SquashAthletics
Rules
Singles 2025

Reference

The
Rules

Plain-English summary for court-side use, following the WSF World Squash Singles Rules 2025. Search anything — “stroke”, “warm-up”, “blood”, “10-all”.

•Quick guide: let, no let, or stroke?
  • A LET replays the rally — nobody scores. A STROKE awards the rally to the player who was interfered with. NO LET means play should have continued, so the player who stopped loses the rally.
  • NO LET: there was no real interference, or the player would not have reached the ball anyway, or they played on past the interference before asking, or the interference was too minimal to matter (Rule 8.6.1–8.6.4).
  • LET: there was genuine interference, the player would have made a good return, and the opponent was making every effort to clear (Rule 8.6.6).
  • STROKE: the player would have hit a winning return (Rule 8.6.7), or the opponent wasn't making every effort to clear (Rule 8.6.5), or the swing was prevented by the opponent's position (Rule 8.9.2), or the ball would have hit the opponent on its way straight to the front wall (Rule 8.11.1).
  • When in doubt at club level: genuine interference + ball reachable = let. Opponent planted in the way or a certain winner = stroke.
1The Game
  • Singles squash: two players in a court, striking the ball alternately. Court, ball, and racket must meet WSF specifications.
  • Each rally starts with a serve; players then return the ball in turn until the rally ends.
  • Play must be continuous as far as practical.
2Scoring (PAR 11)
  • The winner of every rally scores 1 point and serves next (point-a-rally scoring).
  • Games go to 11 points — but at 10-all, the game continues until someone leads by 2.
  • A match is normally best of 5 games; best of 3 is also allowed.
3Officials — Marker and Referee
  • A match is run by a Referee, or a Referee plus a Marker. With one official, that person does both jobs.
  • The Marker calls faults, down, out, not up, and stop; calls the score right after each rally with the server's score first; says "hand out" when serve changes; and calls "Game Ball" / "Match Ball" when a player is one point away.
  • At 10-all (first time each game) the Marker calls: "10-all: a player must win by 2 points."
  • The Referee rules on everything — all let requests and all appeals against the Marker's calls — and the Referee's decision is final.
  • The Referee handles time announcements: "15 seconds", "Half-time", "Time".
4The Warm-up
  • Players warm the ball up together for a maximum of 4 minutes, swapping sides after 2.
  • Both players must get fair chances to hit the ball. Hogging the ball is unfair warm-up and can draw a conduct penalty.
5The Serve
  • Winner of the racket spin serves first. At the start of each game and after every change of server, the server picks a box; while keeping the serve, they must alternate boxes.
  • A good serve: ball struck on the first or a further attempt before touching anything; one foot fully inside the service box (not touching a line); ball hits the front wall directly, between the service line and the out line; and (unless volleyed) it bounces first in the opposite back quarter without touching a line.
  • Any serve that misses those requirements is a fault, and the receiver wins the rally — one serve only, no second serve. A serve that hits the service line, short line, half-court line, or any boundary line is a fault.
  • After a let, serve again from the same box. If a serve from the wrong box goes unnoticed, the rally stands.
  • Dropping the ball without attempting to hit it isn't a serve — the server may start again.
  • A let applies if the receiver isn't ready and makes no attempt to return — but if that serve was a fault, the server loses the rally.
6The Play — good returns
  • A return is good if the ball is struck before its second bounce, reaches the front wall (directly or off other walls) above the tin and below the out line without first bouncing on the floor, and doesn't touch either player or their clothing on the way.
  • "Down" = the ball hit the tin or the floor before the front wall. "Not up" = struck incorrectly (double hit / carry), bounced twice first, or touched the striker. "Out" = on or above the out line, or hit a fixture, or left the court.
  • The rally continues until a return isn't good, a player requests a let or appeals, an official makes a call, or the ball touches a player.
7Intervals
  • Up to 1 minute between the warm-up and play; 2 minutes between games.
  • Up to 2 minutes to change damaged equipment, including dislodged glasses or a contact lens — as quickly as possible.
  • Players must be ready when the interval ends; play can resume earlier if both agree. Either player may hit the ball during an interval.
8Interference
  • After a reasonable follow-through, a player must make every effort to clear so the opponent gets: a fair view of the ball, access to it, room for a reasonable swing, and freedom to hit to any part of the front wall. Failing any of these = interference.
  • The striker may stop and ask for a let — say "Let, please" — without undue delay. A let request automatically includes a stroke request. The Referee may also intervene without a request, especially for safety.
  • No let: no interference (or no reasonable fear of injury); or the striker couldn't have made a good return; or the striker played on past it; or the interference was minimal.
  • Let: interference happened, the striker would have made a good return, and the opponent was making every effort to clear.
  • Stroke to the striker: they'd have made a winning return; or the opponent wasn't making every effort to clear; or the opponent's position prevented the swing; or the ball would have hit the opponent on a direct path to the front wall.
  • Swing: if the swing was affected, a let (or stroke if the return would have won). If the swing was prevented, a stroke — even if the opponent was trying to clear.
  • Excessive swing: if the striker's own exaggerated swing caused the interference, no let. Exaggerating a swing to fish for a stroke = let only.
  • Turning (losing sight of ball/opponent as the ball passes behind): swing prevented → stroke; opponent had no time to clear → let; turned just to earn a let → no let. The Referee must always consider whether turning was dangerous.
  • If the striker hits the ball, then the opponent requests a let, and the ball goes down or out — the opponent wins the rally anyway.
9Ball hitting a player
  • Play stops the moment the ball touches a player, their racket, or clothing.
  • Ball heading to the front wall hits the non-striker: if the return wouldn't have been good, non-striker wins the rally. If it was going directly to the front wall on a first attempt (no turning), stroke to the striker. If it would have hit another wall first, let — unless it was a winning return, then stroke.
  • If the striker had turned, stroke to the non-striker — unless the non-striker deliberately moved into the ball, in which case stroke to the striker.
  • Ball rebounding from the front wall hits a player: if it hits the non-striker before the striker attempted the return, striker wins the rally (let if the striker's own position caused it). After an attempt, a let if a good return was still possible. If it hits the striker with no interference, the non-striker wins the rally.
  • Deliberately or dangerously hitting the opponent with the ball is a conduct matter.
10Appeals
  • Either player may stop play and appeal a missing call ("Appeal, please"); the loser of a rally may appeal any call or lack of one.
  • Once the next serve is struck, earlier rallies can't be appealed (broken ball excepted). End-of-game appeals about the last rally must be immediate.
  • On appeal: correct call → result stands. Wrong call → let, unless the call interrupted a winning return, then that player wins the rally. No call on a bad serve/return → rally to the other player. Referee unsure → let.
  • The Referee's decision is final.
11The Ball
  • Ball breaks during a rally → let for that rally. Stopping to claim a break that isn't there loses you the rally.
  • If the receiver appeals a broken ball before attempting to return serve and it is broken, the Referee (if unsure when it broke) allows a let for the previous rally.
  • The ball is changed if both players agree or the Referee agrees with one player's request. After a replacement or a delay, players may re-warm the ball.
  • Ball wedged in the court → let. Ball touching any article in the court → let is possible. An unusual bounce alone → no let.
12Conditions of play
  • Distraction: ask for a let immediately. Accidental distraction by a player → let (unless it interrupted a winning return — that player wins the rally). Deliberate → conduct penalty. Off-court distraction → let.
  • Dropped racket: pick it up and play on, unless the ball touched it or it distracted. A racket dropped because of interference or contact → let is possible.
  • Any other object falling during a rally stops play: fell from a player with no contact → opponent wins the rally; fell because of contact → let (unless a winning return had already been struck); fell from elsewhere → let, unless a winning return was interrupted (rally to the striker); unseen until the rally ended with no effect → result stands.
  • Court conditions change through no fault of the players (wet patch, etc.) → play stops, let. A player who leaves a wet patch after slipping or diving must keep playing or concede the rally; the opponent may ask a let before hitting the ball.
  • The Referee decides if conditions are safe, and may allow a let without a request for safety.
13Illness, injury and blood injury
  • Illness (cramp, nausea, breathlessness — no injury): play on immediately, or concede the game in progress and use the game interval to recover, then play or concede the match. A player whose vomiting makes the court unplayable loses the match.
  • Self-inflicted injury (own action — muscle tear, running into a wall, falling): up to 3 minutes to recover; still not ready → concede that game and take the interval.
  • Contributed injury (accidental action of both players): up to 15 minutes to recover.
  • Opponent-inflicted injury: accidental → up to 15 minutes and possible conduct penalty; if the injured player then can't continue, they win the match. From deliberate or dangerous play → match awarded to the injured player if they need any recovery time at all.
  • Blood injury: player must leave the court and stop the flow / cover the wound (self-inflicted: up to 5 minutes). Play never continues with uncovered blood; the court is cleaned and bloodstained clothing replaced. A scrape with no blood flow isn't a blood injury.
  • The score at the end of the rally where the injury happened always stands, and it's always the injured player's decision whether to resume.
14Conduct
  • Players must not leave the court during a game without permission, place objects in the court, request a change of official, or behave in any way that is unfair, dangerous, abusive, offensive, or detrimental to the sport.
  • Unacceptable conduct includes: obscenity, abuse, unnecessary physical contact (including pushing off the opponent), dangerous play or excessive swing, dissent, influencing the Referee, abusing equipment or court, unfair warm-up, delaying play, deliberate distraction, and receiving coaching during play (coaching is allowed only between games).
  • Penalties escalate: Conduct Warning → Conduct Stroke → Conduct Game → Conduct Match, chosen by severity. A repeat offence can't get a lighter penalty than before, and penalties can be issued any time — warm-up included, even after the match ends.
  • Mechanics: stopping play to warn → let. A Conduct Stroke becomes the rally's result (after a rally: added to the score, no change of box). A Conduct Game is the game in progress, or the next one. The offender keeps points and games already won.
A2Official calls — what the words mean
  • "Down" — the return hit the tin or the floor before the front wall.
  • "Fault" — the serve wasn't good.
  • "Not up" — struck incorrectly, bounced twice, or touched the striker.
  • "Out" — hit on or above the out line, a fixture, or left the court.
  • "Hand out" — the serve changes hands.
  • "Game Ball" / "Match Ball" — one point needed for the game / the match.
  • "Yes, let" — let allowed, replay the rally. "No let" — request refused, rally to the opponent. "Stroke to [player]" — rally awarded.
  • "Stop" — stop play immediately. "Time" — the interval has ended. "Half-time" — 2 minutes of warm-up gone. "Fifteen seconds" — interval nearly over.
  • Score is always called with the server's score first: "Not up. Hand out, 4–3."
A1Key definitions
  • Striker — you're the striker from the moment your opponent's return comes off the front wall until your own return hits it.
  • Winning return — a good return the opponent could not reach.
  • Wrong-footed — you guessed the ball's path wrong and moved the other way; you can still earn a let (or a stroke on a winning return) if you recover and then meet interference.
  • Further attempt — a second try at a ball still in play after a swing at it. Shaping/backswing alone isn't an attempt; any forward racket movement (even a fake) is.
  • Tin — the strip across the bottom of the front wall, including its lowest horizontal line. Ball hitting it is down.
  • Quarter court — one of the two back boxes formed by the short line and half-court line; a serve must land in the one opposite the server (unless volleyed).
  • Let — a rally nobody wins; the server serves again from the same box.
A4Protective eyewear
  • The WSF recommends certified protective eyewear for all players at all times, warm-up included — social, league, or tournament.
  • It is mandatory in all WSF-sanctioned doubles and junior events.
A6Coaching
  • Coaching is any communication, advice, or instruction to a player, by any means. During a match it's permitted only in the intervals between games.
  • Player-analysis tech may record during a match, but the player may not retrieve that information mid-match.

This is an unofficial summary. The official rules are published by the World Squash Federation at worldsquash.sport.