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How to prepare as a squash referee |
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Idea by Clive Pollard Do you have any comments on the content or any suggestions ? Please fill in our comments form |
You may think that becoming
a Squash Referee is just a matter of sitting down behind
the court and watching the play, then using your
instincts to make decisions. And this may be the way that
it looks to you as a player when someone does try to
referee your match. However, to become a good referee requires you to have a detailed knowledge of the Rules, a cool clear head, good eyesight, and a strong voice. We shall consider each of these points of the 'art' of refereeing in more detail. |
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| The WSF Rules of the game of
Singles Squash have just been rewritten and a new version
will become valid on 1 May 2001. These Rules are
available on various sites on the WWW - see for example
the current WSF site, Squash
Player
magazine and others. In our Rules explanations, we go through each of the 2001 Rules in detail, giving you simple explanations of the problems that may arise and how to cope with them. For players, there is an abbreviated set of Rules, which sets out the main points, without going into the details. You may find that all of your matches come to a conclusion without any problems - you have been lucky. Watch out ! the next match could be a nightmare. |
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| Squash is as much a mental
game as it is physical. This means that you will see
various types of players on the court - those who shout
at every mistake they make, glare at their opponent and
you, and hate everything about the game - at least,
that's how it appears from the outside. Perhaps it's a great desire to win, to be seen as a winner by their peers. Or perhaps the opposite, a frantic desire not to lose, not to be seen as a failure. Whatever the reason for this type of behaviour, when it comes to accepting a referee's decision, this type of player is a disaster. As a squash Referee, you definitely need a cool head in this situation. The ability to make clear decisions consistently while under this sort of mental pressure is an important part of the 'art' of refereeing. The mental aspects of refereeing (in all sports) are described in the excellent book entitled "The Psychology of Refereeing' by Robert S. Weinberg and Peggy A. Richardson, published by Leisure Press, Champaign, IL, U.S.A. in 1990, ISBN 0-88011-400-2. Within a mass of detailed information, tests and systems, there are some very good pointers to success in squash refereeing. |
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| We believe that Squash
Refereeing is definitely an art rather than a science. It
is about interpretation, about judging the speed of the
ball and the players, assessing the moment of striking,
and determining the trajectory of players and ball. WSF can lay down the Rules. In fact, we do need a set of Rules on which to base our decisions. But these Rules are not fixed in stone. They are there to be interpreted according to the playing situation. And like the very nature of the game itself, these Rules are changing, moving, the 'goalposts' are becoming wider, or sometimes narrower. |
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| The game of squash is
incredibly fast moving, probably one of the fastest games
in the world. If your eyes are not up to it, you
shouldn't play squash - and you definitely shouldn't be a
squash Referee. Although you run a bit of a risk by wearing glasses (the 'four-eyes' insult is quite common !!), if your eyes are corrected to 20-20 vision (or even with contact lenses), then that should be sufficient. And tiredness, drugs or alcohol also play a part. When you are tired, your eyes will have difficulty following the ball and watching the movements of the players. Get someone else to take over - you'll hate yourself if you make a big mistake just because your arrogance stopped you handing that match on to someone else. And using drugs, especially alcohol (such a common affectation of squash Referees), is a definite no-no. If you go to referee a match after consuming any form of drugs, you are putting your reputation at risk. Just don't do it !! |
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| How many times have you
shouted out the score only to have one of the players
almost immediately ask you to repeat yourself ? It is a frustrating fact that even at the top level, squash Referees are often not included in the media preparations for a match. OK, you might be given a microphone occasionally for a major final. However, generally, you'll be expected to shout yourself hoarse over a multitude of background noises in a building that would not qualify as safe according to a work inspection for sound levels. This is when you need a strong voice. It does not have to be authoritarian, in fact quite the opposite. Your voice should be firm and clear, and as loud as necessary considering the circumstances. Bellowing too loud is as bad as being too quiet. |
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More ideas/advice ? |
If you are in a position to
make any further recommendations about the above advice,
please let us know. We'll be glad to include your points
in our revisions of the site, will will take place at
least monthly, and maybe weekly. Now it's time to start with the detail - you can choose to read the Rules one-by-one, from the Rules Index, and then go through the Guidelines and Specifications when indicated by the hyperlinks. You can also read the Guidelines and Appendices one-by-one from their respective Indexes. |
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