What makes a shot good or out in squash?
B · Beginner · Scoring and serving · 3 of 5The ball must be hit before it bounces twice and must reach the front wall, directly or off other walls, without touching the floor on the way. It must hit above the tin and below the out line. The lines are out. A ball that hits the out line, or the tin, loses the rally.
How it works
- Before the second bounce: the ball must be "struck correctly before it has bounced twice on the floor".
- Correctly: with the racket held in the hand, hit once only and without prolonged contact.
- To the front wall: "either directly or after hitting any other wall(s)".
- Not the floor first: the ball may not bounce on the floor between the racket and the front wall.
- Above the tin: the ball must hit the front wall above the tin and must not touch the tin as it rebounds.
- Not out: a ball is out if it hits a wall "on or above the out-line", a fixture above it or the top edge of a wall.
- Down: the call when a return hits the tin, or the floor before the front wall.
- Not up: the call for a second bounce, for a double hit or carry and for a ball that touches the striker.
- Out: the call for a ball on or above the out line.
- No call: the marker must make no call if unsure.
The glossary has the tin, the out line, the front wall, the rally, the marker and the volley.
Tricky cases
The ball hits the out line on the side wall. In or out?
Out. A return that hits the wall on or above the out line is out.
A player scoops the ball up a fraction after its second bounce. What is the call?
"Not up". The ball bounced more than once before being struck.
The ball hits the front wall and clips the top of the tin on the way down. Good?
No. That is "down": the ball hit the front wall and then the tin.
A player hits the ball into the side wall, then it reaches the front wall above the tin. Good?
Yes. A return may reach the front wall after hitting any other wall or walls.
Why the rule exists
The tin is the net of squash: it sets a minimum height, and it is made to sound different when struck so that everyone can hear a ball that was too low. Making the lines out, where in tennis they are in, keeps the call simple on a wall, where the line is the lowest part of what is out of play.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | Must hit above the service line and go direct to the front wall | WSF Rule 5.7.3 |
| Return | Above the tin, and may go off other walls first | WSF Rule 6.2.2 |
| Squash | Lines are out | WSF Appendix 1 (Out) |
| With video review | Players cannot review line or tin calls, but the video referee may overrule them | WSF Appendix 3, 3.3 |
From the rule book
World Squash Federation, Rules of Singles Squash (version 1.2.2, effective 1 September 2025), Rule 6 and Appendices 1 and 2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (PDF).