How does video review work in squash?
I · Intermediate · Officials, injuries and conduct · 5 of 5Where the technology exists, each player may ask a video referee to look again at a let, no let or stroke decision, or at a pickup, double hit or carry. A player has two reviews in a best-of-five match and one more if it reaches a fifth game. A review is kept only if the decision changes in that player's favour.
How it works
- Two officials: a match referee on the match and a video referee watching the pictures.
- What can be reviewed: decisions of stroke, yes let and no let. A call of pickup, double hit or carry can be reviewed too, as can a missing call.
- What cannot: "Players cannot request a review for lines calls or tin calls."
- Best of five: two reviews for each player in the match.
- The fifth game: one additional review each. Unused reviews do not carry into it.
- Best of three: one review, and one additional in the third game.
- Asking: at once and in plain words.
- Overruled in your favour: the player keeps the review.
- Upheld: the player loses the review.
- Overruled against you: the review is lost. Asking for a stroke and getting no let is an example.
- Unavailable or inconclusive: the player keeps the review.
- The referee's own referral: the match referee may ask the video referee to decide as often as needed, and this uses no one's review.
- Lines and tin: the video referee may tell the match referee of conclusive evidence before the next rally starts.
The glossary has the referee, the let, the stroke, the no let entry, the yes let entry and the appeal entry.
Tricky cases
A player reviews a "yes let", hoping for a stroke, and the video referee makes it "no let". Is the review kept?
No. The decision was overruled, but against the reviewing player, so the review is lost.
A player has used both reviews by the end of the fourth game. Do they have any in the fifth?
Yes, one. Each player receives one additional review in the fifth game whatever was used before.
A player kept both reviews unused through four games. Do they have three in the fifth?
No. Unused reviews are not carried over. They have one.
Can a player review whether the ball hit the tin?
No. Players cannot request a review of line or tin calls.
Why the rule exists
Let and stroke decisions are judgements made in a moment from behind the court, and they decide rallies. A second opinion from the pictures corrects the worst of them. Limiting the number, and taking a review away when the player was wrong, keeps the game "as continuous as possible".
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Best of five | Two reviews, plus one in the fifth game | WSF Appendix 3, 3.1.2 |
| Best of three | One review, plus one in the third game | WSF Appendix 3, 3.1.3 |
| No video system | The referee's decision is final | WSF Rule 10.7 |
| Line and tin calls | Only the video referee may raise 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), Appendix 3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (PDF).