About the Game
Standard Singles Squash Court
A squash match is played by serving the ball above the top red line and behind the front floor line on the receiver’s side of the court. Matches are played best of five games which means the winner is the first to win three games. Each game is played “first to eleven points” unless there is a 10-10 tie in which they p[lay until one player earns a two point lead.
One player serves until he loses a point. The receiver then becomes the server and has the choice of from which side to begin serving, then alternates sides for each sunbsequent serve until he loses a point. After hitting the ball, the server must make every effort to get out of the other player's way. On each shot, the ball can hit any number of walls, but must hit the front wall once. The ball can bounce off the floor only once. The ball must stay withing the court boundaries and must not hit the tin. The tin is a traditionally a metal strip 19" above the floor.
A referee is usually used in tournaments. Professional referees are often used in Pro matches. Junior squash tournaments usually adopt a "winner referees "or "loser refereees "or "both winner and loser referee" approach in order to reinforce the rules of squash in junior players. Junior players must pass the referee exam in order to receive a National Ranking.
Referees call lets, stokes and conduct warnings as well as the score. A Stroke may be awarded to a player who had a winning opportunity but was prevented from playing the shot, usually because the opponent was in the way. A Let is a request by the player to replay the point because he was blocked on a routine shot by the other player. A referee will say Yes, Let. If the referee believes that the player could not have gotten to the ball before it bounced twice; he will say No, Let.
The proper way to ask for a Let is to say "let, please".
The T is the place on the court where you are in the best position to get to the ball. It is named after the horizontal service line and the perpendicular court line that seperates the server's side from the receiver's side and forms the letter "T".
When the ball is served, the server must have at least one foot inside the service box.
People who watch a great deal of squash can tell you that the aim of the game is to keep your shots "tight to the wall" and to "keep the ball deep". balls hit close to the side walls (known as rails) are harder to hit and redirect into ungettable or winning shots. Hitting balls deep into the back of the court keeps the other player on the defence and allowing you to move up for a "killer" shot or a winning shot, usually in the far low corners.
