What happens if a squash player starts bleeding?
A · Advanced · Officials, injuries and conduct · 5 of 6The player must leave the court, stop the bleeding and cover the wound before play goes on. A bleed the player caused themselves, a nosebleed included, earns up to five minutes. One caused by both players or by the opponent earns reasonable time, set by the referee. The court is cleaned and stained clothing replaced.
How it works
- What counts: bleeding with enough flow "to transfer blood to their opponent or the court".
- What does not: a scrape or graze with no flow, or blood visible through a dressing.
- Off the court: the injured player must leave, and return in the shortest time possible.
- An old wound: if an uncovered wound from before the match caused it, the player concedes the game in progress.
- Self-inflicted: from a fall, lunge, dive, crowding or nosebleed. "Up to 5 minutes".
- Not ready after five: concede the game and use the interval.
- Contributed: caused by both players. "Reasonable time", decided by the referee.
- Opponent-inflicted, accidental: reasonable time. If the player cannot resume, the match goes to the injured player.
- Opponent-inflicted, deliberate or dangerous: a conduct penalty, and the match to the injured player.
- It starts again: if the same self-inflicted bleed recurs, no more time. The player concedes the game.
- Cannot resume in the time: for a self-inflicted or contributed bleed, the match goes to the opponent.
- Before play: players are responsible for covering existing wounds before going on court.
The glossary has the blood injury entry, the referee, the interval entry, the conduct penalties entry, the game and the court.
Tricky cases
A player's nose starts to bleed. Which category is it?
Self-inflicted. The rule lists a nosebleed with falls, lunges and dives. It allows up to five minutes.
A player grazes a knee and it is red but not running. Must they leave?
No. A scrape or graze with no blood flow is not a blood injury and play must continue.
A cut that was treated opens again two games later. More time?
Not if it was self-inflicted. The player must concede the game and use the interval. If both players' actions caused it to reopen, further reasonable time is given.
A player goes on court with an uncovered cut from the day before and it bleeds. What happens?
They must concede the game in progress and use the interval for treatment.
Why the rule exists
Blood on a shared floor and a shared ball is a health risk to the other player, so play cannot go on until it is contained. The time limits stop the pause from becoming a rest, and they follow the same idea as the injury rule: the player who caused the bleed bears more of the cost.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-existing wound | Game conceded | WSF Rule 13.3.1.1 |
| Self-inflicted | Five minutes | WSF Rule 13.3.1.2 |
| Contributed | Reasonable time | WSF Rule 13.3.1.3 |
| Opponent-inflicted | Reasonable time; the match to the injured player if they cannot resume | WSF Rule 13.3.1.4 |
| Other injuries | Three or fifteen minutes | WSF Rule 13.2.4 |
From the rule book
World Squash Federation, Rules of Singles Squash (version 1.2.2, effective 1 September 2025), Rule 13.3 to 13.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (PDF).