Squash is a game that combines the virtues of badminton, tennis and table tennis. This is one of the brightest and most unusual sports. Competitions are held indoors. In addition to the playground, you need special rackets and a light ball.
Squash: the basics of the game
The basic principles of squash are as follows: a player or a pair of athletes with the help of a racket must send a hollow ball to the right place. After completing the feed, the projectile must hit the wall in a certain place. Now the ball must be taken back to the racket and sent again - but this time to the other side of the squash court. If everything is done correctly, the opponent will not have time to receive the ball and will not earn a point in his favor. In case of an error, the second player gains an advantage - a point is awarded to him, and the first player loses a point.
The main feature of the game is the speed of action. While moving, the ball can bounce not only from the side walls, but also from the floor. The players have no margin for error: a wrong hit or out is counted as a point awarded to the opponent.
History of the game of squash
Aristocratic England is considered the birthplace of squash, something reminiscent of tennis. Researchers attribute the first mention of this exotic activity to 1807, but the game apparently appeared much earlier.
Modern squash courts with a front, additional side and back walls appeared much later. In the United States, this game moved only in 1970, and then reached the Middle East and Asia. Thirty years ago, squash was already actively played in Germany, Austria, and then in Russia. Clubs of fans of this game appeared. Now this fascinating sport is played by residents of 100 countries of the world. In 2003, squash was recognized as one of the healthiest sports in the world.
Squash rules
Usually two players play. The goal of each of them is to take turns hitting the ball with the rackets so that the enemy makes a mistake or fails to reflect the flying projectile. One of the main rules is to hit the ball so that it touches the front wall above the so-called acoustic panel and below the line indicating out. You can hit the ball both from the summer and at the moment the ball bounces off the floor. It is allowed to hit on any of the walls, but usually the ball is directed to the front wall.
If one of the players makes a mistake or is unable to hit the ball, his opponent is awarded a point. The one who scores 11 points earlier becomes the winner of the game. But if the previous score was 10:10, the current game continues until one of the partners in the game gets a one point advantage (for example, 13:11).
A standard match consists of three or five games. The first option is usually chosen by amateurs; professionals usually play five games.
The first service is drawn by lot. During the game, the player who took the previous game serves first.
Before the start of the match, the serving player determines from which square he will serve - from the left or right. Subsequently, the server, winning the next point, each time changes the square for service.
A correct serve is considered when the ball hits the front surface above the line intended for service, but below the out line. After bouncing off the wall, the ball should hit the opponent's large square. If the ball hits any of the out-lines, the server loses the service. If the player makes a mistake when serving, the opponent gets the right to serve.
The server must have at least one foot in the selected service square. Incorrect positioning of the feet will result in a loss of service.
If during the game there is an external interference, the player must stop and ask the arbiter to replay the current rally. If there is no referee in the game, the opponents will resolve disputes by mutual agreement.
The referee has the right to refuse a player's request if:
- the player failed to hit the ball;
- the player did not make the necessary effort to hit the ball;
- the player kicked the ball and missed.
If the player fails to hit the ball due to an obstacle, the point is replayed. During the game, situations often arise when players can interfere with each other. The key to fair and fair squash is strict adherence to the rules. One of them says: after hitting the ball, make every effort not to prevent the opponent from hitting it.
Players in any case are entitled to replay an episode if:
- the ball is damaged during the game;
- at the time of the serve, the opponent was not ready to receive the ball;
- if the referee doubts the correctness of the decision on a specific game situation.
Squash: inventory requirements
The ball for such a game should have a diameter of 40 mm and a weight of 24 g. In appearance, all balls for this game are the same. But they differ in their working properties, including the speed of the rebound. This difference helps to identify the colored dots on the ball:
- double yellow dot - very slow rebound;
- one yellow dot - slow rebound;
- red dot - average rebound in strength;
- blue dot - fast bounce.
The choice of the type of ball usually depends on the skill level of the players and the nature of the meeting (competition or training).
The maximum length of the racket allowed by the rules is 686 mm. The width of the head section is 215 mm. The width of the gap between the individual racket strings cannot exceed 7 mm. The thickness of any structural element of the racket must not exceed 26 mm.
Squash court requirements
The size of the squash court was regulated as early as 1920. The length of the playing court cannot exceed 9750 mm and the width must be 6400 mm. Therefore, for the device of such a cabin (block), a certain territory is required. The fields of the floor and walls of the court are drawn in accordance with the marking regulations. For the top out line, the height is 4570 mm, the bottom out is at 430 mm. The feed line is drawn at 1830 mm from the floor. Thick oblique lines are applied to the side surfaces of the court: they connect the outs with the front wall. The service lines are marked on the front surface, and the service squares are marked on the floor. These marks are needed only when the ball is served, they are not taken into account during the game.
The best surface of a squash court is considered to be parquet, rubbed to a mirror shine. Only wood makes it possible to obtain the best shock-absorbing effect and relieve unnecessary pressure on the joints of the players. The walls of the playroom are usually made of impact-resistant glass. Even with a serious effort, it is impossible to break such material. But broken glass of this kind will simply crumble into small particles, without causing injury to players and spectators. Glass provides another advantage: it is convenient for fans to follow the game of the masters through it. On the best squash courts, the glass is treated in a special way; this increases its shock resistance.
For the construction of the correct court for a professional squash game, a court is prepared made of solid silicate or ceramic bricks. Its thickness should not be less than 200 mm. Otherwise, the base will not be able to withstand the pull-off load of the game panels.
The surfaces of the walls of the court must be flat, without niches and protruding elements. The angle between adjacent walls must be right. Walls should adjoin the floor surface without sagging.
On the playground or in the playing hall where the court is installed, it is recommended to perform a cement screed of the floor, equipping it with waterproofing. Cracks and potholes on the surface of the base are unacceptable; otherwise, it is impossible to guarantee the separation of the wooden covering, which may well be followed by injuries.
It is preferable to equip the squash court with an artificial lighting system. It is quite enough to equip the site with 8-12 lighting fixtures. The main thing is that all walls are illuminated uniformly and evenly. The design of the luminaires should be simple so that the ball launched into play cannot get stuck in the elements of the luminaire.
