Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
The tin (or board) is the metal strip at the bottom of the squash front wall, 0.48m high. Any ball striking the tin or below is immediately out — the characteristic metallic sound is instantly recognisable to squash players. The tin creates the fundamental tactical constraint of squash: to keep the ball above it requires precision, and attacking shots that aim low near the tin risk losing the rally. Nicks — shots that hit the side wall and floor junction — are unreturnable.
- 0.48m high metal strip at bottom of front wall
- Ball hitting the tin = immediate loss of rally
- Creates the fundamental tactical risk in squash
- Attacking low shots must clear the tin
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The tin in squash — the metal strip across the bottom of the front wall — acts as an out-of-bounds zone that, if the ball strikes it, immediately ends the rally in the opponent's favor regardless of how the point was otherwise developing, which forces players to control shot height precisely even during fast, attacking rallies near the front wall where margin for error is smallest.
FAQ
What happens if the ball hits the tin in squash?
The rally ends immediately and the point is awarded to the opponent, regardless of how the point was developing beforehand — the tin is a hard out-of-bounds zone with no exceptions.
Why does the tin make low attacking shots risky in squash?
Low, aggressive shots aimed near the bottom of the front wall carry a higher risk of clipping the tin and immediately losing the point, forcing players to balance shot aggression against this precise margin for error.