Squash Primer

Rules of the game

• We use a two-official system. The Center Referee calls the score and keeps the official written record of the points and match time. The Center Referee’s voice is the one you hear during the match. The other referee is the Video Referee who reviews video footage of the relevant play upon appeal by a player of the Center Referee’s call.

• The matches are best of five games (i.e., first player to win three games). The first player to score 11 points wins the game, unless the score is tied at 10-all – in which case, play continues until one of the players earns a two point lead to win the game.

• A player serves until he or she loses a point. The receiver then becomes the server and has the choice of side from which to begin serving – then alternates sides for each subsequent serve until losing a point. A player gets only one serve on each point – a service fault is a lost point.

• After hitting the ball, the player MUST make his or her best effort to get out of the opponent’s way.

• On each shot the ball can hit any number of walls, but MUST hit the front wall once, MUST stay within the court boundaries (marked near the top of the walls) and MUST NOT hit the tin. The ball can bounce ONLY ONCE on the floor.

• A Let is awarded when the opponent is in the way of a player’s path to the ball. It means the point will be played over again.

• A Stroke is awarded to a player who had a winning opportunity but was prevented by the opponent from playing the shot.

• The Referees will rule Not Up if they think the player could not have gotten to the ball before it bounced twice.

• A player may appeal a ruling. The Video Referee makes the final decision.