The Rules of Singles Squash in this publication are effective from 1 May, 1997. As stated on the cover, the Rules also include the Appendices, and the Rules will remain effective until 30 April, 2001. The sport is now known as the World Singles Game, in lieu of the former International Singles Game. A detailed contents page, covering both Rules and Appendices, forms part of the Rules. A prime objective of this contents page with the provision of sub-paragraph numbers and if appropriate, Guideline numbers, is to enable users to locate quickly the individual components of Rules.

All changes from the 1993 Rules are underlined. The significant changes are as follows:

1. Whereas previous Rules of Squash used masculine pronouns for convenience, the 1997 Rules are non-gender specific, recognising the fact that Squash is as much a game for females as for males. Considerable minor rewording has been necessary to achieve this important change.

2. Wording of the service rule has been simplified to avoid duplication. To initiate service, any player may now drop the ball from either a hand or the racket, and more than one attempt is permitted to strike the ball. The cut line has been renamed the service line.

3. Rule 7 has become Continuity Of Play (the former Rule 7. Let, is now a definition). The obligations of a player suffering an illness or disability are detailed in this Rule and in Guideline G2. Contained in this Rule also are the considerations of a player dropping an object to the floor of the court. If this occurs, basically play has to stop unless the object is a racket, and the player will lose the stroke unless a collision or interference situation is the cause. Guideline G4 amplifies the requirements.



4. The requirements for non-striker struck by the ball have been more clearly defined, and the former Marker call of "Down" is no longer required. If the non-striker is hit by the ball coming from the front wall, and interference is not the reason, then the non-striker will lose the stroke in all cases except further attempt. Rule 8.3 outlines the requirements, and a Guideline G5, covers all cases of player struck by the ball, both striker and non-striker.

5. A separate rule for injury now exists, Rule 16, and although the three categories of injury remain, the third is renamed "Opponent-inflicted". Recovery time for a self-inflicted injury is limited to three minutes unless blood flow accompanies the injury (a Guideline, G15, amplifies the requirements). The stipulated recovery time for a contributed injury is one hour but that may be extended in some circumstances. Requirements relevant to blood flow are detailed in this rule, including re-bleeding, and also included is the procedure for a claimed injury not accepted as such by the Referee

6. A minor wording change in the rule relating to on court offences now makes it mandatory to penalise a player when an offence has occurred.

7. The correct position for marking and refereeing a Squash match forms part of the rules instead of appearing as an appendix.

App. 1: This Appendix contains 22 Guidelines, the Guideline numbers being referenced in the Rules themselves. Significantly altered or new Guidelines are Guideline 2, dealing with illness or disability; Guideline 4, fallen object provisions; Guideline 5, player struck by the ball; Guideline 15, self-inflicted injury and blood flow; Guideline 16, coaching and crowd control; Guideline 18, requirements for single official; Guideline 19, examples of MarkerĘs calls.

App.2: A new MarkerĘs call of "Stop" is defined.

App.3: The W.S.F. will evaluate one experimental officiating system only during the validity of the 1997 Rules, that known as the 2-Referee system, and will discontinue consideration of either of the two 3-Judge systems.

App. 6: A Squash court diagram accompanies the description and dimensions of world singles and doubles courts.

App. 10: Protective eyewear recommendations and standards are set out.

The Rules of Squash have been thoroughly analysed to produce this 1997 update. The background process has included the evaluation by the full W.S.F. Rules and Referees Committee of inputs from the widest possible base among Squash-playing nations of the world. The final Rules document was written by a specialist sub-committee which took into account the opinions expressed by delegates of W.S.F. member nations at seminars in 1995 and 1996.
I believe that the process has been probably the most thorough ever undertaken in any four year rules cycle to date. I sincerely hope that the 1997 Rules of Squash will provide you with a clear and accurate presentation of the Rules requirements of the modern game of Squash.
The foregoing is a summary only of major changes to the Rules. To assist you with a more thorough appreciation of changes to the 1993 Rules, all wording alterations in the accompanying Rules document are underlined.

NOTE :The use of the word "shall" in the rules indicates compulsion and the lack of any alternative. The word "must" indicates a required course of action with considerations to be taken into account if the action is not carried out. The word "may" indicates the option of carrying out or not carrying out the action.

1. THE GAME

The game of Squash is played between two players, each using a racket, with a ball, and in a court, all three of which meet WSF specifications.

2. THE SCORE

A match shall consist of the best of three or five games at the option of the organisers of the competition. Each game is to nine points, in that the player who scores nine points wins the game, except that, on the score being called eight-all for the first time, the receiver shall choose before the next service is delivered to continue that game either to nine points (known as "Set one") or to ten points (known as "Set two") in which latter case the player who scores two more points wins the game. The receiver shall in either case clearly indicate this choice to the Marker, Referee and the opponent.

The Marker shall call "Set one" or "Set two" as applicable before play continues.

The Marker shall call "Game ball" to indicate that the server requires one point to win the game in progress or "Match ball" to indicate that the server requires one point to win the match.

3. POINTS

Points can be scored only by the server. The server, upon winning a stroke, scores a point; the receiver, upon winning a stroke, becomes the server.

4. THE SERVICE

4.1 Play commences with a service and the right to serve first is decided by the spin of a racket. Thereafter, the server continues to serve until losing a stroke, whereupon the opponent becomes the server, and this procedure continues throughout the match. At the commencement of the second and each subsequent game the winner of the previous game serves first.

4.2 At the beginning of each game and each hand the server has the choice of serving from either box and thereafter shall serve from alternate boxes while remaining the server. However, if a rally ends in a let, the server shall serve again from the same box.

If it appears that the server intends to serve from the wrong box, or either player appears undecided as to which is the correct box, the Marker shall advise which is the correct box. If the Marker makes an error with this advice, or there is any dispute, the Referee shall rule on the correct box.

4.3 When serving, a player shall drop or throw the ball from either a hand or the racket before striking it. Should the player, having dropped or thrown the ball, make no attempt to strike it, the ball shall be dropped or thrown again for that service.

4.4 A service is good when it does not result in the server serving the hand out. The server serves the hand out and loses the stroke if:

4.4.1 The ball, after being dropped or thrown for service, touches a wall, the floor, ceiling or any object(s) suspended from the walls or ceiling before being served. - Called "Fault".

4.4.2 At the time of striking the ball the server fails to have part of one foot in contact with the floor within the service box without any part of that foot touching the service box line (part of that foot may project over this line provided that it does not touch the line). - Called "Foot fault".

4.4.3 The server makes one or more attempts to strike the ball, but fails to do so. - Called "Not up".

4.4.4 The ball is not struck correctly. - Called "Not up".

4.4.5 The ball is served out. - Called "Out".

4.4.6 The ball is served against any wall of the court before the front wall. - Called "Fault"

4.4.7 The ball is served onto the floor or onto or below the service line. - Called "Fault" if above the board and "Down" if on the floor or on or below the board.

4.4.8 The first bounce of the ball, unless volleyed by the receiver, is on the floor on or outside the short or half court lines of the quarter court opposite to the server's box. - Called "Fault".

4.5 The server must not serve until the Marker has completed calling the score.

Note To Officials

The Marker must not delay play by the calling of the score. However, if the server serves or attempts to serve prior to completion of the calling of the score, the Referee shall stop play and require the server to wait until the calling of the score has been completed.