The Rules of Squash

What is squash?

Squash is a fast racket sport played inside a small four-walled court. Two players take turns hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall. Unlike tennis, there is no net between you — you both share the same court and hit at the same wall. 🎾

The aim of the game

Hit the ball so that your opponent cannot return it before it bounces twice. Every shot must hit the front wall. The ball can bounce off the side or back walls along the way, but it must reach the front wall at some point.

The tin and the out line

Two lines on the front wall decide if your shot is good:

• The tin is a low strip at the very bottom. If the ball hits the tin or below it, your shot is out — like hitting it into the net.
• The out line runs around the top. If the ball goes above it, the shot is also out.

So your target is the area above the tin and below the out line.

The bounce rule

The ball may bounce on the floor only once before you hit it. If it bounces twice, you lose the rally. You are also allowed to hit it straight after it comes off the wall, before it bounces — this is a volley.

The serve and scoring

To start a rally, the server stands in a service box and hits the ball onto the front wall above a middle line, so it comes back into the other half of the court. Players then take turns until someone misses.

Modern squash uses point-a-rally scoring (PARS): the winner of each rally scores a point, whether they served or not. Games are usually played to 11 points, and you must win by two clear points.

Sharing the court safely

Because both players use the same space, squash has special rules to prevent crashes:

• After your shot, move out of the way and let your opponent reach and swing at the ball.
• If your opponent blocks your path or your swing, the rally is replayed (a let).
• If they stop you from hitting a winning shot, you win the point outright (a stroke).

Giving each other room is not just polite — it keeps everyone safe.

Key shots

• Drive — a straight, hard shot down the side wall to push your opponent back.
• Drop shot — a soft shot that dies near the front wall.
• Lob — a high, slow shot over your opponent to the back of the court.
• Boast — a shot that hits a side wall first, then the front wall.

Safety first

The ball is small, hard and very fast, and the court is enclosed. For this reason, protective eyewear is strongly recommended, especially for young players. Warm up your muscles and the ball before playing, and always play under the eye of a coach or supervising adult while you are learning.

Practice activity: solo wall rally

On your own, stand a few steps back from the front wall and hit the ball gently against it, aiming above the tin. Let it bounce once, then hit it again. See how many times in a row you can keep it going. This builds your timing, control and aim — the foundation of every squash shot.

Now you know the rules

You understand the front wall, the tin, scoring and how to share the court safely. Grab a racket, warm the ball up, and start with the solo wall drill.

For more racket sports, read The Rules of Tennis or The Rules of Badminton.