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The game is played by two players, with 'standard' rackets (or occasionally four players for doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. In the more popular and widespread "International" (originally English) version of the game, the court is 32 feet (9.6m) long by 21 feet (6.4m) wide. The "American" version of the game uses a harder ball and a court 18 feet wide (5.4m).
The court has a 19 inch (45cm) high panel (called the "tin") at the base of the front wall, and "out" lines 7 feet (2.1m) high at the back wall and 15 feet high (4.5m) at the front wall. These "out" lines are joined by a raking "out" line on each side wall.
The players take turns hitting the ball against the front wall, which may be volleyed (hit on the full) or hit after its first bounce. To be considered 'good', the ball must reach the front wall below the "out" lines and above the "tin", before touching the floor. The ball may be struck against any of the other three walls before reaching the front wall. Shots that are first played off the side or back walls are referred to as "boasts" or "angles".
In the 'traditional' English scoring system (as adopted in the 1920s), a point is scored only by the server, when the receiver is unable to return the ball to the front wall before it has bounced twice. When the receiver wins the rally, they are awarded only the right to serve.
Games are usually played to 9 points (alternatively, the receiver may opt to call "set two" and play to 10 when the score is 8-8) and competitive matches are usually played to "best-of-five" (i.e. first player to win 3 games wins the match).
Alternatively, in the point-a-rally scoring system (referred to as PARS or 'American' scoring), points are scored by the winner of each rally, whether or not they have served. Traditionally, PARS scoring was up to 15 points (or the receiver calls 16 or 17 when the game reaches 14 all). However, in 2004, the PARS scoring was reduced to 11 for the professional game (If the game reaches 10 all, a player must win with two consecutive points with the serve). Club, Doubles and Recreation matches are played using the traditional 'English' scoring system. The professional game is managed by the Professional Squash Association.
Squash historians assert that the game originated in the 19th century at the Harrow School, outside London in England, as a derivative of the game of rackets. The first recorded construction of purpose-built squash courts was at Harrow in the 1860s. It is possible that earlier squash courts were created at Harrow by sub-dividing a Rackets court, which is almost exactly the size of three Squash courts (to allow more players on the courts at the same time).
The relatively small Squash court and low-bouncing ball makes the game harder to master than its American cousin racquetball, as the ball may be played to all four corners of the court. Since every ball must strike the front wall above the tin (unlike racquetball), the ball cannot be easily killed. As a result, rallies tend to be longer than in racquetball.
Interference is an inevitable aspect of this highly athletic sport, where two players are confined within a shared space. Generally, the rules entitle a player to reasonable access to the ball and an unobstructed shot to the front wall. When interference occurs, a player may ask for a "let" and the referee (or the players themselves) must then interpret the extent of the interference. When it is deemed that there has been little or no interference, the rules decree that no let is to be allowed, in the interests of continuity of play and the discouraging of spurious appeals for lets.
When a player's access to the ball is impeded, the referee shall allow a "let" and the players then replay the point. A "stroke" (either a point or the right to serve) is awarded when the outgoing player has obstructed any part of the front wall or failed to provide reasonable access to the ball or room for a reasonable swing. Because of the subjectivity in interpreting the nature and magnitude of interference, the awarding (or witholding) of lets and strokes is often controversial.
Less experienced players are able to use balls that are bouncier and larger than those used by more experienced players. Small coloured dots on the ball indicate the level of bounciness and hence, the standard of play it is suited for. The Dunlop double-yellow dot ball is currently the competition standard (before this ball was introduced in 2000, the yellow-dot was long considered standard).
Squash provides an excellent cardio-vascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend 700-1000 calories which is significantly more than most other sports. The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilizing both the legs to run around the court and the arms/torso to swing the racquet.
There are several variations of squash played across the world. In the USA 'hardball' singles and doubles are played with a harder ball and different size courts (as noted above). Whilst 'hardball' singles is losing popularity in North America (to the 'International' game), the doubles game is still active. There is a also a doubles version of squash played with the standard ball on a wider court, and a more tennis-like variation known as Squash Tennis.
Squash now has a universal appeal, as there are courts in 148 countries in the world from Argentina to Zambia.
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