Squash Rules

General Rules

• You can only hit the ball once before your opponent hits it. The contact must also be singular; you cannot ‘carry’ the ball.
• The ball can only bounce once on the floor.
• In a match, players play the best of five games.
• The ball can hit any of the walls first, but it must always hit the front wall before it hits the floor. If it doesn’t, it is out.
• A ball that lands on the outline or the line along the top of the tin it is out.

Serving

To decide who serves first, players can spin their racket; The player that the brand/logo/symbol on the butt of their racket points to serves first. You get one serve, however, if a player makes no contact with the ball, it does not count as a serve. You must serve the ball from one of the two service boxes. Your serve must hit the wall in between the two red lines and land in your opponent’s quarter of the court.

• You must have at least one whole foot in the box and your feet must maintain contact with the floor or it is a ‘Foot Fault’ and you lose the point.
• When you serve, the ball can hit the side wall or the back wall before hitting the floor of the quarter.
  • E.g. If you serve from the left service box, your serve must go to the back quarter of the right side of the court. If you serve from the right service box, your ball must go to the back left-hand quarter of the court.
• At the start of a new game, the person who won the last game serves.
• When you win the service back you can choose which side to serve from. As you continue to serve, alternate sides.

Obstruction, Interference, and Safety

After playing a shot, you must make every effort to get out of the way and allow your opponent the space to play the ball. If you feel that you are obstructed or impeded by your opponent, you must say ‘Let ball, please’ or ‘Please’ and NOT play the ball. If you play the ball, you will not receive a ‘Let’ or ‘Stroke’ unless obstruction and contact occurred as you played the shot. The players must decide whether it is a ‘Let Ball’, a ‘Stroke Ball’, or a ‘No Let’. Whether a situation in squash is ruled as a "let," "no let," or "stroke" depends on the specific circumstances of the interference. Here's how each decision is determined:

1. Let Ball: A "let" is called when a player is mildly obstructed by their opponent but could have hit the ball if not for this obstruction. The rally is played again. Common reasons for a let include:

• The striker is unsure whether they could have made a good return because of the opponent’s position.
• The ball passes too close to the opponent, and the striker hesitates to swing for fear of hitting them.

2. No Let: A "no let" is called when the player requesting the let would not have been able to reach and play the ball effectively, even without the interference. A no-let means the point is awarded to the opponent. Reasons for a no-let include:

• The player was too far from the ball to make a successful return.
• The appeal for a let is considered to be an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.

3. Stroke: A "stroke" is awarded to the player who was obstructed if the interference was severe enough that it prevented a clear winning shot or if the player was ready and, in a position, to hit the ball, but was prevented from doing so safely due to their opponent's interference. In this case, the player who was obstructed wins the point.