One key to better doubles squash is to have quality rules and knowledgeable players and officials. This is a relatively new site and to this time dealt mostly with Rule 5 a iii. It is important to be reminded that ball flight is only one of the several types of interference and in any situation, there may well be overlapping types of interference. The position taken here is to keep a single focus to be sure there is clear understanding of one type of interference at a time.

Rule 5 in all its glory.

  1. Right to Play the Ball
    1. Immediately after he or his partner has struck the ball, each player must get out of his opponents' way and must:
      1. Give his opponents a fair view of the ball;
      2. Give his opponents a fair opportunity to get to and strike at the ball in and from any position on the court elected by an opponent. A player will be deemed to have failed to give his opponents a fair opportunity to get to and strike the ball when he has used an excessive follow-through so that an opponent has to wait for an excessive swing;
      3. Allow either opponent to play the ball to any part of the front wall or back wall and to that part of each side wall in front of the red floor service line. The Referee shall deny a Let to the striker when in the opinion of the Referee the striker could have played the ball SAFELY, but instead requested a Let to get out of an unfavourable position; and
        • Note to Referees
        • Referees should be aware of players who are “fishing for Points”, and after an initial warning deny a Let in such cases.
      5. Refrain from creating a visual or audible distraction.

Hardball doubles squash rules can be found on the World Squash Federation website along with supplementary documents.

Rule 5 is a “must do list” for the non-striking side. Read the opening statement carefully. “Immediately after”, so both players on the outgoing players must busy themselves to get out of the way of both incoming players. The focus of play will of course tend to follow the ball flight. But the rule specifically states both players after striking the ball must get out of the way of both opposition players without any reference to where the ball is. And Rule 5 states “must”; it does not state “try to” or “should”.

When players do not get out of the way, that is interference. Rule 5 describes obligations of the previous striking side. By inference Rule 5 sets out the rights of the striking side.

A simple list of those rights follows:

  1. Fair view of ball.
  2. Access to ball.
  3. Freedom of stroke.
  4. Freedom of shot selection.
    1. Shot directly to front wall.
    2. Simple boasts
      1. Back wall then to front wall.
      2. Near side wall then to front wall.
      3. Far side wall then to front wall.
  5. Free from visual and or audible distraction.

Many of the previous postings discussed simple boasts. It is time to move on to shots directly to the front wall. The discussion will still focus on shot selection and ball flight and leaving the other types of interference for another time.

Before moving on, be reminded that when players judge that opponents have interfered, it is up to them to stop play and request a judgement by the referee.

When the referee judges there was interference, the referee may grant a let or award a point.

Rule 5 addresses an important aspect of the game. Players may request a let to get out of an unfavourable situation. The spirit of the game is to play the ball if you can. It has been and will continue to be difficult to get consensus on the balance between excessive lets particularly from a unfavourable position and granting lets and points as provided by the rules.

Rules 6 and 7 describe when to grant a let, award a point, or deny the let. These are important rules and well worth a discussion, but not just yet.