WSF

Call your own tin and double-bounce honestly

In self-refereed squash — the norm at amateur and recreational levels — players are expected to call their own down balls (tin hits) and double-bounces without waiting to be challenged. Failing to do so is a serious breach of the code; squash's culture prizes self-honesty above almost all else.

At the professional level, referees and video replay handle these calls, but honest self-refereeing is foundational to squash culture at every other level.

Do not deliberately target the opponent with the ball

When an opponent is obstructing your shot and you could claim a let, deliberately blasting the ball directly at their body instead is considered dangerous and unsporting. The enclosed glass-and-plaster court makes a hard ball at close range genuinely hazardous; taking the let is always the expected choice.

Accidental body contact during normal play is part of the sport; deliberate targeting is a different matter entirely.

Volunteer the let or stroke when you've clearly obstructed

If you know you impeded your opponent — blocking their swing path or cutting off their line to the ball — good sportsmanship dictates conceding the let, or even the stroke, before they ask. Waiting for your opponent to appeal when you know you obstructed them is considered poor form.

Accept referee decisions without prolonged dissent

At the professional and elite level, disputing a referee's let or stroke decision beyond a brief query is strongly frowned upon. Players may politely ask for clarification but extended argument, visible frustration directed at officials, or repeated challenges to rulings is considered conduct unbecoming.

The PSA World Tour has formal conduct rules, but the cultural norm against dissent predates and underlies them.

Do not overclaim lets

Requesting a let when you clearly had no genuine shot at the ball — because you were out of position, hit a poor shot, or the interference was trivial — is widely condemned as gamesmanship. The let system exists for genuine interference, not as a tactical reset.

Chronic let-fishing is one of the most criticized behaviors in club and amateur squash.

Call a let — don't swing — when you've turned on the ball

When a ball passes behind you and you consider turning to play it with your opponent in the swing arc, the strong cultural expectation is to stop and call a let rather than swing. The closed court makes a turning swing genuinely dangerous. Even if you could have hit a winner, a stroke should never be claimed after turning.

The WSF rules address turning in Rule 8 but the cultural norm goes further: proactively calling a let rather than waiting for the opponent to object is expected.