The Game Squash

 

The game of Squash, formerly known as “Squash Racquets”, is an amalgamation of five other games which involved use of racquets, gloves and balls. The area where the game is played is called the “Squash Court” which is a four walled court, wherein players play by hitting the ball on the walls and accumulate points.

The game is quite similar to the game of tennis, the only difference being that in squash the balls are hit on the walls of the court, whereas in tennis, the balls are hit above the net in the opponent’s court. The sport originated from England during the days when tennis was gaining popularity and was instantly taken to by people living in America and Canada and subsequently across the globe.

In the early 1900’s the game gained popularity and lot of people developed squash courts, although there were no standard specifications which were adhered too. In the year 1928, the governing body ‘Squash Rackets Association’ formulated the games standards and rules to be followed for players.

There are typically two types of scoring systems that used in the game of Squash. In the English scoring system, which is based on the serving system, the player must win the serve in order to win a point. The points are awarded when the opponent fails to hit the ball before it has bounced twice or when the player hits the ball outside the playing area. In the American Scoring system, which follows the points a rally system, points are awarded to winner of each rally, irrespective of the fact, whether the winner had served or not.

The squash match is officiated by the referee, who is in charge of conducting the game. The referee has the authority to deduct player’s points or can also award the game to the opponent in case proper playing rules are not followed by any player.