Squash

Sport Overview

Squash at Los Angeles 2028

Venue: Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios

Competition Dates: July 15-24 (Days 1-10)

Events: 2 (1 men, 1 women)

Squash is a racquet and ball sport played on a four-walled court. It was invented at the Harrow School in England circa 1830 when students realized that a punctured rackets ball squashed on impact against a wall. Returning the ball required quick footwork but produced a greater variety of shots. In 1864 the first four squash courts were built at the school, marking the official founding of the sport. By 1882, the game was being played in Canada.

Squash has been part of the Pan American Games program since 1995, featuring men’s and women’s singles as well as men’s and women’s team events. In 2011, men’s and women’s doubles events were added. After many years of campaigning, squash will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028 with men’s and women’s singles events.

An enclosed squash court is 9.8m long and 6.4m wide (7.6m wide for doubles). The small, hollow rubber balls must be kept off the ceiling and floor. Out-of-court lines are at a height of 4.6m on the front wall then slope down the side walls to be at a height of 2.1m on the back wall. At the base of the front wall is a 48cm high area known as the tin in which the ball may also not be hit.

A game begins with a player using a racquet to serve the ball to the opponent’s side of the court. Play continues as long as the ball is hit and returned within the lines of the court and does not bounce more than once on the return or hit the floor before hitting the front wall. Balls are allowed to hit the side and back walls as long as they are below the out-of-court line. In this extremely fast game, balls can reach speeds upwards of 200km/hr.

A point is scored on every rally. The first player to score 11 points and lead by two points wins the game. Singles matches are best-of-five games while doubles matches are best-of-three games. The singles and doubles events are contested as single elimination brackets. At the Pan American Games, both semifinal losers receive a bronze medal, while the semifinal winners play for gold and silver. At LA 2028, there will be a bronze medal match between the semifinal losers.

Teams are comprised of three singles players who each play one encounter against one player from an opposing team. Team matches are best-of-three encounters. Competition begins with teams divided into pools. After a round robin within the pools, the top two teams in each pool advance to the single elimination bracket.

Olympic Squash History

The IOC gave official recognition to the International Squash Rackets Federation (now World Squash) in December 1985. In 1988, the federation made a push to have squash included as a demonstration sport at Barcelona 1992, but the bid was unsuccessful. World Squash would later establish the Olympic Games Commission, which was tasked with conducting a high-profile campaign for squash to be accepted as an official Olympic medal sport.

At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, squash was a showcase sport, giving it great exposure to a new audience.

In August 2022, squash was one of nine sports shortlisted as an OCOG Proposed Sport for LA 2028. During the 141st IOC Session in October 2023, squash was approved for inclusion at LA 2028, with men’s and women’s singles events on the program.

Canadian Pan Am Games Squash History

Canada has won more medals in squash at the Pan American Games than any other country. At Lima 2019, the Canadian team set a Pan Am Games record by winning seven total medals. At four previous Games (1995, 2003, 2011, 2015) Canada had won six squash medals.