How to play squash: rules, scoring and your first match

Squash is a racket sport played in a court enclosed by four walls. Two players take turns hitting the same ball against the front wall and share the whole space, with no net in between. That makes it a very intense sport and, at the same time, easy to start: with a racket, a ball and a partner you already have a match. This guide summarises the rules of World Squash, the international federation, as far as you need them to play your first match.

The court

• The World Squash singles court is 9.75 metres long and 6.4 metres wide, with a front wall, two side walls and a back wall.
• At the foot of the front wall is the tin, a metal board 48 centimetres high in the standard specification (lowered to 43 centimetres at professional events): a ball that hits the tin or below it is out.
• The front wall has two key lines: the service line, 1.78 metres from the floor, and the out line, at 4.57 metres. The side walls and the back wall have their own out lines.
• On the floor, the short line is 4.26 metres from the back wall and a centre line splits the back of the court into two quarter courts. Each quarter has a square service box of 1.6 metres.

How scoring works

The current system is PAR-11, or point-a-rally scoring: every rally gives a point, whoever served.

• A game is won by reaching 11 points with at least a two-point margin. At 10-10 play continues until someone leads by two.
• In competition a match is best of five games. In friendly matches best of three is very common.
• Whoever wins the rally takes the point and serves next, whether they served before or not.
• The score is always called starting with the server's total.

The serve

• The first serve is decided by a toss, usually by spinning a racket.
• When serving, at least one foot must be inside the service box, not touching the line, until you hit the ball.
• The ball is struck without bouncing first and must hit the front wall between the service line and the out line.
• On the rebound the ball must bounce for the first time in the opposite quarter court, behind the short line and without touching any line, unless the receiver volleys it.
• The server picks the box at the start; while they keep winning points they alternate boxes each time. If they lose the rally, the opponent takes over the serve and picks their box.
• A serve that breaks these conditions is a fault and the receiver wins the rally: World Squash rules have no second serve. A serve that touches the service line, the short line or the half-court line is also a fault.

The rally, the let and the stroke

After the serve the players hit in turns. Every shot must reach the front wall above the tin and below the out line, even if it hits other walls first. You may let the ball bounce once on the floor before returning it, but not twice.

• You lose the point if your ball hits the tin, goes above an out line or bounced twice before your shot.
• After hitting, you must leave your opponent clear space to see the ball and to hit it.
• A let is given when your opponent gets in your way without meaning to and you cannot swing freely: the rally is replayed with no points.
• A stroke is given when the obstruction takes away a shot that would have won the point: the point is yours.

The gear

• Racket: light, with an oval head and tight strings. To start, a basic one or a borrowed one will do.
• Ball: rubber, with one or two coloured dots showing its speed. The double yellow dot is the competition standard and bounces the least. A cold ball hardly bounces, so warm up with a few minutes of rallying.
• Shoes: indoor shoes with good lateral grip and non-marking soles. Many clubs require them.
• Protective eyewear: World Squash recommends it, because the ball travels very fast in a small space.
• Clothing: light kit, a towel and water. An enclosed court heats up quickly.

How to get started

With the rules clear, the best start is with someone who already plays, or a trial lesson, to learn how to stand, warm up and stay out of the way.

• Begin by rallying alone against the front wall to gain control and understand how the ball bounces.
• Practise the serve and the forehand and backhand along the side wall.
• Return to the T, the intersection of lines in the middle of the court, after every shot: from there you reach everything.
• Warm up and stretch before playing, because squash demands very sharp starts and stops.

How to find a court in Mexico

Because squash courts need an enclosed space, it is worth confirming each venue before you go. MeetAndPlay's squash page (/squash) is a directory of places: it lists them by state and city from OpenStreetMap and researched public sources. It is a directory, not a booking system, so contact the venue directly to confirm it is still operating, its hours and its conditions.

Before you go, also read the guide to court etiquette: in a shared enclosed space, knowing how to move and leave room is part of the game.