It’s important to have a clear idea of the court dimensions and other rules of any sports you love to play. It really helps you a lot in improving your game and skills as well as to win the game. The same scenario is with pickleball. There is a specific area called the kitchen in pickleball. Many of the beginners are unaware about its dimensions like how wide is the kitchen in pickleball? How deep is it? What specific rules are structured around it? And many more.
So we will be covering all your queries regarding the kitchen area and also discuss how wide is the kitchen in pickleball? But before that, let me tell you that I am also a pickleball enthusiast like you and love to play this game with my friends and other players. I have been playing Pickleball for over a decade and many times I lost my game because of some faults that I did in this kitchen area. But how can you avoid those faults, we will discuss thoroughly.
How wide is the kitchen in pickleball?
Before knowing the width of the kitchen in the pickleball court, let me introduce you with the term ‘Kitchen’. The kitchen in pickleball is also known as the Non Volley Zone. You can’t do volleys by stepping inside this kitchen area. This kitchen area is 7 feet in length from the net and is on both sides of the net.
The kitchen area is 7 feet deep and is along the width of the pickleball court. It means that the width of the kitchen in pickleball is 20 feet, which is equal to the width of the pickleball court. It starts from the one end of the sideline and ends at the sideline on the opposite side. You can’t hit the ball in this area before it bounces on the ground.
The total area of the kitchen on one side of the court is 140 square feet which is the smallest area of the pickleball court but of most importance. You can score points if your opponent makes a fault in this area and you can lose if you make a fault. But what are these faults that you need to avoid? Let’s discuss ahead.
Important rules of kitchen in pickleball:
It’s important to have knowledge about every rule of the game and it is important to keep in mind all rules regarding this kitchen area in pickleball. It will be helpful in saving points by avoiding unnecessary faults.
- Kitchen area is a non volley zone, which means you can’t hit the ball in the kitchen area before it bounces. During hitting the ball with your pickleball paddle, if anything from your clothing fell down on the kitchen area then it will be a fault and your opponent will be given a point.
- If you are playing doubles and your partner is stepped inside the kitchen area and you volley the ball and your body is in touch with your partner, then it will also be considered as a fault and your opponent will get a point. So, you need to take care that this doesn’t happen otherwise it could cost you the loss in the game.
- If you are in contact with the kitchen line or any of your clothing falls down on the kitchen line, then it is also a fault because the kitchen line is also a part of the kitchen. So, stay beyond the kitchen line to avoid such faults.
Also Read: What is the best material for pickleball paddles?
How can you admit faults in the kitchen area?
- If you step inside the kitchen area during volley.
- If you step inside the kitchen area just after hitting the ball with the paddle.
- When you hit a volley from outside the kitchen area, while running towards the kitchen area and the momentum lands you in the non volley zone, then it will be considered as a fault.
- During volley near the kitchen area, if your paddle accidently touch down the kitchen area, it will be a fault.
- If your paddle fell down from your hands after hitting the volley, it is also a fault.
- If your partner is standing in the kitchen area and during the volley, you touch him in anyway is considered a fault.
- If anything from your clothing or gear fell on kitchen area like sunglasses, cap, etc then it is also a fault.
Tips to play beyond kitchen area:
Footwork positioning:
As you are aware about the rules and about the length and width of the kitchen in pickleball court, then stay beyond the kitchen line. Always try to maintain a proper distance from the non volley zone.
Shot positioning:
As you can’t volley in the kitchen area, then you can try dinks or ground strokes. Try to position your shots away from the comfort zone of your opponent to score points in the game.
Practice drills:
Master the kitchen area by doing more and more practice drills. Practicing with different positions and different shots can help you to play beyond the kitchen area.
Conclusion:
Hope you got the answer to your question: how wide is the kitchen in pickleball? The kitchen area or non volley zone with 7 feet length and 20 feet width covers the 140 square feet area on each side. There are certain rules associated with this area and you need to keep them in mind and practice accordingly to avoid faults when you play pickleball.
Sometimes you lose 1 or 2 points due to some faults which can easily be avoided and in the end you lose your game with a margin of 2 points only. Then you can do nothing else than regretting yourself. So, master this kitchen area to avoid faults and ensure victory against your opponents.
If this article seems helpful in clearing your queries regarding the width of the kitchen in pickleball, then share it with your friends and other pickleball lovers so they can also have this valuable information. For any query, the comments are open for you. Have a great day!