Squash Refereeing Decisions Explained

Squash is a gladiatorial sport. It’s just your and your opponent enclosed on the court until the match is finished.

Unlike other racket sports, squash players are not separated by a net and, due to the dimensions of the squash court, there will be occasions where players collide and contact is inevitable.

So what are the right decisions in these circumstances?

There are three decisions that can be awarded in a game of squash: Stroke, Yes Let & No Let.

 

Stroke

A stroke is awarded to a player when they are unable to hit the ball because the opponent is directly in the way of the swing and/or the ball. This happens in several situations.

If an opponent is directly in the way of a player’s swing, whether a backswing or a follow through, the point is awarded to the player who is unable to swing.

The same happens if a player is directly in the way of the ball reaching the front wall. If a player doesn’t give their opponent the entire front wall to hit, the point is awarded to the opponent.

A stroke can be awarded if a player fails to clear their shot and allows no access to their opponent. For example, if Player A plays a straight drop in the front left corner but the ball and they stay on the ball and Player B is not able to get to the ball due to Player A’s position, this would be stroke to Player B.

Any deliberate attempt to ‘block’ an opponent from reaching the ball is a stroke to the opponent.

A controversial rule that results in a stroke is if the ball strikes a player on its way to the front wall, the ball striker is awarded the point.

It’s worth noting that the ball striker should be warned about dangerous play and asked to stop in future circumstances.

 

Yes Let

Sometimes in matches, contact is inevitable, and players can get in each other’s way accidentally.

The call here would be ‘Yes Let’ and the point is replayed. The difference between a ‘Yes Let’ and a ‘Stroke’ in these scenarios is if the player who has just hit the ball is making every effort to clear and the ball is far enough away from the oncoming player that they can’t immediately hit the ball.

Other instances of a ‘Yes Let’ being awarded would be if a player is unsure where the opponent is and doesn’t want to swing their racket in fear of hitting them.

This is also the case if a player is unsure if the ball will strike their opponent but does in fact have enough front wall to hit.

Also, if the ball strikes an opponent but is going directly toward the side wall, a ‘Yes Let’ is awarded.

 

No Let

‘No Lets’ are given when a player stops to ask for a decision but it’s deemed that they should have played on. Therefore, a point is awarded to the player who hasn’t asked for the decision.

A popular instance of a ‘No Let’ being given is if a player asks for a decision because the opponent is in the way but the ball was too far away or is irretrievable. Just because there is contact, it doesn’t always mean that a ‘Yes Let’ should be awarded.

Players should be rewarded for hitting good shots. If the ball is simply too good and the oncoming player is deemed to have no chance of retrieving the ball, but asks for a decision because there is contact, a ‘No Let’ can be given.

A ‘No Let’ can be given if a player is seen to be ‘fishing’. This is when a player is deemed to be trying to manufacture a ‘Stroke. The player “chose” to try to get the point awarded to them via a stroke rather than play the ball.

‘No Lets’ are also given if a player is deemed to have taken the wrong line to the ball. For example, if Player A hits a drop then moves out to the left and Player B moves into the back of them but there is plenty of room on the right side of Player A, this would likely be a ‘No Let’ as access was given and Player B chose not to go to the ball.

 

Squash Skills’ Lee Drew talks through the basics of Stroke, Yes Let and No Let decisions.

 

The role of the referee

If you are the referee for a match, your role is to keep the game flowing as best as possible and if necessary, guide the players with your decisions, to a game of squash where the play is the most important thing.

At times, players will not be happy with your decisions. You can only call it how you see it. Be confident in your decision-making and, if asked, explain your reasoning for the decision concisely.

Don’t get involved in an argument or overly long discussion as this only disrupts the flow of the game.

 

To get more familiar with the basic concept of squash, you can read our guide to the rules of squash or to get a better understanding of the game, take a look at some other topics we’ve covered in our squash 101 articles.