Squash is a racket-and-ball sport played by two or four players in a
four-walled court with a small, hollow, rubber ball. The players alternate
in striking the ball with their rackets onto the playable surfaces of the
four walls of the court. The objective of the game is to hit the ball in
such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return.
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The squash court is a playing surface surrounded by four walls. The court surface contains a front line separating the front and back of the court and a half court line, separating the left and right sides of the back portion of the court, creating three 'boxes': the front half, the back left quarter and the back right quarter. Both the back two boxes contain smaller service boxes. The court's four walls are divided into a front wall, two side walls, and a back wall. An 'out line' runs along the top of the front wall, descending along the side walls to the back wall. The bottom line of the front wall marks the top of the 'tin', a half meter-high metal area. The middle line of the front wall is the service line.
The Shots The best squash players in the world master the basic shots so here’s a quick summary of the most frequently played shots.
The first shot in any squash rally is the serve. When serving for the first time – either at the start of a match or after earning a handover of serve (you win a handover by winning a point on the opponent’s serve) players can choose which side of the court to serve from. To serve, players must keep one foot inside the service box during the serving motion. The ball must hit the front wall between the service line and the out line, and land in the area behind the short line on the opposite side of the court from which the ball has been served. The receiving player can choose to volley a serve after it has hit the front wall. If the server wins the point, the two players switch sides for the following point.
Drive is the most commonly played shot and the aim of a basic drive is to hit the ball deep into the back corner and take your opponent away from the central T position. A drive is usually played at mid-height around the service line on the front wall and hit with a level of power that will see the ball take a second bounce on the floor just before the back wall. A good straight drive will be as tight as possible along the side wall to make it difficult for the opponent to get their racket fully on the ball.
A volley is any shot that has been played before the ball has bounced on the floor. Normally an attacking shot, the volley can be used to inject pace into the game, take time away from an opponent and take control of the central T area. The volley can be used to strike the ball anywhere around the court and at any pace.
A great squash shot for creating angles and stretching your opponent, a boast is a shot that hits the side wall first, followed by the front wall, and moves your opponent forward quickly. Mostly used as a defensive shot to get out of the back corners, the boast can also be used as a devastating attacking option as well. A traditional there-wall boast is played against the wall closest to you at a slow from the back corners to allow you time to recover a central position on the T. A more attacking version of the shot is the two-wall boast. Struck harder and lower, the idea is to get the ball to bounce twice before hitting the side wall further away from you when playing.
A lob is a shot played high and slow off the front wall, making the ball arc high with the aim of landing in the back of the court as close to the back wall as possible. Lobs are a useful defensive shot as the slow pace and high trajectory can allow you time to recover from a difficult position and get back to the T in preparation for the next shot. Played correctly a lob cannot be intercepted with a volley and is an excellent weapon to use against an aggressive player that is always looking to control the T. A lob gives time to recover your breath.
A drop shot is a very attacking shot, designed to place the ball in the front corners of the court. When executed well, a good drop shot will be played at a slow pace and very low on the front wall to force the opponent to cover a lot of ground to reach the ball. A drop shot aimed close to the side wall or into the nick (where the wall meets the floor) makes a return especially tricky.
Matches are the best of 3 or 5 games, at the option of the competition organiser. Each game is point a rally scoring to 11 (PAR 11). If the score in a game is tied at 10-10, a player must win by 2 clear points.
Points can be scored by either player. When a player fails to serve or to make a good return, in accordance with the rules, the opponent wins the point. When the Receiver wins a point, they become the Server and add one to their score.
(a) The right to serve is decided by the spin of a racket or coin. Thereafter the Server continues to serve until they lose the point; the opponent then becomes the Server.(b) At the beginning of each game and each hand, the Server has the choice of serving from either service box and shall thereafter alternate for as long as they score points and remains the Server.c) The ball, before being struck, shall be dropped or thrown on to the floor, without touching the wall; it must be served direct on to the front wall between the tin and the out of court line, so that on its return, unless volleyed, it falls to the floor within the back quarter of the court opposite to the Server’s box.(d) A service is a fault: (i) If at the time of striking the ball the Server fails to have at least one foot in contact with the floor within the service box, and no part of that foot touching the line surrounding the service box (called a foot-fault ).(ii) If after releasing the ball the Server fails to strike it before the ball falls to the floor, touches a wall, or touches anything the server wears. (iii) If the Server fails to strike the ball directly onto the front wall between the service and the out lines. (iv) Unless volleyed by the Receiver, the first bounce of the ball on the floor is not in the quarter court opposite the serves box. (v) If the Server serves the ball out.
After a good service has been delivered, the players return the ball alternately until one or the other fails to make a good return, or the ball otherwise ceases to be in play, in accordance with the rules.NB: If any part of the ball touches the out line the ball is deemed out or if the ball hits the tin or the floor on its second bounce the ball is deemed down. Similarly, if the ball bounces on or before the short line from a service, the serve is deemed a fault.
A return is good if the ball, before it has bounced twice on the floor, is returned by the striker on to the front wall above the tin, without touching the floor or any part of the striker’s body or clothing, provided the ball is not hit twice, down or out.
A let is an undecided stroke, and the service or rally in respect of which a Let is allowed, shall not count and the Server shall serve again from the same box.(a) A let may be allowed: (i) If the striker refrains from hitting the ball owing to a reasonable fear of injuring the opponent. (ii) If the striker, on the way to playing the ball incurs sufficient interference to impede their access to the ball when the striker would have otherwise played a good shot. (iii) If the Referee is asked to decide an appeal and is unable to do so.(b) A Let shall be allowed: (i) If the Receiver is not ready, and does not attempt to take the service. (ii) If the ball breaks during play. (iii) If an otherwise good return has been made, but the ball goes out on its first bounce. iv) If a ball touches a receiver, then the ball is effectively ‘not up’. See Singles Rules 2020 Appendix 1 (NOT UP).
A player wins a stroke: a) If the server fails to make a good serve (See point 4 on the Service). b) If the opponent fails to make a good return of the ball in play. c) If the ball in play touches the opponent or anything carried or worn by the opponent whilst on the way to the front wall. d) If a player drops the racket, calls out or in any other way distracts the opponent, and the Referee considers that such occurrence has caused the opponent to lose the stroke. e) If the ball hits the ceiling or any object outside of the court.
After playing a ball, a player must make every effort to get out of the opponents way.That is: (i) A player must make every effort to give the opponent a fair view of the ball, so that it may be sighted adequately for the purpose of playing it.(ii) A player must make every effort not to interfere with, or crowd, the opponent in the latter’s attempt to get to, or play, the ball.(iii) A player must make every effort to allow the opponent, as far as the latter’s position permits, freedom to play the ball directly to the front wall, or to either side wall.
Immediately preceding the start of play, a period not exceeding five minutes shall be allowed on court for the purpose of warming-up.