Differences Between Squash and Racquetball

Both racquetball and squash are physically intense, high-speed racquet games played on indoor courts. Both games require eye protection and share some basic rules. But the games diverge on additional rules, the types of balls and racquets used, play boundaries and court dimensions.

  1. Racquetball

    • A standard racquetball court measures 20 feet high by 20 feet wide by 40 feet long. Its back wall is at least 12 feet high, and all surface areas designated as playable on a specific court are legally playable, including the ceiling. One racquetball court may differ from another in this regard if it has an open viewing area above the court that cuts a wall short. Otherwise, most surfaces are fair play. The two service boxes are located in the middle of and on either side of the court. Balls weigh 1.4 ounces, have a 2.25 inch diameter and a lot of bounce. Racquets length can’t exceed 22 inches, total. Like tennis, it can be played as a singles or doubles game. Players have the opportunity to serve twice to get the ball into play, with the exception of certain competitions that only allow one serve. Players serve by bouncing the ball on the floor and hitting it to the front wall. It must then bounce behind the short line mark on the floor. Only the serving player or team can score. Matches are comprised of two games that go to 15 points; a third, 11 point game is played as a tiebreaker.

    Squash

    • The standard squash court measures 21 feet wide by 32 feet long by 15 feet high at its highest point. Squash courts have many marked boundary lines, including two diagonal side wall lines, a front wall line and a secondary line on the front wall painted 19 inches from the bottom of the floor to mark the out-of-bounds area called “the tin”. The ceiling is also out of bounds. Two service boxes are located on either side and toward the middle of the court; when one player is serving, the other player can stand anywhere that doesn’t interfere with the serve. Players serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it to the front wall and only have one chance to put the ball into play. Serves that hit a side wall aren’t valid. Prior to play, squash players must hit the balls repeatedly to warm them up—cool squash balls don’t bounce—but balls made for beginners have instant bounce. Squash racquets can’t exceed 27 inches in total length. The game can be played as either a singles or doubles match. One match has three games; with 9 maximum points per game—11 in professional tournaments—and no matter who serves, either side can score.

    Differences

    • The major differences between squash and racquetball are equipment differences, court size, boundaries, games per match and how points are scored. Squash racquets are longer and narrower than racquetball racquets, and squash balls are less bouncy, making the game faster-paced. Racquetball courts are longer and narrower than squash courts and have more playable zones, including the ceiling. Squash matches are comprised of three games versus racquetball’s two. Either side can score off a serve in squash, whereas racquetball is more similar to tennis and only the serving side can earn points. In terms of popularity, squash tends to be more commonly played in Europe, while racquetball is favored in the United States.