

In my personal experience Kitchen is the region which makes the game very interesting and unique from Tennis or pingpong.  In this article I would share some tips on shots which high level pro players use to outrank the opponents. Eg. Erne shot and much more. So let’s dive into it.

 What Is Kitchen In Pickleball?

The kitchen is a specified area of 7 feet where the Picklers cannot volley the ball. Hence, it is called a non-volley zone. Each kitchen has two-dimensional lines having proportions of length and breadth. Players with good height had an unfair advantage of volleying the ball standing closest to the net and the opponent player definitely loses the rally. So The kitchen is to stop players taking this unfair advantage from smashing every hit if they stand in this area. 

  You cannot volley the ball if any part of your body or clothes touches this area. The kitchen boundaries are set as a strict non-volley zone. 

Why do they call it ‘kitchen?’ in pickleball?

According to one of the theories, the name ‘kitchen’ was taken from the shuffleboard game. The shuffleboard includes a space behind the primary scoring zones (10 off area). It deduces 10 points if landed in. Players have to prevent themselves from going into the 100 off-area in shuffleboard. Similarly, players do not enter the 7 ft area behind each side of the net in court to volley the ball. Hence, it is called the ‘kitchen’ in pickleball. 

 Playing the game while staying away from the non-volley zone becomes more challenging and fun, especially in long rallies, dinks, and fast-paced games. Well, this sport is all about fun and challenge! Right?  Let us know what other theories behind the name ‘Kitchen’ you heard about for pickleball.

What Is The Size Of A Kitchen In Pickleball?

According to the USAPA rulebook 2024, the size of the kitchen is 7 ft by 20 ft. The 7 ft long on each side of the net and 20 ft wide area running parallel to the net on each side is marked as a ‘non-volley zone’ or ‘kitchen’. Each court has lines that divide the playing areas for players. 

 After you serve the ball, it must land beyond the opponent’s kitchen area or on the kitchen line. It is considered a fault if the ball bounces in the kitchen area or on the line and the opponent wins a point for that fault. 

Basic Rules About Pickleball’s Kitchen:

As per USAPA 2024 Rulebook’s section 9.A to 9. H, the non-volley zone of the pickleball court has some basic rules that every player has to follow. Let’s look into each rule below for more details:

1. Players should volley the ball outside the kitchen area. Except for wheelchaired players, the front-small wheels of their wheelchairs can touch the non-volley zone while volleying the ball. 
2. If the volleying player, his shoes, hands, paddle, clothes, or anything else in contact with him touches the non-volley zone, it is considered a fault. However, if a wheelchaired player comes in contact with Kitchen, it will not considered a fault. 
3. The volleying must involve the ball’s swing, follow-through, and momentum. 
4. It is a fault if the volleying player’s momentum causes him to contact anything in the non-volley zone including his partner during volleying. It is also considered a fault if the volleyed ball has zero speed and falls before players contact the kitchen. 
5. The player can enter the kitchen whenever he is not volleying the ball. 
6. The player may enter the kitchen before or after returning the ball that bounces. 
7. The player can stand inside the kitchen area to return a bounced ball. It will not be considered a fault if the player does not go outside from the kitchen after serving a ball that bounces.
8. It is not a rule violation if the player returns the ball while his teammate is in the non-volley zone.
9. If a player touches a non-volley zone, he must volley a return when his feet completely come in contact with the volleying zone. It is a fault if he jumps up to hit the ball while standing in the kitchen area and then jumps outside the kitchen. 

What Can You Do In The Kitchen In Pickleball?

• You can enter the non-volley zone at any time during the game except when you are volleying. 
• You can stand in the kitchen when your partner is volleying during a doubles match. 
• You can hit any shot inside the kitchen until the ball hits the court first. 
• You can hit a dink, groundstroke, or lob while staying inside the kitchen. 

What You Cannot Do In The Kitchen?

• You should not violate any kitchen rules for the game when you are in the non-volley zone. 
• Most importantly, you should not volley the ball in the non-volley zone. 

Shots In The Kitchen:

What Is A Dink Shot?

The ‘dink’ is a kind of soft pickleball shot that is played near the kitchen line. The dink shot is served with optimum control and accuracy so the ball lands in the opponent’s non-volley zone passing over the net. Dink shots pass closely from the net and force the opponent player to let the ball bounce. 

 Importance of the dink shot in the kitchen: 

A good dink shot can force your opponent to change his position to serve a return. It causes difficulty for the opponent to volley the ball. They may commit a fault while moving and it may create an opportunity for you to win a point.  

What Is The Erne Shot?

As a beginner, you may have heard about dinks, groundstrokes, lobs, etc. But, have you heard about the ‘Erne’ shot? It is one of the most challenging and hard shots to master. 

Many professional and high-skilled players perform erne shots in tournaments. It is a shot of quick response and decision. In this shot, the player has to quickly move out of the sideline to volley the ball if a ball enters the kitchen. Because of this, the player is not in the kitchen technically and can serve the ball legally. Because of this shot,  the player isn’t technically in the kitchen. In an erne shot, the player can diagonally jump near the sidelines to volley the ball in the air.

I always use this shot while playing with my brothers and it has always provided me extra edge in winning the matches.

The player Erne Perry created this shot and made it famous in pickleball championships. The player does not touch the non-volley zone while performing the erne shot. According to the USAPA rulebook,  players cannot volley the ball touching the kitchen line or out of the air. The kitchen line extends to the sidelines only. You can serve the ball if you are standing in the volley zone or the air of the non-volley zone.

Importance Of Kitchen In Pickleball:

The non-volley zone allows players to serve the ball in limited space i.e. volley zone. The players can perform and master dinks, urbane, lob, etc. shots due to the presence of the kitchen. It creates an opportunity to win points against opponent players if they commit fault due to their kitchen. 

The presence of a kitchen area makes this game and its rallies more challenging. It can help you enhance your serving skills within the volley zone to become an advanced player. Following kitchen rules imparts discipline to play pickleball.

Final Thoughts: 

Every pickleball player must know about the volley and non-volley zone to master his paddle strokes, backswings, and ball trajectory. The kitchen makes this game more enthusiastic and competitive. We hope this guide on ‘What is the kitchen in pickleball?’ has given you meaningful insights about non-volley zones, their rules, exceptions, player positions, different shots, etc. 

Don’t forget to master the Erne shot which will put you in the zone of pro players.

getsetpickleball.com advises you to follow each rule carefully and enjoy the pickleball game!