Squash Rules – Learn How To Play Squash
Squash is one of the most loved sports among people of all age groups. The rush of adrenaline that goes through a player’s body is one of the reasons it is loved. Moreover, it is also an excellent way to stay active and get rid of those extra calories. Despite common belief, it is not difficult to learn the art of playing squash. Like every other sport, all you need is practice and patience. It only took me a couple of weeks of practice to learn and ace a game of squash. There are a couple of squash rules that you need to familiarize yourself with in order to win a game of squash. In this article, I have listed everything that there is to know about a game of squash.
How To Play Squash
Squash is a racket sport which is either played by 2 people in a single match or 4 players in a doubles match. It is a popular sport around the world and players of all age groups enjoy playing it. The sport is played in a small room like a court, where there are three walls for playing and one glass wall for spectators.
The wall in front of the glass wall is called the back wall, and each time a player makes a strike, the ball must hit the back wall once. In many places, all the walls of the court are glass. The same rule is applied in this case, the two side walls and the back wall are for playing, and the front wall is off-limits.
Requirements
A game of squash can only be played between 1-1 players or 2-2 players, which is called a team match. Each player needs to have their own squash racket, which has a smaller head than a tennis racket. The ball used for playing a match of squash should be 2 ½ inches in diameter. Moreover, squash is always played with a rubber ball.
Objective/Goal
Each player must hit the ball when it bounces from the back wall. The first player to miss the ball loses the point, and their opponent gains that point. The objective of the game is to hit the ball and not miss a single strike. Each time a player misses a strike, their opponent gains a point. Winning points determine who wins the game, which then concludes who wins the entire match.
Scoring
A single squash match consists of 5 games. The first player to win 3 games wins the entire match. In addition to that, there are two ways of scoring in squash. The first is PAR scoring, also known as the Point a Rally, and the second is Serve-in scoring.
PAR Scoring
PAR Scoring is the American method of scoring, and professional players usually use it in their games. In PAR scoring, each match is played to a total of 11 points; the firsts player to score 11 points wins the game. If each player scores 10 points and the match gets tied, that situation is referred to as “win by 2”. This means that the first player to score 2 clear points wins the game. Moreover, in PAR, each player can score a point whether they serve the ball or their opponent does.
Serve-in Scoring
Serve-in scoring is the English method of scoring. In the Serve-in scoring system, there are a total of 9 points, and the first player to make 9 points wins that game. However, a tricky part in Serve-in is that the player needs to be the one serving in order to win the point. Moreover, in Serve-in scoring, if the match gets tied at 8-8, then it is up to the player who is receiving the serve to decide if the game will be played to 9 points or 10.
How To Win the Squash
In order to win a game of squash, each player must make 11 points before their opponent does. The first player to make 11 points wins the game and then gets to start the next game by making a serve. As there are a total of either 3 or 5 games in a match of squash, the first player to win the most games wins the entire match.
Rules Of Squash
▹ The first rule of the game is that each player can only hit the ball once.
▹ The ball has to bounce off the floor once before the other player can hit.
▹ Double bounce on the floor or hitting the ball twice in a row is not allowed.
▹ Each player must strike the ball within the boundaries of the back wall.
▹ According to the squash rules, when a player is making a serve, they must have one foot in the service box.
▹ If a player gets in the way of his/her opponent by accident, it is called a “let”. However, if a player gets in the way of his/her opponent intentionally, then it is considered a foul.
▹ If a player is trying to make a strike, and their opponent is getting in their way, they must say “Let ball” and not play that ball. The player mustn’t play the ball after saying “let ball”; otherwise, it will not be considered a “let ball”. Moreover, if the referee decides upon “let ball”, that point is played again.
▹ Deciding who gets to make a serve in the start of the game depends upon who won the last game. The player who won the last game gets to start the new game by making a serve.
▹ Once you make a serve, the ball can hit the sidewall. As long as it hits the back wall and bounces off the floor once, you are safe.
▹ When each player makes a serve, the ball must go toward their opponent’s side of the service box. If a player is standing and making a serve from the left service box, then their strike must go towards the right service box and vice versa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you score on squash?
There are 5 games played in a squash match. The first player to win 3 games wins the entire match. In order to score a point on squash, each player must hit the ball towards the service box of their opponent till their opponent misses a strike. Once the opponent misses a strike, a point is gained by the first player.
Is the red line out in squash?
The red line marks the areas of the court that are out of bounds. If a ball hit by a player hits any area outside the red line, that ball is considered ruled out. In order to score a point and win the game of squash, each player must hit the ball within the boundaries of the red line and not outside it.