What Is The Kitchen In Pickleball? Non-Volley Zone Guide

If you’ve ever stepped foot on a pickleball court, you’ve almost definitely heard the term “kitchen” before.

But what is the kitchen in pickleball?

That’s what we are about to find out!

This article will define the pickleball kitchen in the simplest terms and answer some of the most common questions that pickleball players have about this important part of the court.

What is the kitchen in pickleball?

If you thought the kitchen was just a room in your house, you’ve probably never played pickleball!

Once you’ve become acquainted with this highly addictive sport, however, the word “kitchen” will take on a whole new meaning.

That’s because when you’re on the pickleball court, at least, the kitchen refers to a specific area of the playing ground.

And if you’re like most pickleball players, it won’t be long before your life is filled around pickleball tournaments, pickleball camps and basically all things pickleball!

The pickleball kitchen

The kitchen in pickleball is simply a colloquial term for the “non-volley zone”.

So, if you know what one of these terms is, then congratulations – you know both!

If not, listen up, because it is a crucial part of the game of pickleball.

The non-volley zone and the kitchen zone – or kitchen area – are exactly the same thing and the names can be used interchangeably.

The only difference is that the non-volley zone is the actual name of this part of the pickleball court, as per the official pickleball literature.

The kitchen is the slang name given to the non-volley zone and the one you are most likely to hear players use during casual games.

Where is the kitchen in pickleball?

If you’re new to pickleball and still becoming familiar with the layout and dimensions of a pickleball court, don’t worry.

The kitchen is an easy area to identify because it’s located on either side of the net.

It begins directly at the net and center line and extends seven feet on either side.

Where this 7-foot zone ends is easy to see because it’s marked clearly on both sides of the court by the non-volley line.

What you need to know about the pickleball kitchen

So why does the pickleball kitchen exist at all, you may be wondering?

Well, this crucial area plays two important roles in the game of pickleball.

The first purpose of the kitchen is when it comes to serving.

According to the pickleball serving rules, the serving team cannot hit the ball into the kitchen area.

That means that, when it is your serve, you must ensure the ball bounces past the kitchen line on your opponent’s side of the court.

The second purpose of the non-volley zone is to make for fairer play.

Players are not allowed to volley in the non-volley zone – hence the name! – so that you cannot smash the ball past the receiving team.

While it might be helpful to do that at times, it certainly wouldn’t make for the most exciting game!

Where did the term kitchen come from in pickleball?

Once you are an advanced player, you will probably forget how strange some of the pickleball vocabulary may have seemed at first!

But as anybody new to – or unfamiliar with – the sport of pickleball will tell you, learning about pickleball can feel like learning a new language at times!

Pickleball is full of unusual terms – including the name of the game itself – but the name kitchen is perhaps one of the strangest of all.

After all, you’ve probably only ever known the kitchen to be the place where you prepare food and wash dishes – all things related to eating rather than playing pickleball.

However, the origin of the word “kitchen” in pickleball may make more sense than it might at first seem.

There are a few theories on how the pickleball kitchen got its name but most people believe one of the following to be true:

• Perhaps the most common theory is that pickleball borrowed the name from the game of shuffleboard, which also has a kitchen. Given that pickleball includes elements of other sports such as tennis, this wouldn’t seem unlikely.
• Another less popular theory is that nobody likes to be in the kitchen… and nobody likes to be in the non-volley zone. To this effect, everybody wants to “stay out of the kitchen!”
• Another uncommon theory is that it is the center of the court, just as the kitchen is the center of the home – but this feels like a bit of a stretch.

And there are plenty more theories that you’re sure to come across as you play pickleball more and get to know more players!

And, as more people begin to play pickleball and ask “what is the kitchen in pickleball?”, we’re sure there will only be more theories popping up.

Since nobody knows the true origin of the name kitchen, you can just assume your own favorite version of the theories above.

Or perhaps you even have your own idea about why the kitchen is called the kitchen in pickleball!

What does it mean to be in the kitchen in pickleball?

In pickleball, being “in the kitchen” refers to being inside the non-volley zone, which is a designated area on the pickleball court.

The non-volley zone, often informally called “the kitchen,” is a rectangular area located adjacent to the net.

The non-volley zone line – or NVZ line for short – extends 7 feet on both sides of the net from the center line, and is marked by the inside pickleball court lines.

When a player is in the kitchen, there are certain restrictions on what they can do with the ball, and it’s important familiarize yourself with the rules of the kitchen.

Specifically, one of the most crucial non-volley zone rules is that players are not allowed to volley while standing in the kitchen (hence the official name!).

The player must wait for the ball to bounce before hitting it if they are in this area.

This is one of the official pickleball rules and was put in place to promote fair play and to prevent players from making an overly aggressive return shot near the net.

This would give them an unfair advantage and can therefore lead to quick and uninteresting points.

This is also why it’s important to practice your dink shots!

Getting to the kitchen can also be a good strategy when playing both doubles and singles pickleball because it means the opposing player can’t use a hard volley shot on their next shot.

It’s essential for players to be aware of their position on the court, especially in and around the kitchen, to avoid committing a fault and giving the opposing team an advantage.

Players often need to use strategy and precision when approaching the net and playing a soft shot within the kitchen to control the game effectively.

It’s a good idea to practice some kitchen-specific drills when you are not playing full pickleball games for this reason.