What are the rules for serving in squash?
B · Beginner · Scoring and serving · 2 of 5With at least one foot inside the service box, the server hits the ball straight to the front wall between the service line and the out line. Unless the receiver volleys it, the ball must first bounce in the opposite back quarter of the court. There is one serve only. A fault loses the rally.
How it works
- The toss: the server "drops or throws the ball from a hand or racket and strikes it correctly" before it touches anything else.
- A missed swing: the ball may be struck "on a first or further attempt".
- The foot: one foot on the floor inside the service box, "with no part of that foot touching any boundary".
- The front wall first: struck "directly to the front wall, hitting it between the service-line and the out-line".
- Not the corner: it must not hit the front wall and a side wall at the same time.
- Where it lands: in the opposite quarter-court, without touching any line.
- Volleying it: the receiver may take the serve before it bounces.
- Lines are out: a serve that hits the service line, the short line, the half-court line or a top line is a fault.
- One serve: a serve that is not good "is a fault and the receiver wins the rally".
- Not a serve: dropping the ball and making no attempt to hit it. The server may start again.
- Waiting: the server must not serve before the receiver is ready, or before the marker has called the score.
The glossary has the serve, the service box, the fault, the service line, the short line and the out line.
Tricky cases
The server's foot is touching the line of the box. Is the serve good?
No. No part of the foot in the box may touch any boundary of it.
The serve hits the front wall on the service line. Fault or good?
Fault. A serve that hits the service line is a fault.
The server swings and misses the ball, then hits it before it lands. Is that allowed?
Yes. The ball may be struck on a first or further attempt, provided it has touched nothing else.
The serve hits a side wall after the front wall and then lands in the correct quarter. Is it good?
Yes. The rule bars hitting a side wall before or with the front wall. After the front wall, the ball must bounce first in the opposite quarter-court.
Why the rule exists
The serve in squash starts the rally more than it wins it: the ball must go high on the front wall and deep, which gives the receiver a fair first shot. One serve, not two, keeps the game moving. The foot rule fixes where the rally begins from.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | Must hit above the service line | WSF Rule 5.7.3 |
| Any other shot | Need only hit above the tin | WSF Rule 6.2.2 |
| Receiver not ready and makes no attempt | Let, unless the serve was a fault | WSF Rule 5.10 |
| Served before the score is called | Referee stops play and the server waits | WSF Rule 5.12 |
From the rule book
World Squash Federation, Rules of Singles Squash (version 1.2.2, effective 1 September 2025), Rule 5 and Appendix 1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (PDF).