- Pickleball Daily
- Posts
- 3 kitchen rules beginners get wrong
3 kitchen rules beginners get wrong
Paul from Pickleball Daily
December 12, 2025
In partnership with
Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays
Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.
Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.
Tip of the day
This video clarifies three of the most misunderstood rules regarding the non-volley zone, or "kitchen," which are essential for new players to learn.
The first rule is that you can only hit the ball out of the air if your entire body is completely outside the kitchen line.
If any part of your body, or anything attached to you like your hat or glasses, touches the line or crosses into the kitchen while volleying, it is an automatic fault.
Even if you successfully volley the ball outside the line, it is still a fault if your momentum carries you or your partner into the kitchen immediately afterward.
Rule number two confirms that you can step into the kitchen anytime, even before the ball bounces, but you must let the ball bounce before you legally hit it while standing in that zone.
You should position yourself behind the line and only step in to take a ball after it bounces, quickly re-establishing your position outside the kitchen to be ready for the next shot.
The third rule covers net faults, including that you can hit the ball around the post (an ATP) and you can jump over or run around the kitchen to execute an Ernie, provided you re-establish outside the kitchen before contact.
However, crossing the plane of the net before making contact with the ball is always a fault.
It is important for all players to know that if a ball bounces in your opponent's court with so much backspin that it returns to your side, your opponent can legally reach over the net to hit it before it bounces again.
Key Points:
You cannot volley if any part of your body or clothing is touching the non-volley zone line.
It is a fault if your momentum carries you into the kitchen after hitting a volley.
You can step into the kitchen at any time, but you must let the ball bounce before hitting it.
Step into the kitchen to hit a bounced ball, then immediately retreat behind the line.
An "Ernie" is a legal shot where you jump over or run around the kitchen, as long as you make contact with the ball while outside the zone.
It is a fault to cross the plane of the net before making contact with the ball.
Become An AI Expert In Just 5 Minutes
If you’re a decision maker at your company, you need to be on the bleeding edge of, well, everything. But before you go signing up for seminars, conferences, lunch ‘n learns, and all that jazz, just know there’s a far better (and simpler) way: Subscribing to The Deep View.
This daily newsletter condenses everything you need to know about the latest and greatest AI developments into a 5-minute read. Squeeze it into your morning coffee break and before you know it, you’ll be an expert too.
Subscribe right here. It’s totally free, wildly informative, and trusted by 600,000+ readers at Google, Meta, Microsoft, and beyond.
Deal of the day
Meme of the day
Too bad! 🤣
That’s it for today! As always, thank you for reading. 🙏
What did you think of today’s newsletter? Please reply with how you think I can improve. I read your feedback and appreciate all of it (for real)! 😄
Happy pickling,
Paul