Squash · Rules explained
Squash PAR vs English (hand-in hand-out) scoring
PAR (point-a-rally) scoring gives a point for every rally, whoever served, in games to 11. English, or hand-in hand-out, scoring, the traditional 9-point system, gives a point only when the server wins the rally; a rally won by the receiver just passes the serve. PAR to 11 has been the official system since 2009, and English scoring is still in the rules as an alternative.
PAR vs English scoring at a glance
| PAR (standard) | English (hand-in hand-out) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Official World Squash system since 2009 | Alternative system in the World Squash rules |
| Who scores on a rally | Whoever wins it | Only the server |
| Receiver wins a rally | A point and the serve | The serve only (hand-out), no point |
| Points to win a game | 11 | 9 |
| Close finish | From 10-all, play on until one player leads by 2 | At the first 8-all, the receiver picks a game to 9 or 10, with no 2-point margin |
| Match | Best of 5 games, or best of 3 if the organiser chooses | |
What does hand-in hand-out mean?
The name comes from the serve changing hands. Under hand-in hand-out scoring you can only add points while you hold the serve. When the receiver wins a rally, the marker calls "Hand-out" and the serve passes across with no change to the score.
PAR scoring keeps the call: the marker still says "Hand-out" whenever the serve changes, but the receiver who won the rally also scores a point.
The same 10 rallies, scored both ways
The start of a game, with Anna serving first. The rallies, and who serves each one, are identical; only the scoring changes. Scores are shown Anna first and were checked with the app's scoring engine; a hand-out is a rally won by the receiver.
| # | Server | Winner | PAR | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna | Anna | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Anna | Anna | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Anna | Ben | 2-1 | 2-0 (hand-out) |
| 4 | Ben | Ben | 2-2 | 2-1 |
| 5 | Ben | Anna | 3-2 | 2-1 (hand-out) |
| 6 | Anna | Ben | 3-3 | 2-1 (hand-out) |
| 7 | Ben | Ben | 3-4 | 2-2 |
| 8 | Ben | Ben | 3-5 | 2-3 |
| 9 | Ben | Anna | 4-5 | 2-3 (hand-out) |
| 10 | Anna | Anna | 5-5 | 3-3 |
After 10 rallies PAR has it at 5-5, exactly the rallies each player won. English scoring has it at 3-3, because 4 of the 10 rallies were hand-outs that moved only the serve. So a PAR 11 game that never reaches 10-all is decided in at most 20 points, while an English game has no such limit: a run of hand-outs can go on with neither score moving.
What happens at 8-all in English scoring?
The first time the score reaches 8-all, the receiver chooses how the game will end. The choice is made before the next serve and must be made clear to the marker, the referee and the opponent:
- Set 1: the game stays at 9 points, so the next point scored wins it.
- Set 2: the game goes to 10 points. The first player to 10 wins, with no 2-point margin, so 10-9 is a win.
The receiver at 8-all is always the player who reached 8 first. Only the server scores, so whoever has just made it 8-all is serving, and the choice falls to their opponent.
That is why the choice matters. With Set 1, the server is one winning rally away from the game. With Set 2, they need two more points, so a single rally on their serve can no longer decide it. The example below uses Set 1 because it is the choice the app can reproduce.
| Rally | Won by | Score | Games won (scores) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna | 8–7 | 0–0 | Anna | Anna is serving, so winning the rally scores: 8-7. |
| 2 | Ben | 8–7 | 0–0 | Ben | Hand-out: Ben wins the rally on Anna's serve. No point is scored; the serve passes to Ben. |
| 3 | Ben | 8–8 | 0–0 | Ben | Ben scores on his own serve: 8-all for the first time. Before the next serve the receiver, Anna, chooses Set 1 (game to 9) or Set 2 (game to 10). She chooses Set 1, so the next point wins the game. |
| 4 | Anna | 8–8 | 0–0 | Anna | Hand-out. Still 8-all, and now Anna serves for the game. |
| 5 | Anna | Game to Anna | 1–0 (9–8) | Anna | Anna scores on her own serve and wins game 1 9-8. With no 2-point rule, 9-8 is enough. |
| 6 | Ben | 0–0 | 1–0 (9–8) | Ben | Game 2. Anna serves first as the winner of game 1. Ben wins the rally: hand-out, still 0-0. |
| 7 | Anna | 0–0 | 1–0 (9–8) | Anna | Hand-out back to Anna. Two rallies into game 2 and nobody has scored. |
| 8 | Anna | 1–0 | 1–0 (9–8) | Anna | Anna wins on her own serve and scores the first point of game 2. |
Scored by the same scoring rules the app uses, with English scoring, 9 points and Win by two off, which plays every 8-all as Set 1. A marker calls the server's score first; this table always shows Anna first.
Anna chose Set 1, so the game ended at 9-8 as soon as she won a rally on her own serve. Had she chosen Set 2, her point on rally 5 would only have made it 9-8, and she would have needed one more point on her own serve to reach 10.
What is PAR 15?
PAR 15 is point-a-rally scoring with games to 15 in place of 11. Every rally scores, and from 14-all the game continues until one player leads by 2. It is the other alternative system in the World Squash rules, with the serve working as in PAR 11. For the standard game in full, see how squash scoring works.
How the app handles it
The app uses PAR to 11 by default. English scoring is an option: only the server scores, and a rally won by the receiver passes the serve with no point. Points per game can be 11, 9 or 15, and Win by two (under Advanced) applies to both systems, so an English game is to 11 unless you pick 9. For PAR 15, choose 15 points with Win by two on, and the app plays on from 14-14 until one side leads by 2.
The app does not support the 8-all choice. With English scoring, 9 points and Win by two on, it plays on from 8-8 until one side leads by 2, which is neither Set 1 nor Set 2. Turn Win by two off and the first to 9 wins, the same as always choosing Set 1. Set 2 is not possible, because 10 points is not an option. In English scoring, match stats show rallies won by each side in place of points won on serve.
Questions
When did squash change to 11-point scoring?
World Squash made PAR to 11 the official scoring system in 2009. The PSA men's professional tour had already switched to it in 2004.
Do you have to win by 2 in squash?
In PAR scoring, yes: from 10-all (or 14-all in PAR 15) play goes on until one player leads by 2. English scoring has no 2-point rule: at the first 8-all the receiver sets the game to 9 or 10 points, and the first player to reach it wins, so 9-8 or 10-9 is enough.
Is PAR scoring the same as rally scoring?
Yes. Point-a-rally is squash's name for rally scoring, the system badminton, table tennis and volleyball also use: every rally scores a point for whoever wins it.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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