Squash scoring, explained for beginners
Modern squash uses point-a-rally scoring: whoever wins the rally wins a point, no matter who served. Games go to 11 points and you must win by two. A match is usually the best of five games.
How do you score points in squash?
Every rally ends with a point for somebody — this is called point-a-rally scoring, or PAR. Win the rally and you score, whether you served or not. First to 11 points takes the game, and matches are typically best of five games, so the first player to win three games wins the match.
What happens at 10–10?
You must win by two clear points. The game simply continues past 11 — to 12–10, 13–11, and so on — until one player leads by two.
Who serves, and does serving matter?
The winner of each rally serves the next one, switching service boxes for as long as they keep winning. Under point-a-rally scoring the serve no longer decides who can score — that was the older "English" system, played to 9, where only the server could win points. A few clubs still use it socially, so check which system is being played.
What are lets and strokes?
Both players share the same court, so squash has rules for getting in each other's way. A let means the rally is replayed — usually when interference stopped a fair attempt at the ball. A stroke awards the point outright, given when the opponent's position blocked what would have been a clear shot to the front wall.
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