Controversial incidences in recent tournaments have shown that we all need to URGENTLY get acquainted with certain Squash Rules applicable to peculiar situations.
Coaches, parents as well as players need to know these so that when during tournament matches these situations arise, one is able to implement well established WSF Squash Rules.
So here goes..............!!
HITTING AN OPPONENT WITH THE BALL (Rule 9)
If a player strikes the ball, which, before reaching the front wall, hits the opponent, or the opponent’s racket or clothing, play stops.
If the return would have been good and the ball would have struck the front wall without first touching any other wall, the striker wins the rally, provided the striker did not "turn".
If the ball either had struck, or would have struck, any other wall and the return would have been good, a let is played.
If the return would not have been good, the striker loses the rally.
TURNING (Rule 9)
If the striker has either followed the ball round, or allowed it to pass around him or her - in either case striking the ball to the right of the body after the ball had passed to the left (or vice-versa) - then the striker has "TURNED".
If the opponent is struck by the ball after the striker has turned, the rally is awarded to the opponent.
If the striker, while turning, stops play for fear of striking the opponent, then a let is played. This is the recommended course of action in situations where a player wants to turn but is unsure of the opponent’s position.
FURTHER ATTEMPTS (Rule 10)
A player, after attempting to strike the ball and missing, may make a further attempt to return the ball.
If a further attempt would have resulted in a good return, but the ball hits the opponent, a let is played.
If the return would not have been good, the striker loses the rally.
INTERFERENCE (Rule 12)
When it is his or her turn to play the ball, a player is entitled to freedom from interference by the opponent.
To avoid interference, the opponent must try to provide the player with unobstructed direct access to the ball, a fair view of the ball, space to complete a swing at the ball and freedom to play the ball directly to any part of the front wall.
A player, finding the opponent interfering with the play, can accept the interference and play on, or stop play. It is preferable to stop play if there is a possibility of colliding with the opponent, or of hitting him or her with racket or ball.
When play has stopped as a result of interference the general guidelines are:
The player is entitled to a let if he or she could have returned the ball and the opponent has made every effort to avoid the interference.
The player is not entitled to a let (i.e. loses the rally) if he or she could not have returned the ball, or accepts the interference and plays on, or the interference was so minimal that the player’s access to and strike at the ball was not affected.
The player is entitled to a stroke (i.e. wins the rally) if the opponent did not make every effort to avoid the interference, or if the player would have hit a winning return, or if the player would have struck the opponent with the ball going directly to the front wall.
LETS (Rule 13)
A let is an undecided rally. The rally does not count and the server serves again from the same box.
In addition to lets allowed as indicated in the paragraphs above, lets can be allowed in other circumstances. For example, a let may be allowed if the ball in play touches any article lying on the floor, or if the striker refrains from hitting the ball owing to a reasonable fear of injuring the opponent.
A let must be allowed if the receiver is not ready and does not attempt to return the service, or if the ball breaks during play.
BLEEDING, INJURY AND ILLNESS (Rule 16)
If an injury occurs which involves bleeding, the bleeding must be stopped before the player can continue. A player is allowed a reasonable time to attend to a bleeding wound.
If the bleeding was caused solely by the opponent’s action, the injured player wins the match.
If the bleeding recurs no further delay is allowed, except that the player can concede a game, using the 90 second period between games to attend to the wound and stop the bleeding. If unable to stop it, the player must concede the match.
For an injury not involving bleeding, it must be decided whether the injury was either caused by the opponent or self inflicted or contributed to by both players.
If caused by the opponent, the injured player wins the match if any recovery time is needed.
If self-inflicted, the injured player is allowed 3 minutes to recover and must then play on, or concede a game using the 90 second rest period between games to recover.
If contributed by both players, the injured player is allowed an hour to recover.
A player who is ill must play on or can take a rest period by conceding a game and using the 90 second interval to recover. Cramps, feeling sick and breathlessness (including asthma) are considered illnesses. If a player vomits on court, the opponent wins the match.
CONDUCT ON COURT (Rule 17)
Offensive, disruptive or intimidating behaviour in squash is not acceptable.
Included in this category are: audible and visible obscenities, verbal and physical abuse, dissent, abuse of racket, court or ball, unnecessary physical contact, excessive racket swing, unfair warm-up, time-wasting, late back on court, deliberate or dangerous play or action and coaching (except between games).
Note: The above are only abbreviated rules, meant for quick reference. The Rule No. stated in brackets refers to the exact Rule in full detail. This can be checked out at the WSF website at http://www.worldsquash.org.uk/rulescontents.html
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