Section 7: Violations & Penalties
7.1 Fault on Service (WSF Rules of Squash, Rule 8)
A service is a fault (resulting in a hand-out — the opponent becomes the new server) when:
- The server fails to keep at least one foot inside the service box at the moment of striking the ball (foot fault) (Rule 8.1)
- The served ball strikes the front wall on or below the service line, or on or above the out line (Rule 8.2)
- The served ball, after striking the front wall correctly, does not land on the floor in the opposite back quarter (i.e., it lands in the front court, or in the server's back quarter) (Rule 8.3)
- The served ball touches the side wall, back wall, or ceiling before landing on the floor in the required area (Rule 8.4)
- The server drops or tosses the ball to serve, and the ball touches the floor (Rule 8.5)
- The server fails to hit the ball on the drop/toss (an "air ball") — this is not a fault per se but the serve is void and replayed only with Referee's discretion; generally it is called a fault
Unlike tennis, squash allows only one service attempt per rally. A fault results immediately in a hand-out; there is no second serve.
7.2 Ball Not Up (Down) (WSF Rules of Squash, Rule 10)
A player loses the rally when the ball is "not up" — meaning the player failed to return the ball before it bounced twice, or struck it after two bounces. The Marker calls "Not up" to end the rally.
7.3 Ball Hitting the Tin or Going Out
A rally is lost immediately when the ball strikes the tin (the board at the base of the front wall), strikes the front wall below the tin level, strikes the floor before reaching the front wall, or strikes on or above the out line on any wall. The Marker calls "Down" for tin strikes and "Out" for balls above the out line.
7.4 Deliberate or Excessive Interference (WSF Rules of Squash, Rule 12)
If a player deliberately impedes the opponent, the Referee shall award a Stroke to the opponent and may also award a Conduct Warning or Conduct Stroke (Rule 12.5). Excessive or repeated accidental interference that suggests a pattern of deliberate obstruction may also be treated as a Conduct matter.
7.5 Conduct Regulations (WSF Rules of Squash, Rule 15)
The Referee has authority to enforce Conduct regulations to prevent behaviour detrimental to the game. The progressive scale of sanctions is:
- Conduct Warning (yellow card): A formal caution. No point is deducted. The Referee announces "Conduct Warning [player name] for [reason]." (Rule 15.1)
- Conduct Stroke (red card): One point is awarded to the opponent. The Referee announces "Conduct Stroke [player name] for [reason]." (Rule 15.2)
- Conduct Game: The current game (or the next game, if a game has just ended) is awarded to the opponent. (Rule 15.3)
- Conduct Match: The match is awarded to the opponent. (Rule 15.4)
Sanctionable conduct includes (but is not limited to): deliberate time-wasting; audible or visible obscenity; ball or racket abuse; verbal abuse of the opponent or officials; not being ready to play at the end of an interval; excessive appeals or disputing decisions; leaving the court without permission; and physical contact with or threatening behaviour toward the opponent.
The Referee may skip earlier stages of the progression if the offence warrants it (e.g., going directly to Conduct Game or Conduct Match for serious misconduct).
7.6 Injury and Bleeding (WSF Rules of Squash, Rule 14)
If a player is injured during play, the Referee shall stop the match. If the injury is caused by the opponent's action, the injured player is allowed reasonable time to recover (Rule 14.1). If the injury is self-inflicted or the result of the player's own action, the player is allowed a maximum of three minutes to recover, after which the Referee shall award the match to the opponent if the player is unable to continue (Rule 14.2).
If a player is bleeding, play must be stopped immediately. The player must have the wound treated and covered before play resumes. A bleeding stoppage is treated as a self-inflicted injury for time purposes (Rule 14.3).
7.7 Broken Ball During a Rally
If the ball breaks during a rally, a let is played. The broken ball must be replaced. If it is unclear at what point during the rally the ball broke, the let covers the entire rally.