Squash

Squash

SQUASH RULES

COURT DIMENSIONS: Singles 32' X 16' X 18'6", Doubles 45' X 25' X 20'.

1. SERVER

At the start of a match the choice to serve or receive shall be decided by the spin of a racquet. The server retains the serve until he loses a point, in which event he loses the serve.

2. SERVICE

A ball is in play from the moment at which it is delivered in service until

• the point is decided;
• a Fault, as hereinafter defined, is made; or
• a Let, as hereinafter defined, occurs.

At the beginning of each game, and each time there is a new server, the ball shall be served from whichever service box the server elects and thereafter alternately until the service is lost or until the end of the game. If the server serves from the wrong box there shall be no penalty and the service shall count as if served from the correct box, provided, however, that if the receiver does not attempt to return the service, he may demand that it be served from the other box, or if before the receiver attempts to return the service, the referee calls a Let, as hereinafter defined, the Service shall be made from the other box.

The server, until the ball has left the racquet from the service must stand with at least one foot on the floor within, and not touching the line surrounding the service box and serve the ball onto the front wall above the service line and below the 16' line before it touches any other part of the court, so that on its rebound (return) it first strikes the floor within, but not touching, the lines of the opposite service court, either before or after touching any other wall or walls within the court. A ball so served is a good service, otherwise it is a Fault.

If the first service is a Fault, the server shall serve again from the same side. If the server makes two consecutive Faults, he loses the point. A service called a Fault may not be played but the receiver may volley any service which has struck the front wall in accordance with this rule.

3. RETURN OF SERVICE AND SUBSEQUENT PLAY

(a) To make a good return of a service or of a subsequent return the ball must be struck on the volley or before it has touched the floor twice, and reach the front wall on the fly above the tell-tale, and it may touch any wall or walls within the court before or after reaching the front wall. A return is deemed to be made at the instant the ball touches the racquet of the player making the return.

(b) If the receiver fails to make a good return of a good service, the server wins the point. If the receiver makes a good return of service the players shall alternate making returns until one player fails to make a good return. The player failing to make a good return loses the point.

(c) Until the ball has been touched or has hit the floor twice, it may be struck at any number of times.

(d) If at any time the ball hits outside the playing surfaces of the court, which includes the ceiling and/or lights or hits a line marking the playing surfaces of the court (except on the first service, when it is one fault), it is a point against the player so hitting the ball.

4. SCORE

Each point won by a player shall add one to his score.

5.GAME

The player who first scores fifteen points wins the game excepting that:

(a)At "thirteen all" the player who has first reached the score of "thirteen" must elect one of the following before the next serve:

• (1) Set to five points - making the game eighteen points.
• (2) Set to three points - making the game sixteen points.
• (3) No set, in which event the game remains fifteen points.

(b) At "fourteen all" provided the score has not been "thirteen all" the player who has first reached the score of "fourteen" must elect one of the following before the next serve:

• (1) Set to three - making the game seventeen points.
• (2) No set, in which event the game remains fifteen points.

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6. MATCH

A match shall be best three out of five games.

7. KEEP OUT OF OPPONENT'S WAY

Each player must get out of his opponent's way immediately after he has struck the ball and

• (a) must give his opponent a fair view of the ball, provided, however, interference purely with his opponent's vision in following the flight of the ball is not a Let;
• (b) must give his opponent a fair opportunity to get to and/or strike at the ball;
• (c) must allow his opponent to play the ball from any part of the court; and
• (d) must allow his opponent to play the ball to any part of the front wall or to either side wall near the front wall.

8. BALL IN PLAY TOUCHING PLAYER

If a ball in play, after hitting the front wall, but before being returned again, shall touch either player, or anything he wears or carries (other than the racquet of the player who makes the return) the player so touched loses the point, except as provided in rule 9.

If a ball in play touches the person who last returned it or anything he wears or carries before it hits the first wall, the player so touched loses the point.

If a ball in play, after being struck on a return, hits the striker's opponent or anything he wears or carries before reaching the front wall:

• (a) The player who makes the return shall lose the point if the return would not have been good.
• (b) The player who made the return shall win the point if the ball would have gone directly from the racquet of the player making the return to the front wall without first touching any other wall.
• (c) The point shall be replayed as a Let (see Rule 9) if the return except for interference would have hit the front wall fairly and (1) would have touched some other wall before so hitting the front wall, or (2) has hit some other wall before hitting the striker's opponent.

When there is no referee, if the players are unable to agree whether the return would have been good or whether the ball would have gone directly to the front wall, the point should be replayed as a Let (see Rule 9).

In all cases covered by this Rule play shall cease even though the ball goes up.

9. LET

A Let is the stopping of play and the playing over of a point. On the replay of the point the server

• (1) is entitled to two serves even though a Fault was called on the original point;
• (2) must serve from the correct box even though he served from the wrong box on the original point; and
• (3) provided he is a new server may serve from a service box other than the one he selected on the original point.

In addition to the Lets described in Rules No. 2 and No. 8 (c) the following are Lets if the striker could otherwise have made a good return:

• (a) When a player, unavoidably violates Rule 7;
• (b) When owing to the position of the striker, his opponent is unable to avoid being touched by the ball;
• (c) When the striker refrains from striking at the ball because of a reasonable fear of injuring his opponent;
• (d) When the striker in the act of striking anad before actually hitting the ball is touched by his opponent, his racquet, or anything he may be wearing;
• (e) When on the first bounce from the floor the ball hit on or above the six and one-half foot line on the back wall; and
• (f) When a ball in play breaks. If a player thinks the ball is broken while play is in progress he must nevertheless complete the point and then request a Let. The referee shall grant such Let only if the ball proves in fact to be broken.

A sketch of a squash field: