Skip to content
2 min read

Pickleball Rules to Know – Jumping In the Kitchen

News Stacie Townsend 06-15-2020

Have you ever seen a pickleball player stand in the Non-Volley Zone (also known as the Kitchen), jump to hit the pickleball out of the air, and then land either inside or outside of the Kitchen? Then, the jumping pickleball player tries to argue that he/she did not commit a Non-Volley-Zone fault because he/she hit the pickleball while jumping in the air above the Non-Volley Zone? What’s the proper ruling on the pickleball courts?

Rule 9.D of the 2020 Official Rulebook for USA Pickleball provides that if a pickleball player touches the Non-Volley Zone (including the Non-Volley Zone line), then that player cannot volley the pickleball (in other words, hit the pickleball out of the air without the pickleball bouncing) until both feet touch the court surface outside of the Non-Volley Zone. This means that if you stand in the Non-Volley Zone, jump to hit a volley, and land outside of the Non-Volley Zone, then you commit a fault. This is because you did not re-establish your feet on the pickleball court surface before hitting your volley.

With that said, you may jump over the Non-Volley Zone to volley a pickleball, as long as you do not touch the Non-Volley Zone line or the Non-Volley Zone surface area – this shot would be called an Erne. Again, if you touch the Non-Volley Zone line or the Non-Volley Zone surface area, then you must re-establish your feet outside of the Non-Volley Zone before hitting your volley.

Remember to stay out of the Kitchen on your volleys! Share this blog with your pickleball friends that may need clarification on this important pickleball rule!

READ SIMILAR STORIES

View All

06-03-20

Stacie Townsend

Pickleball Rules to Know - What Constitutes a Receiving Fault

Did you know there is more than one way to commit a receiving fault on the pickleball courts? Learn the various receiving...

2 min read

08-29-20

Stacie Townsend

Pickleball Is the Ultimate Family Activity

As the saying goes, families that play together, stay together! Especially, when they play pickleball together! Learn why...

2 min read

05-27-19

Stacie Townsend

Thoughts from the Broadcast of the 2019 US Open Pickleball Championships

A few thousand pickleball players descended upon Naples, Florida to participate in the US Open Pickleball Championships between...

6 min read