Squash is a racket and ball sport
played by two players in a
four-walled court with a small,
hollow rubber ball. The players
alternate in striking the ball with
their racquets onto the playable
surfaces of the four walls of the
court. The objective of the game is
to hit the ball in such a way that
the opponent is not able to play a
valid return. There are about 20
million people who play squash
regularly world-wide in over 185
countries.[1] The governing body of
Squash, the World Squash Federation
(WSF), is recognized by the
International Olympic Committee
(IOC), but the sport is not part of
the Olympic Games, despite a number
of applications. Supporters continue
to lobby for its incorporation in a
future Olympic program.
General
Rules of Play * You can
only hit the ball once before your
opponent hits it. The contact must
also be singular; you cannot ‘carry’
the ball. * The ball can only
bounce once on the floor. * You
must make every effort to clear your
shot and ensure your opponent has
room to play their shot.
* Focus/Concentrate on
the task * The ability to keep
thinking about the game plan. *
To concentrate, without distraction,
for an entire match including: *
The ability to evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of the
opponent * Keep reviewing the
basics of the game plan for its
effectiveness. * Stay positive
right to the end of the match. *
Keep our mind within the court and
focus on the task at hand. *
Minimise distractions from outside
the court, including the Referee
Understanding
interference The striker must
make every effort to give the
opponent a clear path to the ball.
The opponent must also make every
effort to get to the ball. The
following must be practiced to avoid
interference:
A striker must
make every effort to provide his
opponent with unobstructed and
direct access to the ball The
striker must give a fair view of the
ball to his opponent both before and
after the ball is hit Last, the
opponent must give the striker
freedom to hit the ball directly to
all of the front wall If
interference is called, the play is
a let, or a stroke. A stroke is a
point awarded to the obstructed
player. A 'No let' is given in the
following situations:
The
opponent would not have made a good
return The opponent did not make
sufficient effort to get to and play
the ball If the opponent created
his own interference If the
opponent ignored the interference
and played on A let is always
given if one player stops from
hitting the ball due to a reasonable
fear of striking their opponent with
either the ball or the racquet. The
let is allowed even if no
interference actually occurred.
The referee will award a stroke
to a striker if the opponent does
not make every effort to get out of
the way and the striker would have
made a good return. A stroke is also
awarded if the player would have
made a winning return, even if the
opponent makes every effort to avoid
interfering. Last, the referee may
also award a stroke to a striker if
their opponent makes unnecessary
physical contact or has an excessive
racquet swing.
In addition to
previous mentions of lets, rallies
are replayed when:
The
striker does not hit the ball in a
manner to ensure the safety of his
opponent A player is distracted
by an occurrence on or off the court
The receiver is not ready for the
serve and doesn.t attempt to return
it The ball breaks during play
Court conditions affect play A
player may appeal a decision that
affects the rally by asking " Let,
please ". The referee stops play and
decides on the appeal. Penalties
that the referee may levy include a
warning, and a stroke, game, or
match awarded to the opponent.
For sake of good sportsmanship,
players should not fish for lets.
Fishing is when the player tries to
bend the rules to win the point. In
other words they play the players
not the ball. So instead of making
every effort to play the ball, they
will stop play and hope the referee
will give them stroke.
Squash Competition Format The Commonwealth Games
Squash competition is held according
to the rules of the World Squash
Federation (WSF) and will feature
five medal events: Men’s Singles,
Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles,
Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
Singles
Men’s and women’s events have the
same format and rules. Events are
conducted in a knockout format, with
the best two players progressing to
the gold medal match. Players
knocked out in the first round of
the main draw are entered into the
Plate competition and players
knocked out in the first round of
the Plate competition are entered in
the Consolation Plate competition.
Players knocked out in the second
round of the main draw are entered
into the Classic Plate competition.
Singles events will have a 64
draw except where entries dictate.
If there are more than 64 entries
there may be an initial round before
the round of 64. If there is a round
of 64 there will be six rounds of
competition and if there is a round
of 32 there will be five rounds of
competition.
Doubles Men’s, women’s and mixed
events have the same format and
rules. The Doubles competition of up
to 32 pairs, involves a pool
competition with the winners of each
pool progressing to the knockout
stages. Depending on entry numbers,
each pool will be contested by
three, four or five teams and
similarly depending on entry
numbers, the knock-out stage will
consist of two or three rounds.
Team line-ups must be
based on order of merit, with the
best player at number one, the
second-best player at number two,
and so on. The most accepted and
traditional method of establishing
an order of merit is the challenge
ladder system. If a player wins a
challenge match, they move up the
ladder; if they lose, they move
down. Coaches must be sure that
whatever systems they use are
logical and consistent throughout
the season and throughout the
ladder, and acceptable to their
teams and to other coaches.
Illness and Injury: A player should
not lose their place on a team
ladder simply because they have been
ill or injured for any length of
time. However, the longer a player
is unable to practice and play
matches with their team, the more
likely it is that their capabilities
would diminish while the
capabilities of their peers would
improve. Therefore, a player
returning to the line-up after an
extended absence (2 weeks or more)
should either be re-inserted at
their old position or offered a
challenge against the player who was
in the position immediately below
them when the absence began. Should
the returning player lose this
challenge, they should be allowed to
play at least one more challenge
down prior to their participation in
their first team match.
There
must be a competition-based
rationale for a returning player’s
spot in the line-up. The longer a
player has been out, the more
compelling the need for downward
challenges to re-establish the order
of merit.
Changes to
Line-ups: A line-up cannot change in
terms of order of merit on
consecutive days of competition. A
line-up can, however, be adjusted
when a player or players are added
or removed from it. When a player is
added to or removed from a line-up,
all other players are moved
accordingly in the established order
of merit. For example, if the number
4 player on a team is injured and
has to be removed from the line-up,
the number 5 player would move up to
the number 4 position, the original
number 6 player would move up to the
number 5 position, and so on.
Challenges to Line-ups: Each
coach is obligated to provide
opposing coaches with match line-ups
in a timely fashion for review and
inquiries. An opposing coach can
challenge a player’s ladder position
based on their match and challenge
record that season. A coach must
have available upon request a list
of challenge results available for
the opposing coach to inspect before
each match, and the results of
earlier season matches are available
online
1. Make sure your grip is
correct! You want to have a neutral
grip that allows you to hit both the
forehand and backhand from the same
grip. There should be a V shape that
runs between your thumb and
forefinger. Your forefinger should
extend up the shaft of the racket
giving you extra control of the
racket head.
2. Lift your
racket up on the way to the ball. As
soon as you know which side the ball
is going, take your racket head back
so that by the time you arrive you
are ready and in position to hit the
ball. You will be amazed by how much
time you have and the options you
can create.
3. Keep your
shoulders facing the side wall at
the point of impact on both the
forehand and backhand side. If you
over rotate and end up facing the
front wall you’ll most likely drag
the ball into the middle of the
court.
4. Link your movement
to your shot. You want to step and
hit so that your swing starts just
as your foot plants in the lunge
position. This helps create a
balanced, stable position where a
transfer of weight takes place
through the shot.
5. Give
yourself the best possible chance
and don’t let the first game slip by
as a result of not warming up
properly. Hit the ground running and
get yourself match ready for the
word go. Download our extensive
guide to warming up and see your
performance improve dramatically!
6. Make sure your serve hits the
side wall. If you’re able to hit a
high serve that hits the side wall
before dropping into the back
corner, you will cause your opponent
lots of problems. The backhand
volley is one of the most difficult
shots in the game and serve gives
you a real chance to put your
opponent under lots of pressure from
the first shot of the rally.
7. Try to play from in front of your
opponent! If you can hit the ball
into the back corners and take
charge of the T zone you’ll find the
game much easier than if you are
always behind. Think about using
height to get the ball into the back
corners and then push forward
towards the T zone so that you’re
ready for the next shot.
8.
Volley more! Volleying takes time
away from your opponent and allows
you to stay closer to the T. Learn
to volley and try to take the
opportunities whenever you can.
9. Hit the open space! If you
can hit the ball where your opponent
isn’t then you’re going to make them
run! Avoid hitting the ball back to
your opponent but also be aware that
a poor shot into open court can
leave you exposed.
10. Learn
to hit a good straight drive! If you
can hit the ball straight into the
back corners from all areas of the
court then you will limit your
opponent’s chances to volley and
give yourself the chance to get in
front and apply pressure.
11.
Learn how to return serve properly.
Start with an open stance facing the
front wall and watch your opponent
whilst standing approximately 1
racket length away from the corner
of the service box. This starting
position allows you to watch where
the ball is going and then transfer
weight into the shot.
12.
Play with the right ball for your
level! There are different balls
that bounce to varying degrees. The
pro ball should only be played with
when you can hit it hard enough to
warm it up and make it bounce
properly.
GUIDELINES Beginner's guide to
squash
Squash is a fast-moving game that
requires skill, speed and supreme
fitness.
The ball can reach speeds of up to
170mph and players can burn off up
to 1000 calories per hour of squash
- higher than most other sports.
It began in the 19th century and was
originally called squash racquets,
to distinguish it from the game of
racquets.
Harrow School, just outside London,
is credited as the game's birthplace
- when young pupils who couldn't
compete with older boys for space on
the proper racquets courts invented
their own version using a rubber
ball instead of a hard one.
RULES
Squash court graphic
* The basic principle is to keep
hitting the ball against the front
wall until your opponent cannot get
it back any more.
* Players must keep one foot in the
service box as they serve.
* The ball must hit the front wall
between the service line and the out
line, and land in the area behind
the short line on the opposite side
of the court.
* For the remainder of the rally,
players must hit the wall above the
board and below the out line.
* The ball is only allowed to hit
the floor once before each shot, but
it can hit as many walls as the
player wants.
* If a player fails to hit the ball
before it bounces twice, hits the
ball into the floor before it hits
the front wall, or hits it outside
the out line, then they lose the
rally.
* A player can also lose a rally if
the ball hits them or their clothing
before they strike the ball.
SCORING
*
In the traditional, British system
you can only score points when you
are serving.
* When the player receiving serve
wins a rally, the score does not
change, but he or she becomes the
server.
*
So if you are facing serve, you need
to win two rallies to register a
point.
*
A match is the best of five games,
and for a player to win a game they
must reach nine points.
*
If the score reaches eight-all,
however, the player who is not
serving at the time can choose
whether to play to nine points or to
10 points.
*
During points, a player can be
impeded or unsighted as they try to
play their next shot, and can ask
for a let.
*
If the referee decides this is
deserved, he or she can order the
point to be replayed, or award the
rally to the player who has been
affected.
TACTICS
* Experienced players know that the
best way to win a game of squash is
to make the opponent to do the
running.
* Pakistani squash player Shahid
Zaman (r) returns the ball to
Dutchman Laurens Anjema
* The player on the left is
dominating the "T" - where the
middle line intersects the front
line
* England's Peter Nicol, a former
world number one, says: "If you're
at the "T", you're at the centre of
the court, you're in control and
generally you're in a position to
win the game."
* Keeping the ball low lessens the
chance of your opponent reaching it
before it bounces twice.
* Nicol says: "The back two corners
are the most important areas on a
squash court. If your opponent does
manage to get it out of there, then
you're in a strong position to
control the rally after that.
EQUIPMENT
Players use a different ball
depending on their standard.
The recognised colours are:
Double Yellow - extra super slow;
competition standard
Yellow - super slow
Green or white - slow
Red - medium
Blue - fast
Modern racquets are usually made of
composite materials such as kevlar
and graphite.
They are 70 cm (27 inches) long,
with a maximum strung area of 500
square centimetres (approximately 80
square inches) and a weight between
110 and 200 grams (4-7 ounces).
GETTING INVOLVED
* Squash is a hugely popular sport,
in the UK and across the globe.
* There are thousands of clubs
across the country and equipment is
relatively cheap. Mini Squash also
teaches youngsters how to play the
game.
* All you need are some indoor
trainers, a racquet and a ball. The
make-up of the balls varies
according to whether they are used
for amateur or professional
competition.
* Courts can be booked easily,
whether they are at specialist
squash venues, gyms or sports
centres.
The Fitness Formula for
Squash and racket sports consists of
a number of items:
Cardio-respiratory fitness;
Muscle endurance, a combination of
the ability to deliver appropriate
anaerobic and aerobic power together
with the ability to recover (mainly
anaerobic recovery);
Muscle
strength, which is more important in
tennis than the other racket sports;
Muscle speed, an important component
of power in all the racket sports;
Day to day training of full-time
squash players increases daily
energy and carbohydrate
requirements. If squash players do
not consume adequate carbohydrate
between training sessions, they may
suffer fatigue and unwanted weight
loss and this will directly affect
their performance and training
gains. Squash players in heavy
training need to start recovery
nutrition immediately after
exercise. Ideally, squash players
should aim to consume 50 – 100 grams
of carbohydrate within 30 minutes
after training. Recovery snacks
should be combined with fluid to
replace fluid lost during exercise.
Squash players who are undergoing
puberty need extra energy and
nutrients for the growth and daily
activity. Each of the following
provides approximately 50 grams of
carbohydrate. Eat 1 to 2 of these
portions to ensure fast recovery
after a heavy training and repeat
this pattern after 2 hours until the
normal eating pattern have been
resumed.
650 – 800 ml of
sports drink 500 ml of fruit
juice 1 1/2 banana (medium) 3
medium pieces of fruits 1 jam
sandwich made with 2 thick slices of
bread and plenty of jam 1 energy
bar
EYE INJURY Squash is a popular sport with
many participants in Australia and
worldwide. There are approximately
15 million players in 135
nations.1,2 The small dimension of
the squash court occupied by two
people, swinging racquets and a
small ball potentially travelling in
excess of 200 km/hour, with the
ability to penetrate the eye socket,
contribute to a high risk of eye
injury in this sport.3–10
Internationally, squash has been
reported as either the first or
second highest ranked sport
associated with sports related eye
injuries.6,11–13
These
injuries are almost completely
preventable14 by protective
eyewear.15 Standards approved
polycarbonate eyewear is the only
appropriate eyewear, protective
against squash eye injuries.14,16–18
Most prescription lens materials can
splinter on impact13,19 and other
unsuitable types of eyewear, such as
open eyeguards, may exacerbate these
injuries.15,20
Fewer than 10%
of players actually wear suitable
eye guards when playing
squash.6,19,21,22 To foster
protection, it is necessary to
understand the reasons why so few
players wear such protection. The
literature suggests that knowledge
of injury risk contributes to
decisions to adopt safety
measures.23–25 Surveys have found
many players who use inappropriate
eyewear believe it to be suitably
protective.6,19,21,22 Competition
players tend to use protection in
matches but not during practice.21
However, the literature has not
addressed influences on use of
eyewear or how this might vary
according to player characteristics.
The purpose of this study is,
therefore, to describe player
characteristics associated with
knowledge and use of protective
eyewear.
A high-level performance in
squash depends on many factors or
elements of the game, among which
appropriate playing tactics are
clearly of great importance. It
manifests itself in a variety of
strokes executed by the player or
group of players in a match. Given
the great number of different
strokes and their execution in
various parts of the court, a player
may select and use different strokes
in identical or similar
circumstances or the same strokes in
different circumstances. The proper
choice of stroke depends on the
player’s tactical assessment that
leads to the choice of the most
efficient stroke in the given
circumstances
Circuit training is an excellent
way to improve mobility, strength
and stamina. The circuit training
comprises 6 to 10 strength exercises
that are completed one exercise
after another. Each exercise is
performed for a specified number of
repetitions or for a set time before
moving on to the next exercise. The
exercises within each circuit are
separated by a short rest period,
and each circuit is separated by a
longer rest period. The total number
of circuits performed during a
training session may vary from two
to six depending on your training
level (beginner, intermediate, or
advanced), your period of training
(preparation or competition) and
your training objective.
Serve Hard Versus
Soft Game Serve Plus Two Shots
Return of Serve - Crosscourt
Return of Serve - Straight Three
Shot Rally with Drops Hunt for
Winning Combinations Self Fed
Volley Drop Hard Serve to Self
Straight Drive Straight Drive
Crosscourt to Hit Side Boast -
Drive Boast and Drive or Drop
Sidewall Rail Game Drop and
Crosscourt; Straight and Boast
Boast and Drive or Crosscourt
Crosscourt, Deep Drive, Boast
Lob, Volley, Boast Hard Versus
Soft Game Solo Deep Volleys with
Crosscourt Volley Attack Boast
Crosscourt Drop Drop and Drive or
Crosscourt Boast, Drop and Drive
Boast, Drop, Drive Hunt for
Winning Combinations Attack Boast
- Drive Beginner Circling
Skidboast - Drive Short Drive -
Drop - Overdrive - Backwall Boast
Speed Up the Game Me vs. Me -
Frontcourt Reverse Angle From
Backcourt Kill Shot - Off Back
Wall Boast, Straight Drop or
Crosscourt Drop, Drive Front
Court Options Boast -
Drive...Surprise! Solo Soft
Straight Drives Early Racquet
Preparation Crosscourt - Self
Feed Self Toss with Floating
Boast Self Fed Volley Drop
Simple Straight Drop Solo Boasts
Solo Backwall Boast Top Spin Half
Volley Solo Kills Fake off the
Backwall Straight Drive For Good
Length Straight Hard Drive for
Dying Length Boast, Straight Drop
or Crosscourt Drop, Drive
Backcourt Crosscourt Drop or Drive
Crosscourt to Good Length
Generating power the right way
in squash is key to improving your
game. It’s important for beginners
to learn the proper way from the
beginning, in order to avoid bad
habits and keep improving in the
right ways!
Generating power
is a big part of the game I see
people doing incorrectly.
Very often I see good players who
could be GREAT players, or even play
in the PSA if they had better
methods of generating power in their
shots.
While every player
will develop their own little habits
and ways of hitting the ball, there
are some basics that are common to
every good player. Even the
professionals each have their own
style, but in this guide I’ll cover
what they all have in common: the
ability to hit the ball hard on both
their forehand and backhand!
