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[[Image:Squash-racquet-and-ball.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Raket skuasy dan bola]]
'''Skuasy''' adalah satu [[sukan berraket]] dalaman yang mana dulunya dikenali sebagai "'''Squash Rackets'''", satu rujukan kepada bola lembut yang boleh dipenyek ([[bahasa Inggeris]]: ''squashable]]''), digunakan dalam perlawanan skuasy.
Permainan ini dimainkan oleh dua pemain (atau dalam sesuatu masa empat pemain bagi beregu) dengan raket 'piawai' dalam gelanggang berdinding empat dengan satu bola getah yang kecil dan berongga.
Sejarawan skuasy menyatakan bahawa permainan ini berasal di [[Harrow School]] pada [[Kurun ke-19]] hanya di luar [[London]] di [[England]], sebagai satu penambahan [[Raket|raket]]. Pembinaan gelanggang yang pertama direkodkan seperi di Harrow dalam tahun [[1860-an]]. Kemungkinan bahawa gelanggang skuasy awal telah di bina di Harrow oleh satu gelanggang dengan membahagikan dewan gelanggang by raket, yang mana merupakan lebih tepat lagi sama seperti tiga saiz gelanggang skuasy Sepanyol (untuk membenarkan lebih ramai pemain dalam gelanggang dalam sausatu masa to allow more players on the courts at the same time).
Permainan umumnya kekal sebagai pertandingan peringkat sekolah-sekolah dan universiti-universiti sehinggalah awal [[abad ke-20]], yang mana masa itu sukan ini menjadi popular dalam kelab-kelab persendirian (seperti RAC di London) dan dengan pegawai-pegawai dalam angkatan tentera British.
The game generally remained the preserve of the schools and universities until the early part of the [[20th century]], by which time it was becoming popular in the private clubs (such as the RAC in London) and with officers in the British armed forces.
[[Image:Squash_Court.PNG|left|thumb|Gelanggang Skuasy Perseorangan Antarabangsa, seperti yang dispesifikasikan oleh [[Persekutuan Skuasy Sedunia]] ]]
AS menjadi negara pertama untuk membentuk sebuah persatuan yang berdedikasi dan mengkodifikasikan permainannya pada tahun [[1907]]. Pada tahun yang sama, Persatuan Tenis dan Raket (British) metubuhkan satu jawatankuasa kecil skuasy untuk mentadbir permainan, yang menjadi secara progresif dikanunkan semasa tahun 1920-an. Kemudiannya, Persatuan Raket Skuasy (British) ditubuhkan dan mengambil alih pentadbiran permainan dalam 1928. Sukan ini sekarang ditadbir oleh WSF ([[Persekutuan Skuasy Dunia]]). Permainan profesional lelaki diuruskan oleh PSA ([[Persatuan Skuasy Profesional]]) dan wanita oleh WISPA ([[Persatuan Pemain Skuasy Antarabangsa Wanita]]).
The U.S. became the first nation to form a dedicated association and codify its game in [[1907]]. In the same year, the (British) Tennis and Rackets Association formed a squash rackets sub-committee to administer the game, which became progressively codified during the [[1920s]]. Subsequently, the (British) Squash Rackets Association was formed and took over administration of the game in 1928. The game is now administered by the WSF ([[World Squash Federation]]). The men's professional game is managed by the PSA ([[Professional Squash Association]]) and the women's by WISPA ([[Women's International Squash Players Association]]).
Skuasy berterusan hampir secara eksklusif permainan bagi kelas pertengahan atas dan / atau kelas atasan sehingga sekitar tahun [[1950]]-an, apabila pengendali-pengendali komersial mula membina gelanggang untuk orang awam. Permainan ini menjadi terkenal, dengan penyertaan memuncak sekitar awal tahun 80-an. Walaupun berlaku kemerosotan dalam bilangan pemain membilang, permainan ini popular di kebanyakan tempat, terutama Australia, barat laut Eropah, Amerika Utara dan Asia (terutamanya selatan dan tenggara).
Squash continued almost exclusively as the game of the upper-middle and/or upper class(es) until around the [[1950s]], when commercial operators began building public courts. The game boomed in popularity, with participation peaking around the early 1980's. Despite a downturn in player numbers, the game remains popular in many places, especially Australia, northwestern Europe, North America and Asia (primarily the south and southeastern regions thereof).
Di tahap elit, permainan dibahagi di antara pemain-pemain amatur dan pemain profesional, yang mana jurulatih-jurulatih sering diambil bekerja oleh kelab-kelab yang eksklusif.
At the elite level, the game was strictly divided between amateur players (usually 'gentlemen' and 'ladies') and professional players, who were often coaches employed by the exclusive clubs. This division started to break down with the growth of the commercial side of the game in the [[1960s]], with the women's game becoming 'open' in [[1973]] and the men's game in [[1980]].
==Peralatan permainan==
'Standard' rackets are governed by the rules of the game. Traditionally they were made of laminated timber, with a small strung area using natural 'gut' strings. After a rule change in the mid-1980's, they are now almost always made of composite materials or metals (graphite, kevlar, titanium, and/or boron) with synthetic strings. Modern rackets are 70 cm (27 inches) long, with a maximum strung area of 500 square centimetres (approximately 80 square inches) and a weight between 110 and 200 grams (4-7 ounces).
The balls (manufactured by [[Dunlop]], [[Prince Sports|Prince]], [[Pointfore]] and others) are made from two pieces of highly durable rubber compound glued together and buffed to a matte finish. Different balls are provided for the varying conditions and standards of play: more experienced players are able to use balls that are smaller and have less bounce than those used by less experienced players. Small coloured dots on the ball indicate the level of bounciness and hence, the standard of play it is suited for. A bouncier ball is said to be "fast" whereas a less bouncy ball is said to be "slow".
The recognised colours are:
* Double Yellow - Extra Super Slow
* Yellow - Super Slow
* Green or White - Slow
* Red - Medium
* Blue - Fast
The 'double-yellow dot ball', introduced in 2000, is currently the competition standard. Prior to this the yellow-dot was long considered standard. There is also a high-altitude ball, used in places like [[Mexico City]] and [[Denver]].
Other balls available are:
*Dunlop max (blue) (aimed at beginners) which is 12 percent larger and has 40 percent longer 'hang time' than a Double yellow dot ball and has 'instant bounce'
*Dunlop Max progress (red) (for players wishing to improve their technique) which is 6 percent larger with a 20 percent longer hang-time than a Double yellow dot ball and has instant bounce
Because of the vigorous nature of the game, players need to wear comfortable sports clothing and robust indoor (non-marking) sports shoes. In competition, men usually wear shorts and t-shirt or polo shirt. Women normally wear a skirt and t-shirt or tank top, or a sports dress. Towelling wrist and head bands may also be required in humid climates. Eye protection with polycarbonate lenses is also recommended, as players may be struck by a fast-swinging racket or the ball, which can typically reach speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph) - in the 2004 Canary Wharf Squash Classic, [[John White (squash player)|John White]] was recorded driving balls at speeds over 270 km/h (170 mph). Many squash venues require the use of eye protection. The rules state that all juniors and doubles players must wear eye protection.
==The play and scoring==
For a rally to be started the correct player serves from the correct service box. At least part of one foot must be in that box and after being striked by the racquet- the ball has to go above the service line but below the out line of the front wall and land in the alternate service quarter, unless volleyed by the returner.
The players take turns hitting the ball against the front wall (referred to as 'rallying'). The ball may be volleyed (hit on the fly) or hit after its first bounce and before the second. To be considered 'good', the ball must reach the front wall below the 'out' line and above the 'board' or 'tin', before touching the floor. The ball may also be struck against any of the other three walls before and/or after reaching the front wall. Shots that are first played off the side or back walls are referred to as 'boasts' or 'angles'.
The rally continues until a player is unable to return his or her opponent's shot or makes a mistake (e.g. hits the ball 'out', or hits it after its second bounce, or onto the floor, 'board' or 'tin'), or a 'let' or 'stroke' is awarded by the referee for interference (see below).
In the 'traditional' British scoring system (as adopted in [[1926]]), a point is scored only by the server (when the receiver is unable to return the ball to the front wall before it has bounced twice). When the receiver wins the rally, they are awarded only the right to serve.
Games are usually played to 9 points (alternatively, the receiver may opt to call 'set two' and play to 10 when the score first reaches 8-8). Competition matches are usually played to 'best-of-five' (ie. first player to win 3 games wins the match).
Alternatively, in the point-a-rally scoring system (referred to as PARS or 'American' scoring), points are scored by the winner of each rally, whether or not they have served. Traditionally, PARS scoring was up to 15 points (or the receiver calls 15 or 17 when the game reaches 14 all). However, in 2004, the PARS scoring was reduced to 11 for the professional game (If the game reaches 10 all, a player must win with two consecutive points with the serve).
In the 'international' game, club, doubles and recreational matches are usually played using the traditional 'British' scoring system. Scoring systems and rules can be adapted subtly to accommodate shorter game time (e.g. games played to 7 points, best-of-three games) or multiple players (e.g. a form of squash called three-quarter court, where one service box is blocked out and excess players wait in that area while two players play a single point in the remaining area of the court).
==Strategy and tactics==
The fundamental strategy of the game is to hit the ball straight up the side walls to the back corners referred to as a 'rail'(formerly called a 'drive' or 'good shot'), then move to the centre of the court near the "T" to be well placed to retrieve the opponent's return. Attacking with soft shots to the front corners (referred to as 'drop shots') causes the opponent to cover more of the court and may result in an outright winner. 'Angle' shots (see above) are used for deception and again to cause the opponent to cover more of the court.
Highly-skilled players often attempt to finish rallies by hitting the ball at an angle onto the front wall and into an area known as the 'nick' (the junction between the side wall and floor) which if done properly will cause the ball to roll out along the floor and be unreturnable. If the shot misses the nick, however, the ball may bounce out from the side wall and allow the opponent an easy attacking shot. Hitting opposing players with the ball if they obstruct results in extra points through a stroke.
Perhaps the one key strategy in squash is known as "dominating the T". The T is the intersection of the red lines near the centre of the court where the player is in the best position to retrieve the opponent's next shot. Really skilled players will return a shot, and then move back toward the T before playing the next shot. From this position, the player can quickly access any part of the court to retrieve the opponent's next shot with a minimum of movement.
Rallies between experienced players may involve 30 or more shots and therefore there is a very high premium on fitness, both aerobic and anaerobic. As players become more skilled and, in particular, better able to retrieve shots, points often become a war of attrition. At higher levels of the game, the fittest player has a major advantage.
Ability to change the direction of ball "at the last" instance is also important to off-balance the opponent. "Expert players" can anticipate the opponent's shot few hundreds of milli-seconds before, compared to the "average player" and this gives them a chance to react sooner. Such skill is usually acquired by a lot of practice and game experience.
==Interference and obstruction==
Interference and obstruction are an inevitable aspect of this highly athletic sport, where two players are confined within a shared space. Generally, the rules entitle players to reasonable access to the ball, a reasonable swing and an unobstructed shot to any part of the front wall. When interference occurs, a player may appeal for a 'let' and the referee (or the players themselves if there is no official) then interprets the extent of the interference. The referee may elect to allow a 'let' and the players then replay the point, or award a 'stroke' (either a point or the right to serve) to the appealing player, depending on the degree of interference and whether the player interfered with was likely to have hit a winning shot had the interference not occurred.
When it is deemed that there has been little or no interference, the rules decree that no let is to be allowed, in the interests of continuity of play and the discouraging of spurious appeals for lets. Because of the subjectivity in interpreting the nature and magnitude of interference, the awarding (or withholding) of lets and strokes is often controversial.
If the ball was travelling towards the side wall and hits the opponent, it is usually a let. However, it is a stroke if the ball is travelling straight to the front wall and the ball hits the opponent.
==Cultural and social aspects of squash==
The relatively small court and low-bouncing ball makes the game harder to master than its [[United States|American]] cousin [[racquetball]], as the ball may be played to all four corners of the court. Since every ball must strike the front wall above the tin (unlike racquetball), the ball cannot be easily killed. As a result, rallies tend to be longer than in racquetball.
Squash provides an excellent cardio-vascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend 700 to 1000 [[calorie]]s (3,000 to 4,000 [[kilojoule|kJ]]) which is significantly more than most other sports. The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilising both the legs to run around the court and the arms/torso to swing the racquet.
There are several variations of squash played across the world. In the US '[[hardball squash|hardball]]' singles and doubles are played with a much harder ball and different size courts (as noted above). Whilst 'hardball' singles has lost much of its popularity in North America (in favor of the 'International' version), the hardball doubles game is still active. There is also a doubles version of squash played with the standard ball, sometimes on a wider court, and a more tennis-like variation known as [[squash tennis]].
Squash games are most competitive and enjoyable when played between players of similar skill levels. However there is no international standard method for evaluating the players' skill levels. This creates a rather interesting phenomenon within the squash community: many squash players are constantly on the look-out for potential partners who are compatible physically, mentally, and technically.
Squash now has a universal appeal, as there are courts in 148 countries in the world from [[Argentina]] to [[Zambia]].
Three novel programs in Boston and New York City, SquashBusters, CitySquash and StreetSquash, which may become models for similar programs in other cities, use squash as an academic and development catalyst after school and during the summer.
==Players and records==
The (British) Squash Rackets Association conducted its first [[British Open Squash Championships|British Open]] championship for men in [[1930]], using a 'challenge' system: [[Charles Read (squash player)|Charles Read]] was designated champion, but was beaten in home and away matches by [[Don Butcher]]. This championship continues to this day, but now using a knockout format since [[1947]].
Since its inception, the men's British Open has been dominated by relatively few players: [[F.D. Amr Bey]] (Egypt) in the 1930s; [[Mahmoud Karim]] (Egypt) 1940s; brothers [[Hashim Khan]] and [[Azam Khan (squash player)|Azam Khan]] (Pakistan) 1950s and 1960s; [[Jonah Barrington]] (Great Britain and Ireland) and [[Geoff Hunt]] (Australia) 1960s and 1970s; [[Jahangir Khan]] (Pakistan) 1980s; [[Jansher Khan]] (Pakistan) 1990s. Recent championships have been shared by players from England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Canada.
The women's championship started in [[1921]], and has similarly been dominated by relatively few players: [[Joyce Cave]] and [[Nancy Cave]] (England) in the 1920s; [[Margot Lumb]] (England) 1930s; [[Janet Morgan]] (England) 1950s; [[Heather McKay]] (Australia) 1960s and 1970s; [[Susan Devoy]] (New Zealand) 1980s; [[Michelle Martin]] (Australia) 1990s.
Because of its traditions, the British Open is considered by many to be more prestigious than the [[World Open]], which began in the mid-1970s.
Heather McKay, with her lengthy and absolute dominance of the game during the 1960s and 1970s, is undoubtedly the greatest woman player of all time. Amongst the men, most modern commentators consider Hashim Khan (1950s) or Jahangir Khan (1980s) to be the greatest male players (the two Pakistani players are distantly related). Other worthy contenders are Jonah Barrington, Geoff Hunt and Jansher Khan.
==See also==
*[[Senarai pemain-pemain skuasy]]
*[[List of squash players]]
*[[WorldSkuasy OpenTerbuka Dunia]]
*[[Kejohanan Skuasy Terbuka British]]
*[[British Open Squash Championships]]
*[[Women's International Squash Players Association]]
*[[Hardball squash]]
*[[Racquets (sport)|Racquets]]
== Rujukan ==
* {{cite book | author=Bellamy, Rex | year=1978 | title=The Story of Squash (Cerita Skuasy) | publisher=Cassell Ltd, London | id=ISBN 0304297666}}
* {{cite book | author=Palmer, Michael | year=1984 | title=Guinness Book of Squash (Buku Guinness Skuasy) | publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd, London | id=ISBN 0851122701}}
==Pautan luar==
* [http://www.psalivesquashplayer.tv Watch the World's bestco.uk SquashMajalah Playerspemain LIVEskuasy]
* [http://www.racketcentral.rhmb.net Squash Central]
* [http://www.squashmagazine.com Majalah Skuasy]
* [http://www.squashtalk.com SquashTalk, Berita, maklumat dan lain-lain]
* [http://worldsquash.org Persekutuan Skuasy Dunia]
[[Kategori:Sukan]]
* [http://www.paksquash.com Pakistan Squash Federation]
[[Kategori:Skuasy|*]]
* [http://www.ispsquash.com Indian Squash Professionals]
* [http://www.squashplayer.co.uk Squashplayer magazine]
* [http://www.nwcsl.resultszone.com North West Counties Squash League UK, largest squash league in the world]
* [http://indiansquash.net/ Squash Raquets Federation of India]
* [http://www.racketcentral.rhmb.net Squash Central]
* [http://www.squashmagazine.com Squash Magazine, monthly magazine includes news, profiles, training information]
* [http://www.squashtalk.com SquashTalk, has squash hall of fame, historical information, current news]
* [http://www.geocities.com/nicolanndavidsquash Nicol David (2005 women's squash world champion)]
* [http://www.squashsite.co.uk/ SquashSite squash news, results, articles, and coverage. ]
* [http://www.collegesquash.org College Squash Association, has complete details on intercollegiate squash in the USA]
* [http://worldsquash.org World Squash Federation, has more details on rules, rankings and court dimensions]
* [http://squashclub.org SquashClub.org, an online community of squash players]
* [http://www.ncsra-squashwars.org/ Washington DC squash links]
* [http://www.ropeyladder.com/squash/ RopeyLadder.com, an online system for running competitive squash ladders]
* [http://www.squashtalk.com/profiles/fameprofiles.htm Squash Hall of fame]
* [http://www.aussienicksquash.com/ Squash Information for the greater DC area and beyond]
* [http://www.englandsquash.com/ England Squash]
* [http://www.ebbisham.com/]
* [http://www.squashgame.info/ SquashGame.info, Squash resources and discussion]
* [http://www.squashbusters.org/ SquashBusters -- An Urban Youth Enrichment Program in Boston]
* [http://www.streetsquash.org/ StreetSquash -- An Urban Youth Enrichment Program in New York City]
* [http://playsquash.bravehost.com/ PlaySquash -- Basic Rules, history, different techniques and much much more]
* [http://www.squashempower.org/ SquashEmpower-- An Urban Youth Enrichment Program in Washington DC]
[[Category:Ball games]][[Category:Squash|*]]
[[ar:إسكواش]]
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