Badminton vs Squash
vs Table Tennis.
Three of the fastest-paced indoor racket sports, compared on court, equipment and scoring.
The short answer
Badminton is played over a net with a shuttlecock that cannot bounce. Squash is played in an enclosed court using all four walls with a small rubber ball. Table tennis is played on a table with a low net and a lightweight plastic ball. All three use rally-point scoring, but badminton goes to 21, squash and table tennis to 11.
Despite the shared indoor, fast-paced feel, the actual court geometry could not be more different between the three.
Side by side
Why the shuttlecock changes the whole game
A shuttlecock decelerates far faster than a ball because of its conical shape and feathers or synthetic skirt. This is why a badminton smash can be clocked at extreme speeds off the racket, yet still be returnable a split second later - the shuttle sheds speed almost immediately after peak velocity. No ball sport behaves like this, which is part of why badminton feels so distinct even to players used to squash or table tennis.
It is also why the shuttle cannot legally bounce - its shape makes bouncing behaviour completely unpredictable.
Squash is the only one that uses walls
Neither badminton nor table tennis allow any wall contact during play - the ball or shuttle must stay within the marked court or table area. Squash is unique among the three in using the entire enclosed room as part of the playing surface, which is why squash rallies can include shots that look impossible to defend but are not, because the ball can be chased off a wall.
Scoring - close, but not identical
All three sports abandoned the old serve-only scoring in favour of rally-point scoring, where every rally wins a point regardless of who served - but the target differs. Badminton plays to 21 (win by 2, capped at 30). Squash and table tennis both play to 11 (win by 2, uncapped). Scorepion tracks the correct rules and format for all three automatically from your wrist.
5 free matches - no card required