know your squash

Get the Facts

•  Squash is played in over 180 countries

•  The fast-paced game, often called “a sweaty chess match” requires fitness, speed, agility, and of course concentration

• Players try to control the center area of the court, called the “T” by hitting shots that stay tight to the side walls and make their opponents stretch, reach and hit the ball off-balance

•  The ball has been recorded at speeds of over 200 mph

•  Squash is a great game for kids that teaches sportsmanship, work ethic, determination and healthy living

HOW TO WATCH SQUASH©

by John Flanigan

Squash Pro, University Club of Chicago

The Court and the Rules

The ball must stay below the out of bounds lines (these are the highest lines on the front, side and back walls).

The service line  goes across the front wall 6 feet upoff the floor. The serve must hit the front wall first above this line. 

The tin is the board low on the front wall. If a player’s shot hits the tin, he/she loses the rally. The server must have one foot in the small service box on the floor, then hit the ball above the front wall service line and into the receiver’s box on the opposite half of the court.

The T is where the half court line and short line intersect. The

“T” is the tactical home of the squash player. From this part of the court a player can move most efficiently to play any shot an opponent plays and hit the ball easily into any of the four comers.

 Scoring: A game is to 11 points, and a player must win 3 games (of

5) to win the match. If the score reaches 10-all a player must win by two points.

Play is continuous, with only 2 minute breaks in between games. No time outs.

 Get out of the way! Squash is a very fast paced game

With two strong athletes running about in a relatively small court swinging long racquets fast enough to send a ball flying up to speeds of 180 mph. The Squash Rules are defined by two principles:

Fair Play and Safe Play. A player must say “Let” when interference occurs. Very simply put, if a player is preventing his or her opponent from striking the ball, the obstructed player is awarded the point. The referee will call “stroke” in this case.  If interference is minimal or players are just trying to get out of each others way it’s a “let” (a do-over).  If the referee decides that the player asking for the let couldn’t have reached the ball, the call is “no let,” and the player who asked for the let loses the rally.

PART II: Tactics and Strategy. There is cooperation between the players to allow each other to play the ball, and at the same time they are trying to tie each other up in knots and tire each other to exhaustion. Here’s what to look for to get the wizardry of squash.

Once a player is on the “T” you’ll notice that s/he is reluctant to give it up. Players cut the ball off as it is driven out of the back or front court, and attempt to hit shots that will make their opponent run from one part of the court to another.

Length defines how short or deep a player hits the ball in the court. A general definition of good length is a shot that bounces once on the floor,then dies as it hits another wall.

Width is how tight a ball is played to the side walls. Good width keeps the opponent from attacking and lets a player maintain “T”position. Once an opponent is stuck in the back court players may attack with shots that place the ball into the front corners to make their opponent cover the longest distance in the court – the diagonal. A worthy opponent will retrieve the front court shot and try to escape with a high floating lob, or counter attack with another drop or a hard drive.

Varying the pace of play can keep opponents out of rhythm, never allowing them to get in a groove to time their shots accurately.

How to Play

Learn the basics from world #2, Nick Matthew, in this video from England Squash & Racketball.