Squash court dimensions, and what every line does

The squash court dimensions in the World Squash Federation spec are 9,750 mm long by 6,400 mm wide — 32 by 21 feet. The front wall out line sits at 4.57 m (15 ft), the back wall out line at 2.13 m (7 ft), and the tin at 0.48 m (19 in).

Squash court dimensions in feet and meters

A squash court diagram gives you the shapes; these are the numbers behind it. The WSF writes the standard in millimeters, so the imperial column is rounded.

Measurement	Metric	Feet / inches
Court length	9,750 mm	32 ft
Court width	6,400 mm	21 ft
Floor diagonal	11,665 mm	38 ft 3 in
Front wall out line	4,570 mm	15 ft
Back wall out line	2,130 mm	7 ft
Service line	1,780 mm	5 ft 10 in
Tin, top of the board	480 mm	19 in
Short line, from back wall	4,260 mm	14 ft
Service box, internal square	1,600 mm	5 ft 3 in
Width of every marking	50 mm	2 in
Minimum clear height	5,640 mm	18 ft 6 in

Every wall height is measured from the finished floor to the underside of the marking, so the 50 mm line sits above the number; the tin is the exception, where 480 mm is the top of the board. Squash court size is held tight — ±10 mm on length and width, ±20 mm on the diagonals, checked 1,000 mm above the floor.

The playing floor and the diagonal that proves it

At 9.75 by 6.4 m the floor is 62.4 m², or 672 square feet. That undersells it: the walls are live to 4.57 m at the front, tapering to 2.13 m at the back, so you're moving around a volume, not a rectangle.

The diagonal is the measurement players never hear about and builders live by. Corner to corner it has to read 11,665 mm, give or take 20 mm. If it doesn't, the court isn't square and the side walls aren't parallel, which shows up on every rail and boast.

Clear height is 5,640 mm (18 ft 6 in) to the lowest obstruction — lights, beams, ventilation grilles. The spec does let the roof drop at the ends: to 5,000 mm within 1,000 mm of the front wall, and to 4,000 mm within 3,000 mm of the back.

Squash court lines on the front wall: tin, service line, out line

Three horizontal markings cross the front wall, each with its own call.

The tin is the bottom one, top edge at 480 mm (19 in). Hit the tin, or the wall anywhere below that edge, and the ball is down. Below its top 50 mm the tin has to make a distinctive noise when struck, so it announces itself.

The service line, at 1,780 mm (5 ft 10 in) to its underside, exists only for the serve: a serve must strike the front wall above it, and on the line or below is a fault. During a rally the service line is decoration.

The front wall out line runs at 4,570 mm (15 ft) to its underside, and a ball hitting on or above it is out. That leaves a band 2,740 mm tall — about 9 ft — for a legal serve to find.

All three end a rally rather than continue it, so knowing which line the ball crossed is what decides the point you then log. Squash Scoreboard is a squash scoreboard app for iPhone and Apple Watch that tracks match scores, which keeps the running total off your head between rallies.

The side wall diagonal and the back wall out line

The side wall line is the one people misjudge: a straight diagonal from the end of the front wall line down to the end of the back wall line, 4,570 mm to 2,130 mm. The boundary is lower behind you than in front, which is why a lob that clears your opponent can still sail out over the back.

The back wall out line at 2,130 mm (7 ft) is the lowest boundary on the court. On a solid wall it's often the bottom edge of a sounding board; on a glass back wall exactly 2,130 mm high there's no line at all — the top of the glass is the boundary — and it gets marked on the court face only when the panel is 2,180 mm or taller.

Two things about squash court lines catch newer players out. Every marking is 50 mm (2 in) wide and belongs to the wrong side — a ball touching an out line is out, not in. And the ceiling is out along with anything fixed to it; a glass show court has no ceiling, so a ball above the out line simply leaves.

Floor markings: short line, half-court line, and service boxes

The floor carries three markings, and all three matter only during the serve.

The short line runs the full 6.4 m width, its nearest edge 4,260 mm (14 ft) from the back wall and 5,440 mm (17 ft 10 in) from the front. Despite the name it isn't a halfway line — the front section is 1.18 m deeper than the back.

The half-court line runs from the back wall to the short line, equidistant from both side walls, splitting the back section into two quarter courts. The service boxes sit behind the short line, one per quarter court: 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) squares bounded on three sides by lines and on the fourth by a side wall.

Now the calls. The server needs part of one foot on the floor inside the box, with no part of it touching a boundary line, or it's a foot fault. The serve must then bounce in the opposite quarter court without touching a line, unless the receiver volleys it: land on the short line or the half-court line and it's a fault. The squash rules cover the rest of the serve sequence, and squash scoring covers what the point is worth.

Doubles court dimensions

Three courts answer to "doubles court". The WSF international doubles court keeps the 9,750 mm length and widens to 7,620 mm (25 ft) — same wall heights, same 480 mm tin, 12,375 mm diagonal. A wider international competition version runs 8,420 mm across, about 27 ft 8 in, with a tin that can be set at 330 mm. The North American hardball doubles court is a different room: 13,716 by 7,620 mm (45 by 25 ft), 7,315 mm (24 ft) of clear height, a 430 mm (17 in) tin, and 25 mm markings.

Purpose-built doubles courts are rare outside North America, so club doubles usually means four people on a singles court — the court how to play squash is built around.

Why glass show courts measure the same as a club court

A portable glass court at a professional event measures the same inside as the one at your club — same 9,750 by 6,400 mm, same out lines, same short line. What changes is the finish and one number. A 430 mm (17 in) tin is preferred for PSA-sanctioned tournaments, five centimeters under the club standard, which shrinks the margin on every drop shot — though some tournament levels are still sanctioned at 480 mm. The lines are contrasting tape rather than paint.

FAQ

What is a squash court?

An enclosed room 9,750 mm long and 6,400 mm wide with four playable walls. The front wall carries the tin, the service line and the out line; the floor carries the short line, the half-court line and two service boxes.

What are squash court dimensions in feet?

32 ft long by 21 ft wide, with 18 ft 6 in of clear height. Front wall out line 15 ft, back wall out line 7 ft, service line 5 ft 10 in, tin 19 in, short line 14 ft from the back wall.

How high is the squash tin?

The WSF standard puts the top of the board at 480 mm, or 19 inches. A lowered 430 mm (17 in) tin is preferred for PSA-sanctioned tournaments, which leaves less room for error on a drop shot.

Does a ball that hits a line count as in or out?

Out. The markings are 50 mm wide and belong to the out side, so a ball touching the front, side or back wall out line loses the rally. Same on the floor during a serve: land on the short line or the half-court line and it's a fault.