Squash Rackets, also called squash, a racket-and-ball court game for two or four players. The court is an enclosed, four-walled area with smooth walls which are painted white or off-white. . The out-of-court line is 5 cm (2 in) wide and painted red. Other court markings are also red. The overall length of the racket may not exceed 68.5 cm (27 in) and the round head must not exceed 21.5 cm (8.5 in) in length or 18.4 cm (7.25 in) in width. The ball, usually rubber or butyl, is black with a diameter of 39.5 to 41.5 mm (1.56 to 1.63 in). Its weight should be between 23.3 and 24.6 g (about 1 oz). Balls are designed to play at different speeds. Those used for top-class matches have a yellow dot to identify them (sometimes a double yellow dot)—they are the slowest. White dot (or green dot) is the next slowest, red-dot balls are of medium speed and, at the other end of the scale, balls identified as fast have a blue dot on them.

The game begins with service from a service box into the opposite half-court and is made with a volley. Thereafter the aim is to hit the ball on the volley or on the first bounce so that it rebounds off the front wall, above the tell-tale or tin, either directly into the court or off another wall in such a way that the opponent is unable to return it correctly. Each player hits the ball alternately, and it must reach the front wall, directly or off another wall, without first touching the floor or going out of court. Under the rules of the International Squash Rackets Federation only the server may win points, the receiver having to win a rally to gain service. Games are to nine points, and matches are the best of five (or three) games. If the scores reach eight-all the receiver chooses whether to continue the game to nine points (known as "set one") or to ten points.