The kitchen rule starts with one question.

How to judge the kitchen

1. Decide whether the shot was a volley or whether the ball bounced first.
2. If it was a volley, check whether the player started outside the non-volley zone.
3. Check the player's feet, paddle, clothing, partner contact, and anything connected to the player.
4. Keep watching momentum until the player regains balance or stops moving toward the kitchen.
5. If the player had been in the kitchen earlier, check whether both feet re-established completely outside before volleying.

You can enter the kitchen

A player may enter the non-volley zone at any time except while volleying. A player may stand in the kitchen to hit a ball that bounced, may stay there after hitting a bounced ball, and may move through the zone when no volley is involved.

What makes it illegal

• Volley contact: touching the kitchen during the act of volleying is a fault.
• Momentum: if a volley's follow-through or balance carries the player into the kitchen, it is still a fault, even after the ball is dead.
• Partner contact: a volleying player can fault by contacting a partner who is touching the kitchen.
• Reset required: after touching the kitchen, the player must get both feet completely outside before volleying.

Ernes and around-the-post shots

An Erne can be legal because the player jumps or positions outside the non-volley zone while volleying near the net. The same test still applies: the volley must be initiated outside the kitchen and the player cannot touch the kitchen during the volley or from volley momentum.

"The point was already over"

That does not always save the player. Kitchen momentum faults can still count after the ball becomes dead if the fault came from the act of volleying.

Next pickleball topics

• Serving and scoring rules
• Back to pickleball overview
• Tennis line calls and hindrance
• Volleyball net and center-line faults

Source material

• USA Pickleball Official Rules
• USA Pickleball rules summary and rulebook hub