Squash Rules for Beginners: How to Play & PAR-11 Scoring

Squash is a two-player racket sport played inside a four-walled court, and the modern scoring system is PAR-11: point-a-rally to 11, win by two, best of five games. Under PAR, whoever wins the rally scores the point, whether they served or not, which is the rule that makes squash faster and easier to follow than the old version your grandparents played. Learn that one shift and you can score a match today.

This is the complete guide to squash rules for beginners: how to serve, how a rally works, the four ways to win a point, and exactly how PAR-11 scoring runs. We'll call the change from the old game The PAR-11 Shift, because it's the thing that turns squash from confusing to simple.

The court, in 30 seconds

A squash court is an enclosed room with four walls you can all play off, but the front wall is where every shot must eventually go. Three lines on the front wall matter: the out line across the top (above it is out), the service line across the middle (your serve must land above it), and the tin along the bottom, a low board that acts like a net (hit below it and you lose the rally). On the floor are two service boxes (left and right) and a back half divided by a center line. You don't need to memorize every measurement to start; you need the front wall, the tin, and the out line.

PAR-11 scoring: the one system you need

Modern squash uses PAR-11, which stands for Point-A-Rally to 11. The rule is beautifully simple: the player who wins a rally scores a point, every time, whether they served or received. First to 11 points wins the game, but you must win by two. So at 10-10, the game continues, 11-10 isn't enough, you need 12-10, or 13-11, and so on. PAR-11 is now the official scoring system in the professional ranks and almost all amateur play.

The PAR-11 Shift: what changed from the old game

If you've ever seen squash before and it looked confusing, you probably saw the old system. Traditional "English" or "hand-out" scoring played games to 9, and only the server could score a point, just like pickleball's side-out scoring. Win a rally as the receiver and you got nothing but the serve. That made games long and hard to follow. PAR-11 fixed both: every rally scores, and games go to 11. The result is faster matches, clearer scorelines, and a sport that's far easier for a newcomer (or a TV viewer) to track. That's The PAR-11 Shift, and it's why squash feels modern now.

How to serve

Each game starts with a serve, and the serve has rules. You serve from inside a service box (you choose which box, left or right, to serve from first, then alternate boxes while you keep winning rallies), with at least one foot in the box. You drop or toss the ball and hit it directly onto the front wall, and it must strike the front wall above the service line and below the out line. After hitting the front wall, the serve must land in the opposite back quarter of the court. If you win the rally on your serve, you switch to the other service box and serve again; if you lose it, your opponent serves. Get the serve in and the rally begins.

How a rally works

The basic principle of squash is to keep hitting the ball onto the front wall until your opponent can't get it back. After the serve, players alternate hitting the ball, and it can bounce off any combination of walls, but it must hit the front wall (above the tin) before bouncing on the floor twice. The ball is allowed to bounce once on the floor before you hit it, or you can volley it out of the air. You and your opponent share the same court space, so movement and positioning matter as much as the shot.

The four ways to win a point

You win a rally (and under PAR-11, a point) in one of these ways. One: the ball bounces twice on the floor before your opponent can return it, the most common way points end. Two: your opponent hits the ball into the tin, the low board at the bottom of the front wall that works like a net. Three: your opponent hits the ball out, above the out line or onto the ceiling. Four: your opponent obstructs you or deliberately interferes with your shot (a stroke is awarded). Most points are simply won by hitting a ball your opponent can't reach in time.

Lets, strokes and the shared court

Because both players use the same space, squash has rules for when you get in each other's way. If your opponent is in the path of your shot but you could have made a fair return, the rally is usually replayed as a "let" (no point). If your opponent's interference actually stopped a winning shot, you're awarded a "stroke" (you win the point). And if you were never going to make the return anyway, play simply continues or you lose the rally. These situations feel fuzzy at first, but the principle is fair: you're entitled to a clear, direct path to the ball.

Squash at the 2028 Olympics

There's never been a better time to learn squash. After bidding for decades, the sport finally makes its Olympic debut at LA 2028, with men's and women's singles played to PAR-11 best of five. That global spotlight is bringing a wave of new players to the game. If you want the bigger picture of the new sports joining the Games, see our guide to the 5 new sports at LA 2028, and for how squash differs from its lookalike cousin, read our squash vs racquetball comparison.

The bottom line: PAR-11 is all you need

Squash rules come down to a few simple ideas. Hit the front wall above the tin and below the out line. Keep the ball alive until your opponent can't reach it before it double-bounces. Score every rally, race to 11, win by two, and win three games to take the match. That's PAR-11, the system that made squash fast and watchable. Grab a racket and our beginner's squash course will take you from your first serve to your first match. More squash lives on our squash hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is PAR-11 scoring in squash?

PAR-11 stands for Point-A-Rally to 11. The player who wins each rally scores a point, whether they served or received, and the first to 11 points wins the game, provided they lead by two. At 10-10 the game continues until someone is ahead by two, such as 12-10. PAR-11 is the official scoring system used across professional and most amateur squash.

How many points do you need to win a game of squash?

You need 11 points to win a game, and you must win by a margin of two. If the score reaches 10-10, play continues until one player leads by two points, for example 12-10 or 13-11. A full match is best of five games, so the first player to win three games wins the match.

What is the tin in squash?

The tin is a low board along the bottom of the front wall that functions like a net. Any ball that strikes the tin or below it is out, and the player who hit it loses the rally. In singles the tin is about 48 cm (19 inches) high. "Hitting tin" is squash's equivalent of hitting the ball into the net.

How does serving work in squash?

You serve with at least one foot inside a service box (you choose which box, left or right, to serve from first, then alternate boxes while you keep winning rallies). Hit the ball directly onto the front wall above the service line and below the out line, and it must then land in the opposite back quarter of the court. If you win the rally on your serve you switch boxes and serve again; if you lose it, your opponent serves.

What are the different ways to win a point in squash?

You win a point when your opponent fails to return the ball before it bounces twice, hits the ball into the tin, hits it out above the out line, or obstructs your shot so badly that you are awarded a stroke. The most common way to win a rally is simply hitting a shot your opponent cannot reach in time before the second bounce.

Is squash in the Olympics?

Yes. Squash makes its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, after being approved as one of several new sports added to the program. The competition features men's and women's singles played under standard PAR-11, best-of-five rules. It is the first time squash will appear at the Olympics, despite multiple earlier bids for inclusion.