Squash is not a very complicated sport and a beginner will
easily pick up the few essential rules and play. A referee will
be present during any game and he or she would also be able to
give a junior player tips on how to play the game.
The most important regulations concern service, play, out balls
and match scoring. Of the four, scoring is the least important
as the scoring system can be changed slightly depending on
factors like the number of people playing (singles or doubles)
and the level of the game (competition or friendly).
Every play begins with a service and, for the service to be
legal, a player must stand with at least part of one foot inside
one of the two service boxes and hit the ball with his racket so
that it bounces off the court's front wall between the service
line and out line and lands in the opposite quarter court.
Players will flip their rackets to decide who will serve first
and a player can choose to serve from either the left or the
right service box. The out line runs along the top of the front
wall before descending along both side walls while the service
line runs across the front wall only at a height of just under
two meters.
Regulations covering game play state that, after service,
players must take turns hitting the ball against the front wall.
Before returning it, a player can allow the ball to bounce any
number of times on both the floor and the walls and, although a
player can move around the court to return a ball, he is not
allowed to obstruct the other player. Shots are deemed out when
they hit any wall either on or above the out line or on or below
the tin line, which is on the front wall under the service line.
There are two scoring systems used today: English and American.
The American system is the point-a-rally system and games are
played to 11 points, or 12 if a game was tied at 10-10. In the
English system, points are based on service not rallies and
games are played to 9 points, or 10 if it was tied at 8-8.
No rules regulate clothing or equipment and a player can use
items manufactured by any of the sports companies including
Wilson, Prince, Dunlop or Head.