The Chickens! How To Guide (Vol.1): Squash!

OBJECT

The basic principle is for you and your opponent to alternate hitting the ball against the front wall until one of you misses.

RULES

Serving:
Players must keep one foot in the service box as they serve.
The ball must hit the front wall between the service line and the out line, and land in the area behind the short line on the opposite side of the court.

Rallying:
For the remainder of the rally, players must hit the wall above the board and below the out line.
The ball is only allowed to hit the floor once before each shot, but it can hit as many walls as the player wants.
If a player fails to hit the ball before it bounces twice, hits the ball into the floor before it hits the front wall, hits it outside the out line, or hits the ball out of turn (ie.when it is their opponents turn to return the ball) then they lose the rally.
A player can also lose a rally if the ball hits them or their clothing before they strike the ball.

SCORING

In the traditional, British system you can only score points when you are serving. When the player receiving serve wins a rally, the score does not change, but he or she becomes the server. So if you are facing serve, you need to win two rallies to register a point. A match is usually the best of five games to nine points. If the score reaches eight-all, however, the player who is not serving at the time can choose whether to play to nine points or to 10 points.
During points, a player can be impeded or unsighted as they try to play their next shot, and can ask for a let. If the referee decides this is deserved, he or she can order the point to be replayed, or award the rally to the player who has been affected depending on the situation.

TACTICS

The first rule of squash is: DON'T HIT THE WALL WITH YOUR FACE! This is the first rule of squash for a reason. After that, the best strategy is to make your opponent do the running (this means you have control of the game). Try to return to the "T" at the centre at the court. Remember it is easier to run forward than backward. Switching from short to long or long to short game is a good trick but try to make sure it doesn't backfire on you if your opponent does manage to return the shot. Keeping the ball low lessens the chance of your opponent reaching it before it bounces twice. Corners and edges are good to shoot for too (especially the two back corners) because the ball does not bounce well and your opponent's racquet works against them there. Also, remember you don't have to wallop the ball every time, especially if it is near the wall sometimes the better choice is a lighter tap.

EQUIPMENT

Players use a different ball depending on ability and preference. Squash balls will have a coloured dot which indicates speed and bounce.

The recognised colours are:

Double Yellow - extra super slow (the type used in competition)
Yellow - super slow
Green or white - slow
Red - medium
Blue - fast

Tip: Be sure to warm up the ball before play as there can be up to a 40% difference in speed and bounce depending on the type of ball you are using. Also, WEAR GOGGLES!

Modern racquets are usually made of composite materials such as kevlar and graphite (retro ones were made of wood). They are 70 cm (27 inches) long, with a maximum strung area of 500 square centimetres (approximately 80 square inches) and a weight between 110 and 200 grams (4-7 ounces).

These are not to be confused with racquetball racquets (or badminton racquets):