Editing Squash (sport) (section)

==Manner of play==

===Service===
The players spin a racket to decide who serves first. This player starts the first rally by electing to serve from either the left or right service box. For a legal serve, one of the server's feet must be in the service box, not touching any part of the service box lines, as the player strikes the ball. After being struck by the racket, the ball must strike the front wall above the service line and below the out line and land in the opposite back quarter court. The receiving player can choose to volley a serve after it has hit the front wall or may let it bounce. If the server wins the point, the two players switch sides for the following point. If the server loses the point, the opponent then serves, and can serve from either box.

===Play===
[[File:Payne-whitney-squash.jpg|thumb|A glass-walled squash court]]
After the serve, the players take turns hitting the ball against the front wall, above the tin and below the out line. The ball may strike the side or back walls at any time, as long as it hits below the out line. It must not hit the floor after hitting the racket and before hitting the front wall. A ball landing on either the out line or the line along the top of the tin is considered to be out. After the ball hits the front wall, it is allowed to bounce once on the floor (and any number of times against the side or back walls) before a player must return it. Players may move anywhere around the court, but accidental or deliberate obstruction of the other player's movements is forbidden and could result in the point being redone or given to the player being obstructed. Players typically return to the centre of the court after making a shot, as it is the optimal position in the court to receive the opponent's shot. The centre of the court is typically referred to as "the T", named after the shape of the floor lines.

===General strategy and tactics===
A key idea in squash is known as "dominating the T" (the intersection of the red lines near the centre of the court, shaped like the letter "T", where the player is in the best position to retrieve the opponent's next shot). Skilled players will return a shot, and then move back toward the "T" before playing the next shot. From this position, the player can quickly access any part of the court to retrieve the opponent's next shot with a minimum of movement and possibly maximizing the movement required by the opponent to answer the returned shot. Very skilled players will, oftentimes, shift slightly away from the "T," based on the position of the other player, if they believe that their shot selection is limited.  

A common tactic is to hit the ball straight up the side walls to the back corners; this is the basic squash shot, referred to as a "rail", straight drive, wall, or "length". After hitting this shot, the player will then move to the centre of the court near the "T" to be well placed to retrieve the opponent's return. Attacking with soft or "short" shots to the front corners (referred to as "drop shots") causes the opponent to cover more of the court and may result in a winner. Boasts or angle shots are deliberately struck off one of the side walls before the ball reaches the front. They are used for deception and again to cause the opponent to cover more of the court. Rear wall shots float to the front either straight or diagonally drawing the opponent to the front. One goal of a player is to try to move the opponent into each of the four corners so that they have to cover a lot of distance and will get tired. Advantageous tactical shots are available in response to a weak return by the opponent if stretched, the majority of the court being free to the striker. Nicks are when the ball comes into contact with the intersection of the floor and any sidewall.

Rallies between experienced players may involve 30 or more shots and therefore a very high premium is placed on fitness, both aerobic and anaerobic. As players become more skilled and, in particular, better able to retrieve shots, points often become a [[Attrition warfare|war of attrition]]. At higher levels of the game, the fitter player has a major advantage.

The ability to change the direction of the ball at the last instant is also a tactic used to unbalance the opponent often called "holding." Expert players can anticipate the opponent's shot a few tenths of a second before the average player, giving them a chance to react sooner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/visual-acuity-and-reaction-times |title=Agility Training: Improving Sporting Reaction Times |publisher=Pponline.co.uk |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505222112/http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/visual-acuity-and-reaction-times |archive-date=5 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:US Open Squash Championship 2011 Drexel University.jpg|thumb|The glass show court at the 2011 US Open Squash Championships hosted by Drexel University at the [[Daskalakis Athletic Center]]]]

Depending on the style of play, it is common to refer to squash players<ref>Strategies, Jonathon Power Exposed DVD 2.</ref><ref>Commentary by Jonathon Power and Martin Heath, TOC, 2005</ref> as

* '''Power players''': powerful shots to take time away from their opponent. For example, [[John White (squash player)|John White]], [[Omar Mosaad]], [[Mohamed El Shorbagy]], [[Nouran Gohar]]
* '''Shotmakers''': accurate shots to take time away from their opponent. For example, [[Jonathon Power]], [[Ramy Ashour]], [[Amr Shabana]], [[James Willstrop]].
* '''Retrievers''': excellent retrieval to counter power and accuracy and to return shots more quickly to take time away from their opponent. For example, [[Peter Nicol]], [[Grégory Gaultier]], [[Nicol David]], [[Ng Eain Yow]].
* '''Attritional players''': a consistently high-paced game both from shot speed and running speed to wear their opponent down over time. For example, [[David Palmer (squash player)|David Palmer]], [[Nick Matthew]], [[Jansher Khan]], [[Jahangir Khan]].

===Interference and obstruction===
Interference and obstruction are an inevitable aspect of squash, since two players are confined within a shared space. Generally, the rules entitle players to a direct straight-line access to the ball, room for a reasonable swing and an unobstructed shot to any part of the front wall. When interference occurs, a player may appeal for a "let" and the referee (or the players themselves if there is no official) then interprets the extent of the interference. The referee may allow a let and the players then replay the point or award a "stroke" to the appealing player (meaning that he is declared the winner of that point) depending on the degree of interference, whether the interfering player made an adequate effort to avoid interfering, and whether the player interfered with was likely to have hit a winning shot had the interference not occurred. An exception occurs when the interfering player is directly in the path of the other player's swing, effectively preventing the swing, in which case a stroke is always awarded.

When it is deemed that there has been little or no interference, the rules provide that no let is to be allowed in the interests of continuity of play and the discouraging of spurious appeals for lets. Because of the subjectivity in interpreting the nature and magnitude of interference, awarding (or withholding) of lets and strokes is often controversial and professional players will get "reviews" where a different referee will review the footage and make a decision. If the review is successful than the player will get their review back but if the review is unsuccessful they lose their review. 

Interference also occurs when a player's shot hits their opponent prior to hitting the front wall. If the ball was travelling towards the side wall when it hit the opponent, or if it had already hit the side wall and was travelling directly to the front wall, it is usually a let. However, it is a stroke to the player who hit the ball if the ball was travelling straight to the front wall when the ball hit the opponent, without having first hit the side wall. Generally, after a player has been hit by the ball, both players stand still; if the struck player is standing directly in front of the player who hit the ball, he loses the stroke; if he is not straight in front, a let is played. If it is deemed that the player who is striking the ball is deliberately trying to hit his opponent, they will lose the stroke. An exception occurs when the player hitting the ball has "turned", i.e., letting the ball pass them on one side, but then hitting it on the other side as it came off the back wall. In these cases, the stroke goes to the player who was hit by the ball.

===Referee===
The referee is usually a certified position issued by the club or assigned squash league. Any conflict or interference is dealt with by the referee. The referee may also take away points or games due to improper etiquette regarding conduct or rules. Improper etiquette may include swearing, purposeful physical contact, and throwing equipment. The referee is also usually responsible for the scoring of games. Three referees are usually used in professional tournaments. The Central referee has responsibility to call the score and make decisions with the two side referees.