What is a let in squash — and when is it a stroke?

A let in squash is a replayed rally — no point scored, and the server serves again from the same box. It's the call when interference stopped the striker, the striker could have made a good return, and the opponent was making every effort to clear.

What is a let in squash, exactly

World Squash's singles rules define a let as "the result of a rally that neither player wins." It comes from Rule 8, Interference, which national federations adopt with minor local additions. Four things have to be true at once:

1. Interference actually occurred, or there was reasonable fear of injury.
2. You were making every effort to get to and play the ball.
3. You could have made a good return.
4. Your opponent was making every effort to avoid causing the interference.

Break the fourth and it's a stroke. Break the second or third and it's no let. The full squash rules cover the framework these sit in.

What counts as interference

Rule 8.1 is specific. After a reasonable follow-through, a player must make every effort to clear so that, when the ball rebounds from the front wall, the opponent has:

• a fair view of the ball
• access to the ball
• space for a reasonable swing
• freedom to strike the ball to any part of the front wall

Interference is failing to provide all four to an opponent who is making every effort to play the ball. Fair view means enough time to see the ball and prepare, not a permanent sightline. A reasonable swing is a backswing, a strike and a follow-through that don't extend more than necessary. Standing on the T isn't interference by itself, and access cuts both ways: pick a path that runs into your opponent and that's on you.

The four questions behind the squash interference rules

Was there real interference? Crowding that didn't stop you seeing and getting to the ball to make a good return is minimal interference: no let (Rule 8.6.4).

Could you have made a good return? A good return is struck correctly and reaches the front wall above the tin and below the out-line, directly or off other walls, without going out. If the ball had bounced twice, or you were never getting there, the interference is irrelevant.

Were you making every effort to reach and play the ball? Stopping short and appealing instead of moving gets you nothing. Every effort should not include contact either — barging to manufacture a stroke is a conduct matter. Play on past the interference and then ask, and it's no let (Rule 8.6.3).

Was your opponent making every effort to clear — and would your shot have won the rally? No effort to clear, or a winning return denied, and it's a stroke to you. Otherwise, a let.

Squash let and stroke calls side by side

Call	What happened	Result
Let	Both players did their job and interference still happened; you'd have made a good return	Rally replayed, server serves again from the same box
Stroke	Opponent didn't make every effort to clear, blocked the swing outright, or stood in the path of a winner	Point and the next serve to the player awarded it
No let	No interference, minimal interference, no good return possible, no real effort, or you caused it	Rally goes to your opponent

What is a stroke in squash

A stroke ends the rally in one player's favor: one point and the next serve, normally to the player who was obstructed. The squash stroke rules single out four situations.

The swing was prevented. If your opponent's position stops the swing outright, it's a stroke even if they were scrambling to clear (Rule 8.9.2). A swing merely affected, with them making every effort, is a let — unless you'd have hit a winner.

A winning return was denied. A winning return is a good return the opponent could not reach — not a shot you liked, and not one they'd have scraped off the back wall.

Nobody tried to clear. Admiring your own drop from the middle of the court gives up the point.

The ball was going straight to the front wall. Hold your shot because your opponent stands in that line and it's a stroke (Rule 8.11.1) — unless you had turned or were on a further attempt, which makes it a let. Play it and hit them instead, first attempt, no turn, and it's still a stroke (Rule 9.1.2).

Club players get that last one backwards. Hitting your opponent doesn't automatically win the point: side wall first and it's a let, a stroke only if the return would have been a winner. Path decides it, not contact.

A stroke is one point like any rally, and the winner serves next — see the PAR 11 scoring rules.

Squash no let: when asking costs you the rally

You stopped the rally to ask, so a no let hands that rally to your opponent. The usual reasons:

• there was no interference and no reasonable fear of injury, or it was minimal
• you couldn't have made a good return
• you didn't make every effort to reach the ball
• you had access but took a path that created the interference — unless you were wrong-footed and could still recover, which is a let (a stroke if that recovery would have been a winner)
• you played on, then asked
• your own excessive swing caused the problem (Rule 8.10.1)

One nuance runs the other way: with genuine interference, exaggerating the swing to buy a stroke gets you a let instead (Rule 8.10.2).

Turning, and the ball hitting an opponent

Turning means rotating so you lose sight of the ball or your opponent, or letting the ball pass behind your body from one side to the other — usually on a ball off the back wall.

• Turn, then hit your opponent with the ball, and the stroke goes against you — unless they deliberately moved to intercept, which flips it your way (Rule 9.1.5).
• Turn, hold the shot, find the swing prevented, and it's a stroke to you even if they had no chance to move (Rule 8.13.1).
• If they simply had no time to avoid the interference, it's a let (Rule 8.13.2).
• Turn only to manufacture a chance to ask, when you could have played the ball without turning, and it's no let (Rule 8.13.3).

Safety outranks all of it: deliberate or dangerous play, including an excessive racket swing and turning, is a conduct offense under Rule 14. If you turn and can't see your opponent, stop and ask instead of swinging blind.

One call runs in your favor: a ball off the front wall that hits your opponent before bouncing twice, before you've attempted it and with no interference, wins you the rally (Rule 9.2.1) — unless your own position caused the hit. After an attempt, the same collision is only a let, and only if you could still have made a good return.

Calling it fairly in an unrefereed club match

The rulebook assumes a Referee. Most club matches have none, so both players officiate — worth settling before the first serve, especially with someone new to the game.

Ask without undue delay. "Let, please," at the moment of the interference — a request made after playing on is dead anyway.

Give what you owe. If you blocked the swing or stood in front of a winner, offer the stroke. Self-refereeing holds up when both players call against themselves more readily than for themselves.

When you genuinely disagree, play a let. Convention rather than rule, but replaying one rally costs less than a five-minute argument.

Keep the score straight. A stroke is a point the instant it's called, and it can change who serves, so put it down before the next serve. Squash Scoreboard is a squash scoreboard app for iPhone and Apple Watch that tracks match scores, which keeps a contested call from being relitigated two rallies on.

FAQ

What's the difference between a let and a stroke in squash?

A let replays the rally with no point scored, same server, same box. A stroke gives the point and the next serve to the player it's awarded to, normally the obstructed one. The dividing line: was the obstructing player making every effort to clear, and would the blocked shot have won the rally.

Do you lose the point on a no let?

Yes. You stopped the rally to ask, so a no let gives that rally to your opponent. The squash let rules reward asking only when you were genuinely moving to a ball you could have returned.

Can you ask for a let after you've already hit the ball?

No — play on beyond the interference and no let is allowed. Related trap: if you hit the ball, your opponent asks for a let, and your shot then goes down or out, your opponent wins the rally.

What happens if my shot hits my opponent on the way to the front wall?

Directly to the front wall, with no turn and on a first attempt, and it's a stroke to you. Side wall first, and it's a let — a stroke only if the return would have been a winner. If your return wouldn't have been good anyway, your opponent wins the rally.