Squash
Racquet sport played on a four-walled indoor court where two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall — fast, tactical, and endurance-demanding.
What is Squash?
Squash is a fast racquet sport played by two (singles) or four (doubles) players in a four-walled court, alternately striking a small hollow rubber ball above the front-wall tin. The ball must hit the front wall (directly or indirectly via side/back walls) before returning; failure to do so loses the point. Matches are played best-of-five games to 11 points using rally-point scoring (PAR11). The game was invented at Harrow School in London around 1830 when boys discovered that a punctured racquets ball 'squashed' on impact, opening up more tactical shot-making. The World Squash Federation governs the international sport; the PSA World Tour organises professional competition. Squash is confirmed for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Quick facts
Category
Racket & Paddle Sports
Type
Individual
Players
2–4
Duration
~45 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
squash court
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
c. 1830 (Harrow School); modern rules 1911 (first codified); LA 2028 Olympic debut
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Win 3 games (best-of-5) by scoring more points than the opponent through legal shots that the opponent cannot return.
Match structure
Coin toss decides the first server. The server serves from a service box, sending the ball above the service line on the front wall to land beyond the short line in the opponent's back quarter. Rallies alternate until a player fails a legal return (ball hits tin, out, or bounces twice). Every rally scores a point (PAR11 scoring). At 10-10 play continues until a 2-point margin.
Rules
Basic rules
Legal serve
Server stands with at least one foot in the service box; strikes the ball direct or with one bounce; ball must hit above the service line on the front wall and land in the opponent's back quarter.
Legal return
Ball must be struck before its second bounce and must hit the front wall (directly or via side/back walls) above the tin, below the out-line.
Tin
Bottom 43 cm strip of the front wall — hitting it is 'in the tin', a lost point.
Out
Above the front-wall out-line or the side-wall out-lines is out of play.
Alternating hits
Players alternate returning the ball; you cannot hit twice in succession.
Let / Stroke / No let
If a player's swing is impeded, they request a 'let'. Referee awards: (a) let (replay), (b) stroke (rally-winning point) if the opponent completely blocked the winning shot, or (c) no let (continue play).
Rally-point scoring (PAR11)
Every rally awards a point to the winning side (no side-out); games to 11, win by 2.
Advanced rules
Interference & clearing
The striker has the right to swing and hit the ball to the front wall. The non-striker must clear a fair path — inadequate clearing draws a stroke.
Turning
A player who turns 180° to strike the ball must be able to hit it safely with no interference risk; unsafe turning is a let for interference or stroke for danger.
Conduct rules
Warnings, conduct strokes, conduct games and match forfeitures for unsportsmanlike behaviour or dissent.
Injury
Contact injury caused by an opponent — 15-min recovery time. Self-caused — 3-min recovery.
Video review
Elite events use video review on line calls and interference; challenge system introduced in 2018.
Scoring
PAR11: rally-point scoring, every rally awards a point.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Legal winner | 1 |
| Opponent's error (tin, out, double-bounce) | 1 |
| Stroke (interference) | 1 |
Win condition · Best-of-5 games; each game to 11 (win by 2 from 10-10 onward).
Playing area
Called
squash court
Dimensions
9.75 m long × 6.4 m wide × 5.64 m high (singles). Front wall marked with three lines: 43 cm tin at the bottom, 1.78 m service line, 4.57 m out-line.
Four-walled indoor court with a hardwood or synthetic sprung floor. Front wall has the tin, service line and out-line; side and back walls are marked with lines defining out-of-court.
Equipment
Squash racquet
Composite frame ~215-235 g, teardrop or oval head, thin gauge strings.
Squash ball
Small hollow rubber ball (40 mm diameter, ~24 g) with coloured dots indicating bounce speed: yellow dot (slowest, tournament), red (fast, warmer conditions), blue (very fast, beginners).
Court shoes
Non-marking gum-soled shoes with strong lateral support.
Protective eyewear
Mandatory in doubles and for juniors; strongly recommended in singles.
Grip
Overgrip on the handle for sweat management.
Wristband / headband
Sweat control accessories.
Officiating
Three-official system: the referee rules on lets and strokes; the marker calls the score and out; players can appeal to the referee.
- Referee (on marker's platform above back wall)
- Marker (calls the score)
- Video Review Officer (elite events)
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Conduct warning
Verbal warning for dissent, delay, ball-abuse, foul language.
Conduct stroke
Point awarded to opponent for repeated offences.
Conduct game
Game awarded to opponent for severe or repeated conduct violations.
Conduct match
Match forfeited to opponent for extreme or dangerous behaviour.
Strategies
Command the T
Return to the intersection of the short and half-court lines after each shot — the most central position on court.
Length and width
Deep, tight-to-wall shots pin the opponent in the back; volleys and boasts open the court.
Attack the boast
Hit off the side wall to angle across court and pull the opponent forward.
Pace variation
Mix hard drives with soft drops and lobs to disrupt rhythm.
Terminology
- T
- Intersection of the half-court and short line — the ideal court position.
- Tin
- Bottom 43 cm of the front wall — hitting it loses the point.
- Rail (drive)
- Straight shot down the side wall, close to the wall.
- Cross-court
- Diagonal drive across the court.
- Boast
- Shot hit off the side wall to reach the front wall at an angle.
- Drop shot
- Soft shot into the front corner just above the tin.
- Lob
- High, soft shot that lands deep in the back court.
- Nick
- Winning shot that hits the exact junction of side wall and floor, killing the bounce.
- Let
- Replayed point due to interference (no fault).
- Stroke
- Point awarded due to interference that would have prevented a winning shot.
- Volley
- Striking the ball before it bounces — used to seize the T.
Major competitions
PSA World Championships
annual · worldwide · since 1976
British Open
annual · United Kingdom · since 1922
The oldest and most prestigious title; the sport's original 'grand slam'.
US Open Squash Championships
annual · United States · since 1954
Windy City Open (Chicago)
annual · United States · since 1998
Summer Olympic Games
quadrennial · worldwide · since 2028
Debut at LA 2028.
Commonwealth Games
quadrennial · Commonwealth of Nations · since 1998
Where it is played
Governing bodies
World Squash FederationWSF
Founded 1966 · London, UK
Official site ↗Professional Squash AssociationPSA
Founded 1975 · London, UK
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Jahangir Khan
- Jansher Khan
- Ramy Ashour
- Nick Matthew
- Ali Farag
- Mohamed ElShorbagy
- Nicol David
- Nour El Sherbini
- Nouran Gohar
- Peter Nicol
Records
Longest unbeaten run (all events)
Jahangir Khan — 555 matches (1981-86) (1986)
Most PSA World Championships (men)
Jansher Khan — 8 (1996)
Most PSA World Championships (women)
Nicol David — 8 (2014)
Longest world No. 1 reign (women)
Nicol David — 108 months (2015)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Grip and stance
Continental grip; feet shoulder-width, knees flexed, weight forward.
- 2
Racquet swing
Compact take-back, wrist cock, contact in front of the body.
- 3
Basic drives
Straight down-the-wall drives from front and back court.
- 4
Serve and return
Legal serve above the service line; return with a straight drive to the back.
intermediate
- 1
T-positioning
Return to the T between shots; economise movement.
- 2
Boast, drop and lob
Add short-court variations to your drive game.
- 3
Volley game
Cut off cross-courts before they reach the back — attack the T.
- 4
Match play
Play full 3-game matches to develop rally endurance.
advanced
- 1
Deception
Same racquet preparation for drive, drop and boast to disguise intent.
- 2
Endurance training
Ghosting drills, court sprints and interval work to survive 5-game matches.
- 3
Reading opponent
Anticipate shots from body position; return to a court zone that shortens your movement.
Frequently asked
Why is it called squash?+
The rubber ball 'squashes' when it hits the wall (compressing significantly on impact), giving the game its distinctive slow bounce and tactical possibilities.
When is squash finally an Olympic sport?+
Los Angeles 2028 — confirmed by the IOC in 2023 after decades of bids.
What do the coloured dots on the ball mean?+
They indicate bounce speed and warmth: yellow (slowest, elite play), red (medium, warm courts), blue (fastest, beginner practice), green (medium slow).
Why is squash so physically demanding?+
Rallies at elite level average 12-18 shots; a 5-game match can require 8-12 km of high-intensity running in a confined space with quick direction changes.
What is a 'nick'?+
A winning shot that lands exactly at the corner between side wall and floor, killing the bounce and making a return impossible.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Squash (sport)— Wikipedia
- World Squash Federation — Rules— World Squash Federation
- PSA World Tour— Professional Squash Association