pickleball glossary
What is a Kitchen in Pickleball?
The kitchen is the non-volley zone — a 7-foot zone in front of the net on each side where you can't volley the ball. You can stand in the kitchen, but you can't hit a volley while in it. The kitchen is the strategic heart of pickleball.
Example in a match
You step into the kitchen to hit a ball that bounced. That's legal. If you'd hit it on the volley while in the kitchen, that's a fault.
Pickleball scoring with Volley
Volley scores pickleball with all the standard rules built in. Pick the sport at match setup, name your sides, and tap to score. Volley applies the rules from there — including the ones that involve "Kitchen".
Free on iOS and Android. Multi-sport scoring across 9 sports with proper sport-specific scoring engines, ELO rating tracking, and tournament running.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen is the non-volley zone — a 7-foot zone in front of the net on each side where you can't volley the ball. You can stand in the kitchen, but you can't hit a volley while in it. The kitchen is the strategic heart of pickleball.
Does Volley handle kitchen automatically?
Yes. Volley's pickleball scoring engine handles every standard rule including kitchen. You don't have to track it manually — pick the sport at match setup and Volley applies the rules.
Where can I learn more pickleball terms?
The full Pickleball glossary is at /pickleball-terms-glossary, with 20 of the most common terms explained.