Racquetball · Formats
Racquetball vs racketball vs squash: what is the difference?
They are three different sports. Racquetball is played mainly in North America on its own 40 by 20 ft court with the ceiling in play and no tin, scored side-out to 15, while racketball, now called Squash 57, is played on a squash court with a bigger, bouncier ball than squash and is scored like squash: every rally scores, games to 11, won by 2.
Racquetball vs racketball (Squash 57) side by side
| Racquetball | Racketball (Squash 57) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rules from | USA Racquetball; the IRF internationally | World Squash Federation and England Squash |
| Court | 40 ft long, 20 ft wide, 20 ft high (about 12.2 m by 6.1 m) | A squash court, 9.75 m by 6.40 m (about 32 ft by 21 ft) |
| Tin on the front wall | None: any shot that reaches the front wall before the floor is good, and the ceiling is in play | Yes: shots must hit the front wall above the tin and below the out line |
| Ball | 2.25 inches (about 57 mm) across, about 1.4 ounces | Up to 57 mm across, bigger and bouncier than a squash ball |
| Serve | Bounce the ball in the service zone, hit it on the first bounce to the front wall, and land it beyond the short line; 2 tries | Drop the ball, hit it after one bounce to the front wall between the tin and the out line, landing in the opposite back quarter |
| Who scores | Only the server (side-out scoring); every rally at IRF events | Every rally scores (point-a-rally) |
| Game | 15, 15, then a tiebreaker to 11, won by 1 | 11, won by 2 from 10-all |
| Match | Best of 3 games | Best of 3 or 5 games, the organiser's choice |
The two balls are close in size, so the real differences are the court, the tin, the ceiling and the scoring.
Is racketball the same as racquetball?
No. The names sound alike, but they are different sports. Racquetball is played mainly in North America on its own, larger court, where returns can come off the side walls, the back wall and the ceiling. Racketball, as the name is used in the UK, is played on a squash court, with the squash tin and lines, using a ball larger and bouncier than a squash ball.
To end the confusion, the World Squash Federation and England Squash renamed racketball Squash 57, after the ball's maximum diameter of 57 mm. England Squash describes racquetball as a primarily North American game played on much larger courts, with no tin and a different type of ball.
How is racketball (Squash 57) scored?
Racketball uses point-a-rally scoring to 11, the same as modern squash. Every rally scores a point for whoever wins it, and a receiver who wins a rally scores and takes over the serve. At 10-10 play goes on until one player leads by 2, so 12-10 or 14-12 are possible. A match is the best of 3 or 5 games, as the organiser decides.
Both are played on the same squash court, with the same tin and lines. The rules differ from squash mainly on the ball and the serve:
| Racketball (Squash 57) | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Ball | Up to 57 mm across, bigger and bouncier | About 40 mm across |
| Serve | Bounced first, then hit to the front wall anywhere between the tin and the out line | Front wall between the service line and the out line, then the opposite back quarter; one serve only |
How is racquetball scoring different from squash?
Three things change: who can score, how long a game is, and how many games make a match.
- Who scores. Under USA Racquetball rules only the server scores; win a rally on the return and you only take the serve. In squash every rally scores. Squash's old hand-in hand-out (English) scoring worked like racquetball's side-out scoring; PAR vs English scoring compares the two.
- Game length. Racquetball games go to 15, with a shorter tiebreaker to 11, and are won by a single point. Squash games go to 11, won by 2, and the deciding game is played to the same target as the others.
- Match length. Racquetball is the best of 3 games; squash is usually the best of 5.
Racquetball's international events have moved closer to squash: IRF World Championships now play rally scoring to 11, won by 2, over the best of 5 games. The full racquetball rules are in how to keep score in racquetball, and squash's in how to keep score in squash.
How the app handles it
Sport Score Tracker has separate modes for racquetball and squash. Racquetball defaults to side-out scoring to 15 with a deciding game to 11, won by 1, best of 3, with rally scoring as an option. Squash defaults to point-a-rally scoring to 11, won by 2, best of 5, with best of 3, games to 9 or 15 and English scoring as options.
There is no mode called Squash 57 or racketball. Its scoring, point-a-rally to 11 won by 2 over the best of 3 or 5 games, matches the squash mode's settings, so you can score it there. Both modes are singles only.
Questions
Can you play racquetball on a squash court?
Not to the rules. A racquetball court is 40 ft long, 20 ft wide, 20 ft high, with the ceiling in play and no tin, while a squash court is only 9.75 m by 6.40 m. The game built for a squash court with a bigger ball is Squash 57, formerly racketball.
Is racketball easier than squash?
Many beginners find it so. England Squash says the bigger, bouncier ball moves more slowly and needs no warming up, so rallies last longer and players get more time to reach the ball.
Is racquetball an Olympic sport?
No. Racquetball is not on the Olympic programme, though it is played at multi-sport events such as The World Games. Squash joins the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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