The Rules of Squash

Introduction

Squash has a long history that has its roots in a 12th-century game called jeu de paume, which is considered the ancestor of all racquet and handball games. Back then, the sport was played without rackets and a ball made from leather and sawdust. In the late 15th century, Dutch inventors created the first rackets and the rules for a ball sport in an enclosed court. This sport quickly became well-known in Europe as real tennis.  

In the early 1800s, a game called racquets was invented by prisoners at the Fleet in London. This game involved smacking the ball against one or two walls instead of playing face-to-face against one another. This sport was easy to pick up and could be played in small spaces, quickly making it a popular pastime for the working class. In the 1830s, students from London’s Harrow School noticed that a punctured ball ”squashed” on impact against the wall, which offered more possibilities for gameplay. Because the Harrow school was located in a dangerous area filled with water pipes, ledges, and chimneys, the students also customized their rackets to be smaller and therefore better suited for small spaces. 

While squash was being played across England for a long time, it had no official standards for rules or regulations at the time. That all changed in 1926 when the first official rules of squash were introduced by the Tennis & Rackets Association (T&RA). In 1967, the International Squash Rackets Federation (ISRF) was founded, which changed its name to the World Squash Federation (WSF) in 1992. It remains the main international governing body of squash.

Nowadays, squash is one of the most well-known racket sports available with nearly 20 million active players around the world. Its biggest competitions include the World Series and the World Championships. 

The object of the game

The object of squash is relatively simple; you must hit the ball off the front wall in a way that your opponent is unable to return it. Of course, your opponent has the same goal as they try to prevent you from returning the ball to the wall. A rally ends when either player is unable to return the ball before it bounces twice, hits the tin, goes out, or when interference or obstruction is called. 

Scoring in squash

A squash match consists of the best of five games to 11 points. Additionally, just like in most racquet sports like tennis, badminton, padel, and table tennis, you need a two-point lead to win a game. So, if the score is tied 10-10 (10-all), the player who gains a two-point lead is the winner of that game. The official competitive squash matches are played by a point-a-rally (PAR) scoring system. This means that the winner of each rally gets a point regardless of whether they are serving or receiving. However, alternative point systems also exist.

Point-a-rally (PAR) scoring to 15 points is nearly identical to the regular point system played until 11 points. However, this scoring system can also be played in a best of three games format. 

Hand-in/hand-out scoring, also known as the English scoring, refers to matches that consist of the best of 5 games to 9 points. However, you can only score a point from your own serve. If you lose a rally from your serve, the other player becomes the server. Additionally, if the score is 8-8, the receiver may choose before the next service whether the game is played to nine (Set 1) or ten (Set 2) points. 

The RAM scoring system consists of the best of five games, whereas each game consists of three minutes of active gameplay. Once the time is up, the leading player needs one more point to win a game. On the other hand, if the trailing player is able to catch up and score an additional point, they win the game. 

Serving rules in squash

The basic rules of squash state that at the beginning of each game, the serving player may choose which service box they start serving from. The serving player also continues serving from alternate sides until they lose a rally. When the receiving player wins their first rally, they also get to decide which side they start serving from. Another thing to remember is that the winner of the last game gets to serve first. 

During service, the server must stand with at least one foot inside the service box, whereas the receiver can be anywhere behind the short line and on their side of the court. The server has only one attempt at a successful serve and they must strike the ball in a way that it hits the front wall above the service line and below the out line. The ball also has to travel towards the opposite back corner of the court. However, if the server doesn’t make contact with the ball while serving, it does not count as a serve.

Note that both underhand and overhead serves are allowed and the ball does not have to bounce before striking it. This means that players can use different techniques to perform lob shots, backhands, or even smash serves for their advantage. 

Gameplay

Squash can be played in singles (1 vs 1), doubles (2 vs 2) and mixed doubles formats. After a successful serve, a rally begins and continues until either player or team is unable to return the ball correctly to the front wall. The rally will also be stopped if a player gets hit with a ball, makes an appeal, or when a let is called. In case of a let, the same point will be played again. 

A good return means that the ball must be struck before it bounces twice, hit the front wall below the outline, and above the tin before touching the ground. The ball can even bounce from the side walls before hitting the front wall as long as it does not hit the ground first. Volleys are also allowed, meaning the player can strike the ball before it touches the ground even once. Lastly, the ball should stay inside the out line at all times. Otherwise, it is considered out. 

Interference and obstruction are inevitable in a game like squash. However, players should always have a direct line of access to the ball and have enough space to shoot their shot. This is why the other player must make every effort to ensure the other player has enough space on the court. If a player feels they were obstructed, they may request a let from the referee.  

A match is usually officiated by a referee and a marker, both of which are responsible for keeping track of the score and the serving order. The referee is also the main authority during a match, and their additional responsibilities include calling lets and appeals, keeping track of breaks and injury times as well as making sure the game is being played fairly, in good sportsmanship, and according to the official rules of the World Squash Federation (WSF). On the other hand, the marker must call faults, outs, etc. and announce the score after every point and every game. Some tournaments also use a three-referee system with a central referee and two side referees. 

Game intervals

In squash, players are allowed a 90s break between every game as well as 90s to fix or change any damaged clothing or equipment. There is also a 90s break between the warm-up and the start of the match. 

For self-inflicted injuries such as sprains, muscle tears or bruises, a player is allowed three minutes to recover and resume play. On the other hand, for contributed injuries, where both players are equally responsible for an accidental injury, and opponent-inflicted injuries, a player has 15 minutes to recover. However, if a player is injured due to deliberate or dangerous play, they still have 15 minutes to treat their injury, but will be awarded the match if they are unable to continue. 

If the referee has a reason to believe the injury is not genuine, the player can choose to concede the game and use the 90s interval between games before resuming play. Only one game may be conceded and if a player is unable to resume play, they are forced to concede the match.