SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pb-kitchen-line-is-kitchen

You volley the ball with your toe touching the kitchen line. Is that legal?

No. The kitchen line is part of the kitchen.

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  1. Yes, the line is outside the kitchen
  2. Yes, if your other foot is outside
  3. No, the line counts as the kitchen ✔

Why: All the lines around the non-volley zone belong to the zone. Touching the kitchen line while you volley is the same as standing in the kitchen: a fault.

Huh, didn't know that: Players often hover their toes just behind the line for this reason.

The dad joke
My toe touched the kitchen line. Now it is grounded.
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References

Answer: No, the line counts as the kitchen. All the lines around the non-volley zone belong to the zone. Touching the kitchen line while you volley is the same as standing in the kitchen: a fault.

  1. 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook usapickleball.org/docs/rules/USAP-Official-Rulebook.pdf
    All lines that bound the non-volley zone are part of the zone.
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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Test yourself in the game

Sports & FitnessYour serve lands right on the kitchen line. Is it in or out?Sports & FitnessCan the receiver hit the serve out of the air before it bounces?Sports & FitnessAfter the return of serve, what must the serving team do?

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