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WHAT IS SQUASH? |
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From Wikipedia |
 Squash
racquet and ball |
 Players
in a glass-backed squash court
International Squash Singles Court,
as specified by the World Squash
FederationSquash is an indoor
racquet sport that was formerly
called "Squash racquets," a
reference to the "squashable" soft
ball used in the game (compared with
the harder ball used in its parent
game Racquets (or rackets; see
below)). The game is played by two
players (or four players for
doubles) with 'standard' rackets in
a four-walled court with a small,
hollow rubber ball. Squash is
characterized as a "high-impact"
exercise that can place strain on
the joints, notably the knees. |
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The
court |
 The
court size was codified in the 1920s
at 9750 mm (32 feet) long and 6400
mm (21 feet) wide. The front wall
has an 'front wall line' 4570 mm (15
feet) above the floor, connected by
a raking 'front' line meeting the
'out' line on the back wall at 2130
mm (7 feet) above the floor. The
front wall also has a 'service line'
whose top is 1830mm (7 feet) above
the floor with the 'board' (the
equivalent of a net) 480 mm (18.9
inches) high. The floor is marked
with a transverse 'half-court' line
and further divided into two rear
'quarter courts' and two 'service
boxes', as shown in the diagram
above.
 The
traditional 'American' court for the
USA game, (now referred to as
'hardball squash') is a similar
size, but narrower at 18 feet 6
inches (5640 mm). The floor and wall
markings differ slightly from the
'International' court and the tin is
lower, at 15 inches high. However,
hardball squash was replaced by
softball in America as the standard
version of squash and has since
almost completely died out.
A 'Converted Court' is the result of
converting racquetball courts to
squash. Racquetball courts are 20
feet wide and 40 feet in length, so
it is relatively easy to install a
back wall, producing a squash court
of 20 feet wide by 32 feet in
length. |
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Playing
equipment |
'Standard' rackets are governed by
the rules of the game. Traditionally
they were made of laminated timber
(typically Ash), with a small strung
area using natural gut strings.
After a rule change in the
mid-1980s, they are now almost
always made of composite materials
or metals (graphite, kevlar,
titanium, boron) with synthetic
strings. Modern rackets have maximum
dimensions of 686 mm (27.0 in.) long
and 215 mm (8.5 in.) wide, with a
maximum strung area of 500 square
centimetres (approx. 90 sq. in.),
the permitted maximum weight is 255
grams (approx. 9 oz.), but most
weigh between 110 and 200 grams (4-7
oz.).
Squash balls are made with two
pieces of rubber compound, glued
together to form a hollow sphere and
buffed to a matte finish. Different
balls are provided for varying
temperature and atmospheric
conditions and standards of play:
more experienced players use slow
balls that are smaller and have less
bounce than those used by less
experienced players (slower balls
tend to die in court corners, rather
than standing up to allow easier
shots). Depending on its specific
rubber composition, a squash ball
may have the property that it
bounces more at higher temperatures.
Players tend to warm up balls by
bouncing them on the ground prior to
play. As a rally progresses, play is
complicated as the ball usually
becomes hotter and faster.
Small coloured dots on the ball
indicate its dynamic the level
(bounciness), hence, the standard of
play for which it is suited. The
recognised speed colours indicating
the degree of dynamicism are:
Double Yellow - Extra Super slow
(very low bounce)
Yellow - Super slow (low bounce)
Green or White - slow (average
bounce)
Red - Medium (high bounce)
Blue - Fast (very high bounce)
Balls are manufactured to these
standards by Prince, Dunlop,
Pointfore, Wilson and others. The
'double-yellow dot ball', introduced
in 2000, is currently the
competition standard, replacing the
earlier 'yellow-dot' which was long
considered the competition standard.
There is also a high-altitude
"orange dot" ball, used in places
like Mexico City, Calgary, Denver
and Johannesburg. In North America
the Dunlop "green dot" ball is often
used at high altitude.
Other balls available are:
Dunlop 'Max Blue' (aimed at
beginners) which is 12 percent
larger and has 40 percent longer
'hang time' than a 'double yellow'
dot ball and has 'instant bounce'
Dunlop 'Max Progress' (red) (for
players wishing to improve their
technique) which is 6 percent larger
with a 20 percent longer hang-time
than a 'double yellow' dot ball and
has instant bounce
Given the game's vigorousness,
players must wear comfortable sports
clothing and robust indoor
(non-marking) sports shoes. In
competition, men usually wear shorts
and a t-shirt or a polo shirt. Women
normally wear a skirt and a t-shirt
or a tank top, or a sports dress.
Towelling wrist and head bands may
also be required in humid climates.
Polycarbonate lens goggles are
recommended, as players might be
struck with a fast-swinging racket
or the ball, that typically reaches
speeds exceeding 200 km/h (125 mph).
In the 2004 Canary Wharf Squash
Classic, John White was recorded
driving balls at speeds over 270
km/h (170 mph). Many squash venues
mandate the use of eye protection
and some association rules require
that all juniors and doubles players
must wear eye protection. |
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The
play and scoring |
The players usually spin a racket to
decide who commences serving at the
start of the match and this player
starts the first rally by electing
to serve from either the left or
right service box. For a legal
serve, one of the server's feet must
be in that box and, after being
struck by the racket, the ball must
strike the front wall above the
service line and below the out line
and land in the opposite quarter
court, unless volleyed by the
receiver.
The players then take turns hitting
the ball against the front wall
(referred to as 'rallying'). The
ball may be volleyed (hit whilst
still in the air) or after its first
bounce and before the second. To be
considered 'good', the ball must
reach the front wall below the 'out'
line and above the 'board' or 'tin',
before touching the floor. A ball
landing on either the out line or
the line above the tin, contrary to
tennis, is considered to be out. The
ball may also be struck against any
of the other three walls before
reaching the front wall. Shots that
are first played off the side or
back walls are referred to as
'boasts' or 'angles'.
The rally continues until a player
is unable to return his or her
opponent's shot or makes a mistake
(e.g. hits the ball 'out', or hits
it after its second bounce, or onto
the floor, 'board' or 'tin'), or a
'let' or 'stroke' is awarded by the
referee for interference (see
below).
In the 'traditional' British scoring
system (as adopted in 1926), a point
is scored only by the server (when
the receiver is unable to return the
ball to the front wall before it has
bounced twice). When the receiver
wins the rally, they are awarded
only the right to serve.
Games are usually played to 9 points
(alternatively, the receiver may opt
to call 'set two' and play to 10
when the score first reaches 8-8).
Competition matches are usually
played to 'best-of-five' (ie. the
player to win the most out of 5
games).
Alternatively, in the point-a-rally
scoring system (often referred to as
PARS or 'American' scoring), points
are scored by the winner of each
rally, whether or not they have
served. Traditionally, PARS scoring
was up to 15 points (or the receiver
calls 15 or 17 when the game reaches
14 all). However, in 2004, the PARS
scoring was reduced to 11 for the
professional game (if the game
reaches 10 all, a player must win by
two clear points). PARS is now used
on the men's Professional Tour, and
the tin height has been lowered by
two inches for the men's
professional tournaments (these
changes have been made in a hope to
shorten the length of the rallies
and therefore the match). The
women's Professional Tour, however,
still uses the original "upto 9
English scoring" and the original
tin height.
In the 'international' game, club,
doubles and recreational matches are
usually played using the traditional
'British' scoring system. Scoring
systems and rules can be adapted
subtly to accommodate shorter game
time (e.g. games played to 7 points,
best-of-three games) or multiple
players (e.g. a form of squash
called three-quarter court, where
one service box is blocked out and
excess players wait in that area
while two players play a single
point in the remaining area of the
court). The 'British' scoring is
generally used for USSRA (United
States Squash Racquets Association)
matches. |
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Strategy
and tactics |
The fundamental strategy of the game
is to hit the ball straight up the
side walls to the back corners
referred to as a straight drive,
wall, or "length", then move to the
centre of the court near the "T" to
be well placed to retrieve the
opponent's return. Attacking with
soft or "short" shots to the front
corners (referred to as 'drop
shots') causes the opponent to cover
more of the court and may result in
an outright winner. 'Angle' shots
(see above) are used for deception
and again to cause the opponent to
cover more of the court.
Highly skilled players often attempt
to finish rallies by hitting the
ball at an angle onto the front wall
and into an area known as the 'nick'
(the junction between the side wall
and floor) which if done properly
will cause the ball to roll out
along the floor and be unreturnable.
If the shot misses the nick,
however, the ball may bounce out
from the side wall and allow the
opponent an easy attacking shot.
A key strategy in squash is known as
"dominating the T" (the intersection
of the red lines near the centre of
the court where the player is in the
best position to retrieve the
opponent's next shot). Skilled
players will return a shot, and then
move back toward the 'T' before
playing the next shot. From this
position, the player can quickly
access any part of the court to
retrieve the opponent's next shot
with a minimum of movement.
Rallies between experienced players
may involve 30 or more shots and
therefore there is a very high
premium on fitness, both aerobic and
anaerobic. As players become more
skilled and, in particular, better
able to retrieve shots, points often
become a war of attrition. At higher
levels of the game, the fitter
player has a major advantage.
Almost all players (inexperienced or
experienced) will fall into the
following categories of style of
play:
"Retriever"- Usually a very fit
player, plays patiently, can
retrieve most shots hit by an
opponent, but doesn't have a
particularly strong attacking game.
"Shooter", or "attacking player"-
May be a patient player as well, but
is more comfortable trying to hit
winning shots or going for "nicks".
Generally has very good shot
accuracy and deception skills.
"Power Player"- Tries to overpower
their opponent by hitting the ball
with extreme pace. Not known for
their fitness, or patience.
"All-Around Player"- Is comfortable
playing all different styles and
places, comfortable in all areas of
the court.
Ability to change the direction of
ball at the last instant is also
important to off-balance the
opponent. Expert players can
anticipate the opponent's shot a few
tenths of a second before the
average player, giving them a chance
to react sooner. Such skill is
usually acquired by a lot of
practice and game experience. |
|
Interference
and obstruction |
Interference and obstruction are an
inevitable aspect of this highly
athletic sport, where two players
are confined within a shared space.
Generally, the rules entitle players
to reasonable access to the ball, a
reasonable swing and an unobstructed
shot to any part of the front wall.
When interference occurs, a player
may appeal for a 'let' and the
referee (or the players themselves
if there is no official) then
interprets the extent of the
interference. The referee may elect
to allow a 'let' and the players
then replay the point, or award a
'stroke' (either a point or the
right to serve) to the appealing
player, depending on the degree of
interference and whether the player
interfered with was likely to have
hit a winning shot had the
interference not occurred.
When it is deemed that there has
been little or no interference, the
rules provide that no let is to be
allowed, in the interests of
continuity of play and the
discouraging of spurious appeals for
lets. Because of the subjectivity in
interpreting the nature and
magnitude of interference, the
awarding (or withholding) of lets
and strokes is often controversial.
When a player's shot hits his or her
opponent prior to hitting the front
wall, interference has occurred. If
the ball was travelling towards the
side wall when it hit the opponent,
it is usually a let. However, it is
a stroke to the player who hit the
ball if the ball was travelling
straight to the front wall when the
ball hit the opponent. |
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Cultural,
social and health aspects |
There are several variations of
squash played across the world. In
the U.S. 'hardball' singles and
doubles are played with a much
harder ball and different size
courts (as noted above). Whilst
'hardball' singles has lost much of
its popularity in North America (in
favor of the 'International'
version), the hardball doubles game
is still active. There is also a
doubles version of squash played
with the standard ball, sometimes on
a wider court, and a more
tennis-like variation known as
squash tennis.
The relatively small court and
low-bouncing ball makes scoring
points harder than in its American
cousin, racquetball, as the ball may
be played to all four corners of the
court. Since every ball must strike
the front wall above the tin (unlike
racquetball), the ball cannot be
easily 'killed'. As a result,
rallies tend to be longer than in
racquetball.
Most squash players prefer partners
who are compatible physically,
mentally, and technically, as a
small difference in ability may
result in one player overwhelmingly
dominating the match. Currently
there is no international standard
method (other than for professional
players) for evaluating skill levels
for players
Squash provides an excellent
cardiovascular workout. In one hour
of squash, a player may expend
approximately 700 to 1000 calories
(3,000 to 4,000 kJ) which is
significantly more than most other
sports [1] and over 70% more than
either general tennis or
racquetball.[2] The sport also
provides a good upper and lower body
workout by utilising both the legs
to run around the court and the
arms/torso to swing the racquet.
However, some studies have
implicated squash as a cause of
possible fatal Cardiac arrhythmia
and argued that squash is
inappropriate form of exercise for
older men with heart disease. [3]
Squash now has a universal appeal,
and there are courts in 148
countries in the world. |
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Players
and records |
The (British) Squash Rackets
Association conducted its first
British Open championship for men in
December 1930, using a 'challenge'
system: Charles Read was designated
champion, but was beaten in home and
away matches by Don Butcher, who was
then recorded as the champion for
1931. The championship continues to
this day, but has been conducted
with a 'knockout' format since 1947.
Since its inception, the men's
British Open has been dominated by
relatively few players: F.D. Amr Bey
(Egypt) in the 1930s ; Mahmoud Karim
(Egypt) 1940s; brothers Hashim Khan
and Azam Khan (Pakistan) 1950s and
1960s; Jonah Barrington (Great
Britain and Ireland) and Geoff Hunt
(Australia) 1960s and 1970s;
Jahangir Khan (Pakistan) 1980s;
Jansher Khan (Pakistan) 1990s.
The women's championship started in
1921, and has similarly been
dominated by relatively few players:
Joyce Cave and Nancy Cave (England)
in the 1920s; Margot Lumb (England)
1930s; Janet Morgan (England) 1950s;
Heather McKay (Australia) 1960s and
1970s; Vicki Cardwell (Australia)
and Susan Devoy (New Zealand) 1980s;
Michelle Martin (Australia) 1990s;
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Australia) 1990s
and 2000s.
Heather McKay, with her lengthy and
absolute dominance of the game (she
remained undefeated for 18 years
during the 1960s and 1970s), is
undoubtedly the greatest woman
player of all time. Amongst the men,
most modern commentators consider
Jahangir Khan (1980s) or (the
distantly related) Jansher Khan
(1990s) to be the greatest male
players. Other worthy contenders are
Jonah Barrington, Geoff Hunt and
Hashim Khan.
Because of its traditions, the
British Open has been considered by
many to be more prestigious than the
World Open, which began in the
mid-1970s. However, some have shown
concern about the ability of the
former to sustain its prominence,
citing its failure in 2005 to
attract top players, probably due in
part to the disparity in prize
money. In 2005 the combined men's
and women's prize money for the
British Open came to $71,000,
compared with the 2005 World Open's
prize money, estimated to be about
$270,000.
Hashim Khan was the first of a line
of great Pakistani squash champions,
including Jahangir Khan and Jansher
Khan. Jahangir, now president of the
World Squash Federation, won the
British Open ten times and the World
Open six times. Jansher took over
his mantle in late-1980s and went on
to win eight World Open and six
British Open titles.
Former world number one Peter Nicol
has stated that he believes squash
has a "very realistic chance" of
being added to the list of Olympic
sports for the 2016 games.[4]. |
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References |
Bellamy, Rex (1978). The Story of
Squash. Cassell Ltd, London. ISBN
0-304-29766-6.
Palmer, Michael (1984). Guinness
Book of Squash. Guinness
Superlatives Ltd, London. ISBN
0-85112-270-1.
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Notes |
^ Collins, A. (2000-2005). Calories
burned by exercise, calorie
expenditure chart. Retrieved on
September 7, 2006.
^ NutriStrategy. (2005). Calories
burned during exercise. Retrieved on
September 7, 2006.
^ "Heart rate and metabolic response
to competitive squash in veteran
players: identification of risk
factors for sudden cardiac death",
European Heart Journal, Volume 10,
Number 11, Pp. 1029-1035, abstract
^ Squash 'deserves Olympic place',
BBC article [1]
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