Can the Return of Serve in Pickleball Land in the Kitchen – The Basic Rules Explained

The non-volley zone, often just called the “kitchen,” can be a source of confusion for newer pickleball players. And while the kitchen rules for gameplay might be easy enough to remember, there are separate kitchen-related rules for serving as well.

Even if you’ve gotten fairly confident delivering serves on the pickleball court, you may find yourself wondering: can the return of serve in pickleball land in the kitchen?

Since the return of serve can land pretty much anywhere on the opponent’s court, it can land on the kitchen line (or non-volley line).

Serving Rules: A Quick Overview

Before we get to the question of return serves and the kitchen, it’s essential to make sure we have a good basic understanding of how serving works in pickleball. If you’ve played other racket sports like tennis, you probably have a basic idea of how serving works.

Just like in tennis, the serving team hits the ball diagonally across the court. The serve shot must be underhanded, and the ball must be hit below the level of your navel.

If you’re delivering the first serve, make sure that you’re standing in the right place. You’ll need to stand behind the baseline (the bottom of the court). However, it may be helpful to think of yourself as being in a box: make sure you don’t cross the sideline or center line, and don’t cross the baseline, either!

From this point, you will need to hit the ball underhanded so it lands in your opponent’s service court (the rectangle diagonally across from you.) But don’t let the ball bounce before you hit it! It’s ok if your paddle hand hits the ball when you serve. But if the ball hits another part of your body, it counts as a fault.

Because a serve is required to reach the court area behind the kitchen line, the serving team is not allowed to serve into the kitchen.

If your team is returning a serve to the serving team, you need to let the ball bounce again on your court before you return it.

The Two Bounce Rule

If you’re just learning to serve in pickleball, some of the rules can be relatively confusing. The two-bounce rule is an important one. At the start of a set, the ball bounces twice. One bounce happens right before the returning hits the return of serve.

One bounce happens right after the return of serve. When the returning team hits a return of serve, the serving team must let the ball bounce once before hitting it back.

Can the Return Serve Go in the Kitchen?

So now you know the bounce rule for the serving team and the team delivering the return of serve. But once the ball touches your paddle as you gear up for the return serve, you’ll want to have a good idea of where you need to hit it!

Only the initial serve needs to be hit past the non-volley line; the return of serve can land anywhere on the court (including the kitchen).

But do you want your return of serve to land in the kitchen? Probably not. Most experts suggest making the return of serve deep (meaning making it go further down the court). If you do this, the serving team will be kept far away from the non-volley line, a place that gives them a strategic advantage.

And depending on where the members of the serving team are standing on the court, they may have some difficulty chasing down and returning a long shot.

Can the Return Serve Go on the Kitchen Line?

Since the return of serve can land pretty much anywhere on the opponent’s court, it can land on the kitchen line (or non-volley line).

However, the same cannot be said of the serve. We mentioned above that a serve cannot land in the non-volley zone. But if a serve lands in the non-volley zone or on the non-volley line, it’s a fault.

Tips for a Successful Return Serve

Mastering the return of serve takes some time and effort. But here are some quick tips to improve:

• Start 2-3 feet behind the baseline
• Speed to the kitchen line

Start 2-3 Feet Behind the Baseline

This way, it will be easier for you to transfer your momentum in a forward motion to deliver the next shot.

Speed to the Kitchen Line

The non-volley line is a great strategic place to be. But sometimes the other team will hit the ball back so fast you don’t have time to get there! If you make your return of serve slow and somewhat “loopy,” you may buy yourself enough time. Either way, as soon as you hit a return of serve, get to the kitchen line! In case you’re still learning your court lines, this is the one right at the no volley zone.

Hit right down the center. If you hit the return deep down the court, it can sometimes be harder for the other team to get to it. You might think that aiming your pickleball return of serve at the center of the court would be predictable. But sometimes, when you’re playing doubles, your opponents may not know which of them should hit the ball first!

If you’d like a detailed guide on improving your return of serve, check out this helpful video!

Mastering Your Return of Serve

If you want to reliably score points in the great sport of pickleball, becoming a confident player returning serves is a must. Be patient with yourself if you’re a new player, as this is a skill that takes time to develop.

Additional pickleball serve-related posts:

• Illegal and Legal Pickleball Serve: 4 Tactics to Try (and 6 to Avoid!)
• Pickleball Rules Doubles: Serving, Scoring, and More

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)