What is the Non-Volley Zone?
The Non-Volley Zone (NVZ), also known as the kitchen, is one of the most important areas of the pickleball court. It is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net which includes the bounding kitchen line and two side lines. The presence of the NVZ makes net play in pickleball more challenging (and more interesting!) as it prevents players from hitting easy winners at the net, leading to the intense hand battles which make pickleball unique in the world of racquet sport.
The primary rule of the NVZ is actually quite simple: players are not allowed to contact the NVZ anytime during the execution of a volley. If a player does contact the NVZ during a volley, it is a fault and the player loses the point. That’s it!
However, what exactly constitutes “contact” when it comes to the NVZ, and what is included in the execution of a volley? There are a lot of nuanced situations surrounding the NVZ which new and seasoned players often encounter where the correct ruling is not immediately obvious. Master your understanding of the NVZ rules and learn to play around the kitchen like a pro. Let’s dive in!
The Bullet Points
Interested in a quick summary of the rules? These 7 bullet points cover all you need to know about the NVZ rules to apply them to common situations.
- A volley is defined as any ball strike during a rally in which the ball is hit before it bounces.
- A volley consists of the swing, follow-through, and any momentum resulting from those two actions.
- All volleys must be initiated outside the NVZ.
- If a player makes contact with the NVZ during play, they must first establish that they are outside the NVZ before executing a volley. This means that both feet must make contact with the playing area outside the NVZ (not necessarily simultaneously) before initiating a volley.
- Contact with the NVZ includes any part of a player’s body, and also extends to anything in contact with the player, such as the paddle, sunglasses, hats, and the player’s partner.
- An NVZ fault is a lost point, regardless of when it occurs during play, either before or after the ball is dead.
- Players can enter the NVZ anytime as long as they are not hitting a volley.
Scenarios
Let’s take a look at some scenarios that you might face during play.
Scenario 1: You hit a volley winner while standing outside the NVZ, but the momentum from the volley causes you to lose your balance and you step into the NVZ after the ball is already dead.
Fault. The volley you hit is a fault, regardless of whether or not the ball is dead when it occurs. Think of it this way, even though it may seem like you won the point by hitting a winner, you may have gained an unfair advantage hitting that volley since your momentum carried you into the NVZ. Here is the relevant rule:
9.C.1. It is a fault even if the ball becomes dead before the player contacts the non-volley zone.
Scenario 2: You hit a volley while standing outside the NVZ but during the follow through the paddle slips out of your hand and lands in the NVZ.
Fault. Your paddle and any item that you are wearing counts as an extension of your body. If these items contact the NVZ while executing a volley, the volley is a fault. Here are the relevant rules:
9.B. It is a fault if the volleying player or anything that has contact with the volleying player while in the act of volleying touches the non-volley zone.
9.B.2. If the paddle touches the non-volley zone during the volley motion, before or after contacting the ball, it is a fault.
Scenario 3: You hit a volley with your feet just outside the NVZ line but you lose your balance and start to fall toward the NVZ. Luckily, your partner comes to your aid, grabbing you by your shirt and saving you from falling in. Your partner never enters the NVZ during their attempt to save you.
No fault. A rare situation! According to the rules, your partner does indeed count as an extension of your body when considering contact with the NVZ, but because they did not enter the NVZ while saving you, there is no rule violation. If, on the other hand, your partner was standing in the NVZ while saving you, it would be a fault. Here is the relevant rule:
9.C. During the act of volleying, it is a fault if the volleying player’s momentum causes the player to contact anything that is touching the non-volley zone, including the player’s partner
Scenario 4: You are standing in the NVZ during play. Seeing a clear volley opportunity, you jump backwards and hit a volley while in the air, landing both feet outside the NVZ.
Fault. At first, you might think that this is a legal and clever maneuver. Unfortunately, volleys must be initiated outside the NVZ. If you contact the NVZ anytime during play, you must first establish yourself outside the NVZ by having both feet outside before executing a volley. Here is the relevant rule:
9.D. … A maneuver such as standing within the non-volley zone, jumping up to hit a volley, and then landing outside the non-volley zone is a fault. …
A small side note on the "Erne"
There is a well-known variation of this maneuver called the “Erne” which is in fact legal. In an Erne you first start outside the NVZ (either behind the kitchen line or outside the sideline), jump and hit a volley in the air, and finally land with both feet outside the NVZ. The Erne is legal because you are established outside the NVZ before executing the volley and never make contact. The “Erne” is a high-risk, high-reward shot that can catch your opponents off guard.
Check out these highlights showing how to use the Erne to quickly close out points:
Scenario 5: You enter the NVZ before a ball bounces and hit the ball after it bounces.
No fault. The NVZ rules do not place restrictions on how non-volleys are hit. There is a specific rule making this clear:
9.F. A player may enter the non-volley zone before or after returning any ball that bounces.
Scenario 6: You hit a volley while outside the NVZ but your partner is standing inside the NVZ.
No fault. The rules do not place any restriction on where your partner can stand when you hit a volley. There is a specific rule emphasizing this:
9.H. There is no violation if a player returns the ball while their partner is standing in the non-volley zone.
The Official NVZ Rules
Want to read the NVZ rules in their entirety? Here are the latest rules:
SECTION 9 – NON-VOLLEY-ZONE RULES
9.A. All volleys must be initiated outside of the non-volley zone. For players using wheelchairs, the front (smaller) wheels may touch the non-volley zone during a volley.
9.B. It is a fault if the volleying player or anything that has contact with the volleying player while in the act of volleying touches the non-volley zone. For players using wheelchairs, the front (smaller) wheels may touch the non-volley zone.
9.C. During the act of volleying, it is a fault if the volleying player’s momentum causes the player to contact anything that is touching the non-volley zone, including the player’s partner. For players using wheelchairs, the front (smaller) wheels may touch the non-volley zone.
9.C.1. It is a fault even if the ball becomes dead before the player contacts the non-volley zone.
9.D. If a player has touched the non-volley zone for any reason, that player cannot volley a return until both feet have made contact with the playing surface completely outside the non-volley zone. A maneuver such as standing within the non-volley zone, jumping up to hit a volley, and then landing outside the non-volley zone is a fault. If the rear wheels of a wheelchair have touched the non-volley zone for any reason, the player using a wheelchair cannot volley a return until both rear wheels have made contact with the playing surface outside the non-volley zone.
9.E. A player may enter the non-volley zone at any time except when that player is volleying the ball.
9.F. A player may enter the non-volley zone before or after returning any ball that bounces.
9.G. A player may stay inside the non-volley zone to return a ball that has bounced. There is no violation if a player does not exit the non-volley zone after hitting a ball that bounces.
9.H. There is no violation if a player returns the ball while their partner is standing in the non-volley zone.
