WORLD SQUASH DOUBLES RULES 2008

NEW DOUBLES RULES 2008 – (without changes)
NEW DOUBLES RULES 2008 (with changes marked)
PDF format

Following the 2006 Commonwealth Games it became clear that Doubles required an overhaul to be successful at the elite level to make it attractive to athletes and spectators. This revision of the World Squash Doubles Rules was adopted by the WSF AGM in October 2007 to be used at the World Doubles in 2008 and the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Court width. Squash New Zealand set up a Task Force to address court width and an extra width of 0.8 metres has been adopted. Whilst the vast majority of Doubles courts around the world have “movable wall” technology WSF acknowledges that the change had been conceived with only elite athletes in mind and therefore recommends that the court width change be an alternative rather than the norm.

Squash Australia tested a number of rule changes and interpretations designed to complement the wider court, encourage more positive play and reduce the length of matches. Some of the changes are:

Serving order. To align with Singles. The nominated first server from Team A serves. Team A loses a rally and the Marker calls “Hand-out”. The first nominated server from Team B then serves. That team loses a rally and the Marker calls “Hand-out”. The nominated second server from Team A then serves…and so on.

Scoring It was considered it would increase the excitement for spectators if games go to “sudden death”. Scoring is PARS to 9 points. First team to win 9 points wins a game. At 8-all there is no “setting” the game further.

Interference. To encourage positive play and reduce the number of rallies resulting in lets, a greater obligation to clear is imposed on strikers who hit the ball back close to themselves (as opposed to close to their partners) such that strokes will apply.

NEW DOUBLES RULES 2008 – (without changes)
NEW DOUBLES RULES 2008 (with changes marked)
PDF format