Squash scoring rules
Squash has scored two different ways in living memory, and club players still meet both. The modern system, used everywhere in competition, is point-a-rally to 11.
Point-a-rally means exactly that: every rally ends in a point for somebody, whoever served.
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Point-a-rally to 11
- Every rally is worth a point to the player who wins it, server or not.
- First to 11 takes the game.
- At 10–10 you must win by two, so 12–10, 13–11 and longer all happen.
- The winner of a rally serves the next one, choosing either service box.
- Matches are best of five games.
The older English scoring
Traditional scoring went to 9 and only the server could score: winning a rally as receiver earned the serve, not a point. At 8–8 the receiver chose to play to 9 or to 10. It makes for longer games and rewards holding serve, and some clubs and leagues still use it.
Lets and strokes
Interference is part of squash, and how it is resolved changes the score. A let replays the rally with no point. A stroke awards the rally outright to the player who was obstructed — so a stroke is worth a full point, which makes it the decision players argue about most.
Frequently asked questions
To 11 under modern point-a-rally scoring, which is what all competition uses. To 9 under the older English system, where only the server could score. Both are still played socially — agree before you start.
Play continues until one player leads by two, so the game ends 12–10, 13–11 and so on. There is no cap.
Not any more. Under point-a-rally, every rally is worth a point to whoever wins it. Under the old scoring, only the server could score, and the receiver winning a rally simply took over the serve.
A let replays the rally and nobody scores. A stroke gives the rally, and so the point, to the obstructed player. A stroke is the heavier penalty and is awarded when the interference cost a clear winning chance.