Contents
The age categories, from 3 to seniors
The top structure is the same at World Squash, FFsquash and SWISS SQUASH: U11 · U13 · U15 · U17 · U19. France extends downward with Mini-Squash (ages 3–6) and the École de Jeunes (7–10). One French particularity worth knowing: age is measured at the date of the season's finals (« Moins de X ans »), not at a fixed birthday: a child stays in their category all season.
| Federation | Categories | Below U11 |
|---|---|---|
| World Squash (WSF) | U11 · U13 · U15 · U17 · U19 | none |
| FFsquash | U11 → U19 (age at the finals date) | Mini-Squash 3–6 · École de Jeunes 7–10 |
| SWISS SQUASH | U11 → U19 (the SQUASH!T junior series) | none |
The age bands used in this knowledge base (u9 / u13 / u17 / sen) are those of the Paak app: no federation publishes them. Each one straddles at least one official category, so the mapping is always given with « ≈ ».
The ball ladder: the real age adaptation
In squash, the youth adaptation is the ball, not a shrunken court. The dot ladder runs slowest to fastest: double-yellow → single-yellow → green → white / red / blue. The youngest need the bounciest ball; otherwise the rally dies before it exists. A u9 drill that silently assumes the competition ball is a pedagogy error, not a detail.
| Band | Default ball | Why |
|---|---|---|
| u9 | Blue or red dot, or an oversized intro ball | A lively bounce keeps the rally alive for a small hitter, never the double-yellow |
| u13 | Red → single-yellow, progressing | The ball climbs the ladder as control grows |
| u17 | Double-yellow | The competition ball |
| sen | Double-yellow (single-yellow fine for returners) | The competition ball |
France has made this ladder a testable programme: FFsquash's nine Les Balles levels (Pastille bleue → bleue/rouge → rouge → rouge/blanche → blanche → blanche/jaune → 1 pastille jaune → 2 pastilles jaunes → Balle blanche), continuously assessed with published pass thresholds (8 out of 10 for blue/red, 10 out of 12 for white/yellow). The ball a child uses is tied to a graded, tested competence, not a marketing colour.
Eyewear: who must wear it, federation by federation
The eye injury is rare in squash, but it is the most serious (the numbers are in Physical preparation and safety). The federations answer with a protective eyewear mandate whose scope varies. Every row of this table was read in the federation's own document on 13 October 2026.
| Federation | Who must wear it | Document |
|---|---|---|
| World Squash (WSF) | Juniors (under 19) and all doubles players at WSF-sanctioned events; recommended for every other player, warm-up included | World Squash Singles Rules 2025, V1.2, Appendix 4; Championship Regulations V11.4 |
| England Squash | Under 19 in any competition, including adult age groups; all ages in doubles competitions | Federation help page; Regulations for Sanctioned Competitions (revised August 2024) |
| US Squash | All players and all coaches, singles and doubles, at US Squash-only accredited events | Protective Eyewear Policy |
| Squash Canada | All juniors at sanctioned events; all players in sanctioned doubles | Eye Guard Policy (amended 13 November 2018) |
| FFsquash | All minors, in training and in competition; not mandatory for adults | ffsquash.com, « Choisir son matériel » |
| SWISS SQUASH | Under 19 at every competition organised by SWISS SQUASH | Turnier- und Wettkampfreglement 2026, §14.3 |
| DSQV | Licensed players under 19, at tournaments, league days and training | Jugendturnierordnung 2026, §7 |
Three details. A lensless guard is ineffective, and in the published case series no injury has been reported behind eyewear that complies with the current standards (2024 systematic review). The standard World Squash names today is ISO 18527-2:2021 (BS EN 18527-2:2021 in the United Kingdom, ASTM F3164-19 in the United States). And a 17 or 18-year-old is still a junior for World Squash (under 19): the mandate covers them, even when they train « with the adults ».
Frequently asked questions
Which ball for an eight-year-old?
Is eyewear mandatory at club practice?
When should a player move to the double-yellow?
Sources
Eyewear, documents read on 13 October 2026: World Squash, World Squash Singles Rules 2025, V1.2, in force since 1 September 2025 (Appendix 4), Championship Regulations V11.4 and the eyewear specification page; England Squash, the eye protection help page and Regulations for Sanctioned Competitions (August 2024); US Squash, Protective Eyewear Policy; Squash Canada, Eye Guard Policy (13 November 2018); FFsquash, « Choisir son matériel »; SWISS SQUASH, Turnier- und Wettkampfreglement 2026, §14.3; DSQV, Jugendturnierordnung 2026, §7. · Mazarelo JFD, Winter SL & Fong DTP, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 2024 (systematic review: 25 case series and 4 case reports). · Categories and balls: World Squash (junior categories, ball specification); FFsquash (Mini-Squash, École de Jeunes, the Les Balles scheme: nine levels, 8/10 and 10/12 thresholds, age measured at the finals date); SWISS SQUASH (the SQUASH!T junior series), read in September 2026.