How do lets and strokes work?
Rule- South Africa
- Squash South Africa
- World Squash Singles Rules 2025
- League squash
- Open
- 2026
- Players
After your follow-through you must make every effort to clear, so your opponent has a fair view of the ball, access to it, room for a reasonable swing, and freedom to hit it to any part of the front wall (World Squash Singles Rule 8). If you're the striker and that doesn't happen, stop and say "Let, please" without undue delay. A let request also covers a request for a stroke.
The referee then decides:
| Situation | Decision |
|---|---|
| No interference and no reasonable fear of injury | No let |
| Interference, but you couldn't have made a good return | No let |
| You played on past the interference, then asked | No let |
| Minimal interference (you could still see and reach the ball) | No let |
| Interference your opponent was making every effort to avoid, and you could have made a good return | Yes, let (replay the point) |
| You could have made a good return but your opponent wasn't making every effort to clear | Stroke to you (you win the point) |
| Interference stopped what would have been a winning return | Stroke to you |
Also:
- If you didn't make every effort to get to the ball, no let.
- If you had access but took a path that created the interference, no let, unless you'd been wrong-footed and could have recovered (then a let, or a stroke if it would have been a winner).
Updated 21 Oct 2026