La Cuisine en Douceur Understand, Place, and Make Your Dink Reliable at the Kitchen

Kitchen Rule in Pickleball: What's Allowed and What Isn't

First published October 21, 2026 Last revised October 21, 2026 4-minute read

An article by the La Cuisine en Douceur editorial team.

A pickleball court seen from above, with the kitchen area on each side of the net highlighted.
The Non-Volley Zone. The kitchen is the non-volley zone on each side of the net. You can't volley the ball there, whether you're standing inside it or on the line. You can step in to play a ball that has bounced. Know this rule and you'll avoid the most common fault near the net.

The dink is played within a precise set of rules: volleying is banned in the kitchen. This section draws on the texts of the FFT and USA Pickleball. You're at the entrance to "Rules and Faults."

The Rules That Guide You

Per the rulebook, volleying is banned in the non-volley zone, including the push-off and the landing. You can step in to play a ball after it bounces.

Lock in this rule: the dink relies on a compact, short motion ("less is more") rather than a big swing.

Stick to this line: USA Pickleball calls the dink arguably the most fundamental shot in pickleball, because it exploits the non-volley zone rule and produces balls that are generally unattackable.

Use this as your base: according to USA Pickleball, the double bounce rule reduces the advantage of power serves and encourages longer rallies.

Check the next rule: in doubles, the "double chance" applies. Each partner serves before the serve passes to the opponents, except at the very start of the game, when the starting team gets only one chance.

The Glossary

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  • Double Bounce — the double bounce rule requires the ball to bounce once on each side after the serve before volleys are allowed.

Go Deeper

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Start Here

Follow the sequence below.

  1. At impact on a dink, the paddle face should be closer to horizontal than vertical.
  2. For the dink, hold the paddle very loosely — USA Pickleball suggests a grip pressure of about 2 on a scale of 1 to 10.
  3. On a dink, stay facing the net and move your feet rather than stretching your arm to reach the ball.

Side Notes

Look at the history: pickleball was born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island (Washington State). Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum came up with it using ping-pong paddles, a perforated ball and a lowered badminton net.

Check the numbers: a pickleball court measures 6.10 m wide by 13.41 m long, which makes four courts on one tennis court, according to the FFT club guide.

Keep this in mind: the FFT presents pickleball as an intergenerational sport that brings people together, open to all ages and fitness levels.

Habits to Drop

Watch out for this trap, the momentum fault: if the momentum of a volley makes a player touch the non-volley zone (or makes their partner touch it), it's a fault, even if the ball is already dead.

Keep Going

Take a moment to read this list.

  • The serve must be made below the hip, diagonally, from behind the baseline, and land in the opposite service area.
  • After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side of the court before players can volley (double bounce rule).
  • Good technique, footwork and posture reduce the strain on muscles, tendons and ligaments, according to Mass General Brigham.
  • The pickleball is made of hollow, perforated plastic (26 to 40 holes, depending on indoor or outdoor use), and the paddle is solid, averaging about 240 g.

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Sources cited

The rules cited draw on the text of the Fédération française de tennis, which holds the pickleball delegation in France, and on those of USA Pickleball. In competition, always check the current rulebook.

This site is no substitute for the advice of a doctor or physical therapist. If you have lasting pain in your elbow, shoulder or wrist, see a health professional.