Referees’ Review June 2009

Editor: Rod Symington

Following a very busy period on the In addition, the world of will be latter part of 2008, the first six months of waiting with great suspense for the final 2009 have been rather quiet for WSF vote of the full International Olympic referees. The economic downturn has Committee on whether squash will be inevitably led to some challenges for the admitted to the 2016 Olympic Games. tournament calendar, and the demand for At the time of writing there is a sense of WSF referees has been correspondingly cautious optimism; the WSF and its low. (See the Table of Assignments later allies have made tremendous efforts to in this Newsletter.) As a consequence, promote the case of squash, and this issue of the WSF Referees’ Review whatever the outcome the sport will have is somewhat shorter than usual. benefited from an infusion of renewed energy and professionalism. However, the second half of 2009 will be a busy season, with both the The 10th World Squash Refereeing Women’s World Open in the Conference will be held in Odense, Netherlands and the Men’s World Team Denmark on September 25 and 26. See Championships in Denmark. announcement on the next page.

10th World Squash Refereeing Conference

“TOWARDS POSITIVE REFEREEING: THE WAY FORWARD”

25th and 26th September, 2009 First Hotel Grand, Odense, Denmark

Friday, 25 September. Session One: Calling the Shots – Correctly! 8.45 Registration 9.00 Introduction 9.30 The Challenges in Identifying the Issues and Rod Symington PowerPoint Refereeing Moving Forward Presentation and Discussion 10.00 Front Court Interference Theory and Practice Ian Allanach PowerPoint/Video Rod Symington presentation 10.45 Break 11.00 Deep Court Interference Theory and Practice Ian Allanach PowerPoint/Video Rod Symington presentation 11.45 A Referee’s Phrasebook What To Say and When Ian Allanach PowerPoint presentation 12.15 Lunch 1.15 Mid-Court Interference Theory and Practice Ian Allanach PowerPoint/Video Rod Symington presentation 2.00 Blocking and Physical Rod Symington PowerPoint/Video Tactics presentation 2.45 Break 3.15 Some Difficult Problems How to Solve Them Rod Symington PowerPoint/Video Presentation 4.00 Forum Questions From the Floor IA, RS, GW 4.30 Finish

Saturday, 26th September. Session Two: The Way Forward 9.00 The Way Forward Refereeing in a Perfect Rod Symington PowerPoint World presentation 9.30 The Three-Referee Current Practice and Graham Waters PowerPoint and System Outstanding Issues discussion 10.15 Break 10.30 Injuries and Bleeding How To Get It Right Every Rod Symington PowerPoint Time presentation 11.15 Conduct on Court A Challenge for all Ian Allanach PowerPoint/Video Referees presentation 12.00 Lunch 1.15 Pressures of a Team Preparation and Practice Ian Allanach PowerPoint Event presentation 2.00 The Assessment Process How To Benefit Rod Symington PowerPoint presentation 2.45 Break 3.00 Relations with Players The Way Forward TBA Discussion 3.45 Forum Questions from the floor IA, RS, GW 4.15 Finish

Hong Kong Open 2008 A general observation is that it seems to have been favourably accepted by the by Harvey Bowlt players, who consider it a fairer system, and there was minimal dissent [This article was omitted by accident throughout the week. from a previous edition of the Referees’ Review.] Due to the fact that there were only 5 WSF referees present we were initially The Open was held from under the impression that we would be Monday 17 November to Sunday 23 worked off our feet. However, the November 2008. The qualifying rounds tournament referee, Anthony So, made in both the men’s and women’s significant use of the other visiting tournaments were held on 17 and 18 referees and some of the local November and the draw proper started referees/players to assist with refereeing on Wednesday 19 November. duties and ultimately the WSF referees were, if anything, underutilised during The WSF referees allocated to the the tournament. tournament were world referees Chris Sinclair and Roy Gingell and Where possible, at least 2 WSF referees international referees Yogendra Singh, were used in the more difficult matches, Fayyaz Mohammad, Harvey Bowlt and but in many matches a WSF referee was Fahim Gul. Fahim Gul was unable to the central referee and was assisted by make the tournament at the last minute one of the other national referees and/or and accordingly there were only 5 WSF a local referee. On occasion this resulted appointed referees. in some interesting situations where the central referee was either overruled by Other referees sent by their national the two less qualified referees or there bodies were Miyuki Adachi (), were three different decisions. Although Kim Jae Ohan and Woo Chang Wook WSF referees obviously make mistakes, (), Yang Yuan Fang (Taipei) the two examples of overruling that I and Andy Karuppiah and Aaron Soyza saw in matches where I was not involved (). A number of local referees were clearly incorrect decisions. assisted with refereeing duties, as the three referee system was used in both the I think the lesson to be learnt is that qualifying rounds and the main draw for although there were very few problems the men’s tournament and from the throughout the tournament because of quarter finals onwards in the women’s the three referee system, it is preferable tournament. for at least two WSF referees to be allocated to each match where at all The Three Referee System possible, particularly when it gets to the Although the system has been used at later rounds of the tournament. many tournaments throughout the world it was a novelty to me, as it was the first As regards refinements to the system, time I had used the system. where dissent is shown it is generally addressed to the central referee and ultimately an electronic system needs to Kong Squash is fortunate to have such a be developed where all three referees good sponsor. give their decision anonymously and only the consensus decision is displayed As usual the organisation of the to the players. This should not be an tournament was good and my thanks to issue with modern technology. Tony Choi and his organising committee for their hospitality and the excellent Accommodation lunch during the week. Thanks also to The referees were accommodated at the Fayyaz from Hong Kong who arranged Rosedale on the Park Hotel in Causeway an informal dinner on the last evening at Bay, which was strategically placed for the United Services Recreation Club in transport and other facilities. Although Kowloon, which was hosted by the club the rooms were small they were very president, Ross Parker. comfortable and the other hotel facilities were good. The players were accommodated at one of the local 9th World Squash Coaching and Marriott Hotels, which I believe was Development Conference more upmarket. I understand that WSF Hong Kong, May 2009 have decided that in future referees must be accommodated in a hotel that is the Chris Sinclair same standard as that used by the WSF World Referee players. However, I had no complaints about the ref’s hotel accommodation. I was asked to present two one-hour sessions at this Conference. My topics Venues were: The initial rounds were held at the Centre and the semi finals 1. Singles Rules – What’s Next, and and finals were held at an open court in Doubles Rules – 2008 Changes to Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side of Interference and Scoring Hong Kong. Fortunately the weather for 2. ’s Video Rules the semis and final was good and the Presentations, and Refereeing – Its court was at a different angle to its Place Within Squash position a couple of years ago, when I had the interesting experience of a ball Of course it was innovative for Hong going out of court over my head and into Kong to include refereeing topics at a the sea! It was positioned so that the Coaching Conference and it was a great skyline and light show on the Hong opportunity to spread the word about Kong island skyline were displayed refereeing generally – different ways of behind the front wall and it must be one presenting rules information to players of the more spectacular venues for a and for training referees; WSF’s CBTA squash tournament in the world. programme; problems facing refereeing; and of course Rules updates (which I The Tournament in General kept very brief). I was interested to hear that this is the rd 23 year that Cathay Pacific has After speaking about the topics, I handed sponsored the tournament and Hong out a survey on certain aspects of the Rules including Turning, Excessive On World Squash Day Mr Timothy Fok Swing, Minimal Interference, Injury and Tsun-ting (President of the Olympic Blood situations, as well as the 3- Committee of Hong Kong) was invited Referee System, and I will pass those to lunch and to address the gathering. results onto the WSF Rules Committee. His son is a keen squash player in Hong Kong. Other presenters were: Gerard DeCourcy (Vice President WSF); I had some spare time for shopping the Tony Choi (National Coach HK day I left, and having arrived in Hong Squash); Anthony Ricketts (National Kong with 16 kgs of luggage, I left with Coach ); David 26 kgs. Well, Tony did ask us to Pearson (UK National Coach); Stafford contribute to Hong Kong’s economy! Murray (Head of Analysis EIS); Aidan Harrison (Head Squash Professional I believe smaller countries are desperate USA); Sarah Fitz-Gerald (5 times World for information and material for them to Champion); and various personnel from be able to teach their players the rules, the Hong Kong Sports Institute. and to be able to fully instruct prospective referees. Therefore I hope The topics covered included: this idea of refereeing and coaching Olympic Update; Junior Development in mixing and contributing to each other’s HK; Footwork; Becoming a Professional areas continues, and I applaud Hong Squash Player; Sports Science in the Kong for this initiative. Elite Programme; England Squash Coaching Philosophies; Adapt to Style; Squash Skills Program; Honours for WSF Referees Coaching Techniques and Tactics; Anti- doping – What, Why and How; Two WSF Referees, one current and one Marketing of Squash; Integration of former, have been honoured by the Chinese and Western Medicine in Elite Asian Squash Federation: Squash Players. Munir Shah (), IR and Director

of Asian Referees for the past 25 years, There were representatives from 21 has been elected to the Asian Squash countries present – a great response. Hall of Fame. There was a Forum where some coaches reported what was happening in their Major Maniam (Malaysia and ), countries – e.g. , Malaysia, Sweden former IR and Asian Squash Federation and Canada. Director of Coaching, has also been elected to the Asian Squash Hall of This 3-day Conference was held at two Fame. venues – the Conference room of the Hotel and the Kowloon Squash and Our sincere congratulations to both of Table Tennis Centre. Facilities were these colleagues on being appropriately excellent at both places and all recognised for their many years of arrangements were perfect. Meals and service to squash. social events were happy occasions and well organised. Editorial expand and develop. And this means that the demands on squash referees will (Note: The opinions expressed in this continue to increase: more professional Editorial are the responsibility of the tournaments, more prize money – and Editor and in no way reflect the official more pressure to perform at the highest position of the World Squash level. Although squash referees are all Federation.) amateurs, it is essential that they maintain at all times a professional The Pursuit of Excellence attitude. In sports, as in life, progress is evident. All of human life evolves – and in sports This professionalism requires an open the evolution can be seen in the and flexible mind: every day and every improvements in equipment, training, event can provide us with lessons from and performance. Any player who stands which we can draw useful conclusions. still is left behind. On the back page of the WSF Assessment Form there is a very Refereeing is subject to a similar important box: “Receptive to feedback”. process: as the sport of squash evolves, If an Assessor does not tick that box, the so must refereeing. It took a long time referee faces a significant handicap. But (squash being a very conservative sport that box and that principle are not and people in general disliking change), confined to squash matches and but we have finally adopted a far assessments: it is also a principle for life. superior referring system (Three Stubborn deafness and a refusal to be Referees) that without doubt has been of receptive to feedback are fatal to enormous benefit to the sport. We still personal growth and professional have to overcome the obstacle of the development, and any referee who does stubborn belief that there are not not listen to feedback from any source is sufficient referees to use the Three- condemned to stagnate and move Referee System universally. Why do we backwards. never hear the same objection from the sport of tennis, where a minimum of A commitment to excellence is the seven officials are needed for a match? primary duty of all referees, but Here again, the thinking needs to especially of WSF Referees. As the top change. referees in their profession, they must set an example at all times by their conduct, But the evolution of the system should their performance, and their devotion to not mislead us into thinking all is fine. the highest standards. But equally Each of us involved in the sport of important, they must show the world that squash has an obligation to evolve they mature enough to admit error and personally: that is, to become better commit to improvement – and to listen referees. No human being is perfect to advice from any source. (only psychopaths think they are); thus each has the duty to engage in self- analysis and self-development.

Despite the global economic crisis, professional squash will continue to From the Director ……… Arabia, plus the British Open in Manchester and the World Masters in Graham Waters Sydney. There are also tw brand new Super Series events on the PSA calendar, one in Nigeria, and the other in India. There is also the possibility that the U.S. Open and the Canadian Classic might be revived during the September/October period. Pheewww – we might all be very busy come September.

Unfortunately, the world’s economic As most of you know by now, the climate has claimed a few victims on the adoption of a new logo by the WSF squash scene with events cancelled in means that WSF Referees and Assessors Mexico City (even before the swine flu will be receiving new clothing – shirts scare) in January, Abu Dhabi in May, and jumpers (sweaters, if you prefer), and Cairo (SKY Supersport), also in and a new crest for our blazers. For May. In fact, we had only two requests budgetary reasons, this has been planned for WSF Referees for events in the first for next fiscal year (which starts on July half of the calendar year – the 1st) and will also coincide approximately Tournament of Champions in New York with the new WR/IR appointments. in January and the WISPA event in That’s when we should all expect our Seoul in June. We did, however, have new uniforms! the traditional requests for Assessors to attend the European Team The WSF will be holding a 2-day Championships and the Canadian Referees’ Conference in Odense, National Championships, both during Denmark, on September 25th and 26th, the same week in late April/early May. It 2009 – immediately before the is troubling to note that major events beginning of the Men’s World Team such as the Super Series finals, Canary Championship. It will be led by Ian Wharf, and the Hurghada International Allanach (Scotland) and Rod Symington chose not to request WSF Referees. (Canada), and they are currently busy finalising a program, which I am sure However, the second half of the year will be both informative and appears much brighter, with WSF entertaining. More details will be Referees already assigned to the World forthcoming in the coming weeks. Championship events - the World Games in July, the World Junior The WSF has begun a project to Individual and Junior Women’s Team document the competencies to be an Championships in July/August, the effective Tournament Referee, and to Women’s World Open in September, the develop a training program to educate Men’s World Teams in interested candidates. The goal is to September/October, and the Men’s develop a list of approved “WSF World Open in November. Still to come Tournament Referees”, available for are the long running PSA Super Series assignment to World Championships and events in Qatar, Hong Kong, and Saudi tour events. The group working on this The WSF Score Sheet has also been comprises Ian Cherington, Wendy updated on the website and the example Danzey, Chris Sinclair and Rod shows the newly adopted PAR to 11 Symington, all of whom have served as scoring system. It has examples of the Tournament Referees at World three most common methods of scoring, Championships and other major events and also shows HiHo scoring, and like the British Open, the European doubles scoring. I would encourage Team Championships, and the everybody to promote the use of this Commonwealth Games. sheet for all events (professional tour down to club events), as a way to With the official implementation date of standardise scoring methods worldwide. PAR to 11 scoring, the rules on the WSF website have been updated in English, As always, your comments and although the rules in the many other suggestions on any aspect of our different languages need to be updated programme are always welcome. I look as well. They have been marked as forward to catching up with many of you reflecting only the previous (2001) rules, during what is shaping up to be a very and will be updated as we find busy second half of 2009. volunteers to do so.

Assignments in the First Half of 2009

Month 2009 Site # Referees Assigned Jan 23-29 Tournament of New York 2 Massarella, Riley Champions Feb 10-15 MX Squash Classic Mexico City 4 Event postponed Apr 9-16 Abu Dhabi Open Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 Event postponed/cancelled Apr 28-May 2 Canadian Nationals (A) Calgary 1 Allanach Apr 29–May 2 European Team Malmo 2 Flynn, Parker Championships (A) May 11 - 16 MX Squash Classic Mexico City 4 Event postponed (again) cancelled? June 1 - 7 Seoul Open Seoul 1 Fayyaz

Another Asian Odyssey: develop. In the past two years it has been a privilege to mentor referees from Malaysia and Malaysia and India, where there are several referees in both countries who

are potential International Referees. It is by Rod Symington also very gratifying that the two squash Senior Referee Assessor federations, the Malaysian and the

Indian, have a commitment to improving Being based in for six months of refereeing and to supporting their the year or more, I have a good referees who wish to gain international opportunity to help Asian referees experience. There are two major tournaments a year After Qualifying and First Rounds at the in – in March the KL Bukit Jalil squash facility, just outside Open and in July the Malaysian Open – the city, the event moved downtown to and both attract the best players from the Berjaya Times Square where the both the PSA and WISPA tours. These magnificent new glass court was erected. events offer developing referees the chance to gain valuable experience and The Men’s event unfurled with no great the opportunity to be mentored towards surprises, Peter Barker beating Adrian better performances. Grant comfortably 3 – 0 in the final with an example of what he called “boring In March 2009 I attended the KL Open English squash”. and before it delivered an advanced refereeing clinic to approximately 35 On the women’s side, however, there referees. (The three referees from India was a major upset when Natalie who attended had flown overnight, so Grainger beat in five they were present in body, if not in magnificent games, to end Nicol’s mind…). The tournament organisation winning streak of 54 matches. recognises that refereeing is important to the success of the event and has made With the presence of Director of Asian considerable effort to develop local Referees and IRs Munir Shah referees, both through clinics and (Singapore), Yogi Singh (India), and through mentoring. Under the leadership Tahir Khanzada (), plus three of Tournament Referee Leslie referees from India and the usual reliable Ponampalam the Malaysian referees group of Malaysian referees, the have been gaining ground year by year, refereeing team was strong – with the and they show a welcome enthusiasm to result that the refereeing performance become better. throughout was highly competent.

Two years ago the tournament China organisers had the foresight and wisdom Chinese squash is still in its infancy. to agree to use the Three-Referee There is a very keen core group of System, and the result was an immediate players and referees, but what they improvement in refereeing performance urgently need is help with coaching and and player conduct – both which were of refereeing development. Since all sports great benefit to the Tournament’s image in China are administered out of the – especially since the event in March Ministry of Sport, there is some financial takes place in a shopping mall, with and bureaucratic support, but the relative hundreds of people watching for free insignificance of squash is revealed by from the shopping galleries around the its location, along with golf, snooker, court. cricket, and bocce (!) in what until recently was called the Department of This year’s tournament was superbly Small Balls. organised again, under the leadership of Tournament Chairman Sivanesen The Chinese referees are more than ably Kanapathipillai, as the Malaysian led by Franco Amadei, who has had a tournaments have been for a long time. remarkable career. Born in Italy, he began as a student of Chinese philology, and by their willingness to learn as much but after marrying his lovely wife Luna as possible. Their attitude was truly and starting a family, he changed careers exemplary. and became an adviser to Western companies wishing to navigate through They are also good referees; all they lack the muddy waters of Chinese – as is the case with many referees in the bureaucracy and laws. He is now the world – is more exposure to the top Chairman of Fiat China. Under Franco’s players. At the moment the only PSA leadership from Shanghai, Chinese Tournament in China is a one-star PSA referees are developing rapidly and event in Shanghai. competently. The Ministry of Sport was represented I flew to Shanghai in the last week of by Shirley Zhang who bravely attended April and stayed for five days with most of the seminar sessions and proved Franco and Luna (and their two sons) in to be an excellent host throughout my their spectacular apartment overlooking stay. Both Shanghai and Beijing are busy tributary of the Yangtse River on wonderful cities, and the people I met which the main section of Shanghai lies. everywhere were all friendly and inquisitive. All in all, this was one of the After conducting a two-day Assessors’ greatest experiences of my squash Seminar in Shanghai, I flew with Franco career. My parting gift was a beautiful to Beijing for the main event. Over three doll from the Beijing Opera in a glass days, ten of the top Chinese referees case – which was a challenge to bring attended twenty-four hours(!) of back to Canada in one piece. I was advanced refereeing seminars. Is there detained in Customs at Vancouver anywhere else in the world where squash Airport for three hours… referees show such enthusiasm and devotion? I was extremely impressed by the attentiveness of the Chinese referees

Envoi

My thanks to everyone who has The next issue of the Review is contributed to this issue of the WSF scheduled for January 2010. Referees’ Review. Contributions may be sent to the Editor at [email protected].