SQUASH RACKETS

also called squash, rackets also spelled Racquets, singles or doubles game played in a four-walled court with a long-handled strung racket and a small rubber ball. The game is played on exactly the same principle as rackets but in a smaller court. Squash is usually played by two people, but it can be played by four (doubles). Two different varieties of game are played: softball (the so-called British, or international, version) and hardball (the American version). In softball, which is the standard game internationally, the game is played with a softer, slower ball on the kind of wide, tall court shown in the accompanying diagram. The ball stays in play far longer, and there is more court to cover, making it a physically demanding game that requires fitness, patience, and deliberation. Hardball squash, which is popular in the United States, is played on a narrower court with a harder, faster ball. The hardball game emphasizes quick reactions and creative shot making.