The pickleball kitchen rule (non-volley zone) COMPLETELY explained

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If you're a beginner or have never played pickleball before, the kitchen (non-volley zone) rule can be very confusing. In this video, I explain everything that you'll need to get started with the kitchen rule and how to avoid getting called on a fault!

Links to more Pickleball Kitchen content:

[bluesaddict]

Great video, thank you! This sport is exploding in popularity and many of us are brand new. These videos help a lot.

[agavai]

Thanks for taking the time at the start if the video to explain what a volley is. Most people wouldn't do that and just assume that everyone knows what that means.

[annahunter]

Thanks heaps for the explanation. Noone Ive asked has explained it well enough for me to be able to explain it to someone else. I just adopted the rule of staying out of the kitchen by default.

[benvoeller]

At 6:00 I think you made it clear by saying it doesn't matter where the ball bounces. As long as it has bounced you can enter the kitchen. Obviously if it bounces outside the kitchen you won't be in the kitchen when you hit it but could travel into the kitchen after you hit it. My friends insist entering the kitchen is a fault unless it bounces IN THE KITCHEN. I would like to have seen you return a ball after it bounces OUTSIDE the kitchen and than travel into the kitchen to make it unmistakably clear. Which is it?

[markeshbhatt]

Thank you for this info... I am just starting the sport and wanted to know this rule....

[smileforever]

At 6:36. You said it is a fault trying to stay outside the kitchen by swinging the arms. If swinging the arms help the feet not stepping inside the kitchen. It is not a fault, is it? Thanks.

[rkargus]

Serious question.. what is the purpose of having the kitchen boundary at all? Is it meant to slow points down? I'm assuming there's a good reason for it if the game and fault calling is to be complicated in such a manner.

[iDreamOfOkra]

Perfect explanation and you covered all the variations. Thanks for this! I played my first game yesterday and absolutely loved it!

[faamoanafaletoi]

At the 2:07 mark, you start talking abot the volley taking you into the kitchen off of momentum being a fault. Does that count when the ball: (a) bounces in the kitchen and you hit it, but momentum takes you into the no-volley zone? (I know, this is a no-brainer) (b) bounces outside of the no-volley zone, you hit it, but momentum carries you into that kitchen? Thanks btw for the visual learning guide.

[scubaseppy]

I keep hearing from my local court "It has to land in the kitchen" no it just has to land. Thanks for the clarification.

[eeeeyuke]

As long as your feet aren't in the kitchen, can you reach far into the kitchen to volley or must you let a ball bounce in the kitchen if it's obviously going to land in it?

[gavinfitch]

Question. If you hit it and it scores a point, I hit it, it double bounces making the point but I fall into the kitchen after the second bounce is it still good? I’ve heard it is because the play is dead or finished but I’ve also heard that even if it’s 10sec after the point if you fall into the kitchen it’s no point.

[howardgutman]

If the ball is shallow, and bounced higher it can make sense to go in the kitchen and hit it hard on a bounce. That gives the other team less time to respond and you can frequently hit a winner if there is an open area. Only at higher levels it seems do you have to worry about a quick return coming at you that you cannot volley. But you can go or even stay in the kitchen if you want, one challenge is that because going in the kitchen is unusual you can get misplaced calls with people saying you can't do it.

[huoguo]

Can you jump over the kitchen, volley, and land outside of the kitchen? I see a lot of people volleying in videos to the side of the kitchen, but past the horizontal line that’s parallel to the net to mark the kitchen.

[TheECP]

Wow great video, the extent of this rule is not clearly explained by any other "how to play pickleball" guides I've seen, I've only played once but I'm not sure if I ever broke the momentum follow through rules because I wasn't paying attention to that aspect of it haha.

[felinegood-livingtheferall]

Helpful video ...would you please detail about the KITCHEN LINE. I believe it too is considered part of the Kitchen. As such, one needs to be cognizant of where the tips of their sneakers are. One toe on the Kitchen line can result in a fault.

[EscorpioPS]

Great video. Please explain hindrance 😃 for doubles.

[postaudio]

Question. Do I have wait for the ball to bounce in the kitchen or can I be in the kitchen and anticipate the obvious ball that will bounce because you just know?

[davidk]

Thank you! Kitchen rule was a little hard to get used to as a tennis player.

[SchlabachWoodDesign-rwzb]

once you step into the kitchen, how quickly do you have to be out before you are eligible to hit? Is it before the other team hits the ball?