What is interference in squash?
B · Beginner · Lets and strokes · 4 of 5After playing a shot, a player must make every effort to get out of the way. The opponent is owed four things: a fair view of the ball, access to it, room for a reasonable swing and freedom to hit it to any part of the front wall. Failing to provide any one of them is interference.
How it works
- The duty: "After completing a reasonable follow-through, a player must make every effort to clear".
- Fair view: enough time to see the ball and prepare as it comes off the front wall.
- Access: a way to the ball.
- Swing: space for "a reasonable backswing, a strike at the ball and a reasonable follow-through".
- The front wall: freedom "to strike the ball to any part of the front wall".
- Who it protects: an opponent "making every effort to play the ball".
- Asking: the striker stops and requests a let, "preferably by saying 'Let, please.'"
- Without delay: the request must be made at once.
- One request covers both: "A request for a let includes a request for a stroke."
- The referee may act alone: a let or a stroke can be given without a request, especially for safety.
- Contact: every effort to play the ball does not include contact with the opponent, and avoidable contact brings a conduct penalty.
The glossary has interference, the let, the stroke, the referee, the T and the rally.
Tricky cases
A player hits a shot and stands still, and the opponent has to run round them. Is that interference?
Yes, if the opponent was denied direct access. The player must make every effort to clear after their follow-through.
Who may ask for a let?
Normally only the striker. A non-striker may ask for lack of access before the ball has reached the front wall, and that request may be considered.
A player says nothing but raises a hand. Is that a request?
The referee must be satisfied that the player is requesting a let. Saying "Let, please" is preferred, not required.
A player barges through the opponent to reach the ball. Does that prove effort?
No. Every effort should not include contact, and avoidable contact is a conduct matter.
Why the rule exists
Squash puts two players in one small room, both wanting the same spot. The rule book opens with safety: players "must always place safety first". Tennis has a net between the players. Squash has this rule, which makes the player who has hit the ball responsible for giving way.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fair view | General provisions apply | WSF Rule 8.7 |
| Access | The striker's own path and effort are weighed | WSF Rule 8.8 |
| Swing | A prevented swing is a stroke | WSF Rule 8.9 |
| Front wall | A ball that would have hit the opponent directly is a stroke | WSF Rule 8.11 |
From the rule book
World Squash Federation, Rules of Singles Squash (version 1.2.2, effective 1 September 2025), the Introduction and Rules 8.1 to 8.4, 8.7 and 8.8. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (PDF).