In pickleball, the kitchen doesn’t care how good your shot was — only where your feet were when you hit it.
We hung out with legendary pickleball referee Ron Ponder at The Dink Minor League National Championships in Dallas recently.
Ponder took some time to explain some of pickleball's most commonly misunderstood rules, including the push-off foot fault.
Most people get it wrong, but you aren't most people, at least not after watching this video.
Heads up: hundreds of thousands of pickleballers read our free newsletter. Subscribe here for cutting edge strategy, insider news, pro analysis, the latest product innovations and more.
Let's break it down even further. The Non‑Volley Zone (NVZ), better known as the kitchen , produces more confusion than almost any other rule in pickleball. Most players understand the headline rule: you can’t volley the ball while standing in the kitchen or touching the NVZ line .
Where things go sideways is the push‑off foot fault, and the concept of re‑establishment , which is the single most important (and misunderstood) part of this rule.
What Is “Re‑Establishment”? In pickleball, re‑establishment means that both of your feet (or whatever contacts the court) must be completely outside the NVZ and not touching the NVZ line before you hit a volley .
Not one foot.
Not “mostly” outside.
Both feet, fully clear.
Until that happens, you are not legally allowed to volley the ball.
5 Simple Pickleball Tips That Actually Work (No Drilling Re... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/the-push-off-foot-fault-rule-everyone-gets-wrong-referee-ron-ponder-explains/
