Rules & Etiquette

Click here to download the latest rules according to World Squash. (740kb PDF).

Here is a list of dos and don’ts for your consideration.

Do:

  • Use the 5 minute (2 and a half minutes each side) warm-up fairly. Strike the ball back to yourself twice and then to your opponent. There are few things as annoying as a player who hogs the ball to themselves!
  • Call your ‘lets’ properly, that is, use the words “Let please”, ask on time and only when it is a genuine let.
  • Wear squash shoes on court and make sure they are clean. It safeguards the courts and they are better for yourself than ‘runners’ that are designed for forward movement only!
  • Do your fair share of refereeing and read up on the rules.
  • Always shake hands after your match and thank the referee if there was one.

Don’t:

  • Call for ‘lets’ when there is no case for one.
  • Argue with the referee’s decisions.
  • Play the ball when it is dangerous to do so – remember that it is probably a ‘stroke’ to you anyway.
  • Use bad language on court.

Rule 15 deals with conduct. It says:

  1. Players must comply with any tournament regulations additional to these Rules.
  2. Players may not place any object within the court.
  3. Players may not leave the court during a game without the permission of the Referee.
  4. Players may not request a change of any Official.
  5. Players must not behave in a manner that is unfair, dangerous, abusive, offensive, or in any way detrimental to the sport.
  6. If a player’s conduct is unacceptable, the Referee must penalise the player, stopping play if necessary. Unacceptable behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
    1. audible or visible obscenity;
    2. verbal, physical or any other form of abuse;
    3. unnecessary physical contact, which includes pushing off the opponent;
    4. dangerous play, including an excessive racket swing;
    5. dissent to an Official;
    6. abuse of equipment or court;
    7. unfair warm-up;
    8. delaying play, including being late back on court;
    9. deliberate distraction;
    10. receiving coaching during play.
  7. A player guilty of an offence may be given a Conduct Warning or penalised with a Conduct Stroke, a Conduct Game, or a Conduct Match, depending on the severity of the offence.
  8. The Referee may impose more than one warning, stroke or game to a player for a subsequent similar offence, providing any such penalty may not be less severe than the previous penalty for the same offence.
  9. A warning or a penalty may be imposed by the Referee at any time, including during the warm-up and following the conclusion of the match.
  10. If the Referee:
    1. stops play to issue a Conduct Warning, a let is allowed;
    2. stops play to award a Conduct Stroke, that Conduct Stroke becomes the result of the rally;
    3. awards a Conduct Stroke after a rally has finished, the result of the rally stands, and the Conduct Stroke is added to the score with no change of service-box;
    4. awards a Conduct Game, that game is the one in progress or the next one if a game is not in progress. In the latter case an additional interval of 90 seconds does not apply;
    5. awards a Conduct Game or a Conduct Match, the offending player retains all points or games already won;
  11. When a Conduct Penalty has been imposed, the Referee must complete any required documentation.