Understanding interference in squash

Why squash needs interference rules

Two players share one small court and one ball. After hitting the ball, a player has to give the opponent room to reach it and room to swing. Contact and crowding are therefore normal. A referee is not asked to penalise all of it, only the part that actually stops the opponent from playing the ball as they reasonably could have.

This is why the same physical contact can lead to different calls in different rallies. What matters is the effect on the striker, not the contact itself.

The three things a referee checks

Before deciding anything, most referees run through three questions in order.

• Did the opponent have a fair view of the ball and a direct line to it?
• Did the opponent have enough space for a reasonable swing, taking the ball to its intended target?
• Did the opponent have a clear route to play the next shot, including towards the front wall?

Separating interference from inconvenience

A player who has to walk around an opponent, wait half a second, or adjust their stance has been inconvenienced, but may not have been interfered with. The test is whether, without the obstruction, the player could have reached and played the ball. If they could still have played it with a small adjustment, the case for a call is weak.

In training clips, pause just before the claim and ask what the striker would have done in an empty court. If the answer is the same shot at the same time, there was probably no meaningful interference.

Common mistakes when learning

New referees often decide based on how the rally ended, or on which player looks more frustrated. Both are unreliable. Another common mistake is to treat any appeal as evidence that something happened. Players appeal for many reasons, including tactical ones.

Practise by describing out loud what you see at the point of contact before choosing a call. If you cannot describe the obstruction, you probably do not have a reason for a let or stroke.

Official rules and resources

Always check the current rules and regulations from the governing bodies:

• World Squash Officiating (WSO): referee education and courses
• World Squash: official rules and governing body

Keep learning

• Let versus stroke: choosing between the two
• When no let is the correct call
• Safety, dangerous swings, and following through
• Video review in squash: what it can and cannot change
• How to improve as a squash referee

This article is educational and does not replace the current official rules. Try the decision trainer.