Referees' Review - World Squash Federation

welcoming demeanor. Each referee was
introduced and given a certificate of
appreciation and a beautiful watch. The
feast was held at the Mariott Hotel and
the food was outstanding.. Here’s a
photo of the whole bunch together.
The Thrill is Gone
B.B. King had it right - but he wasn’t
referring to the officiating of Squash. I
am. We have now entered the era of the
3-Referee System for essentially all
professional events. Of course, the game
is not about officials – but it is the
simple fact for some officials that there
is now something missing at this high
level – that it’s unlikely that we see
much one-on-one officiating. It looks
like the 3-person-decision-making task
force is pretty much what we’ll see at
most events unless some distant, out-ofthe-way
backwater simply has no one
around.
Less dissent
There’s little doubt that when a true
player-blind system is instituted
(electronically or with some form of
indicator), there should be fewer issues –
either with the behaviour of upset
players singling out a given official for
harassment, or with recruitment of
officials to participate (even including
players where no choice exists) – since
they know that no specific decision can
be attributed to them.
Quotes and Anecdotes
Of course, over the course of a week of
officiating like this, there will be some
amusing occurrences – and so without
further ado (but with potential
embarrassment) :
• A player queries John’s change of
hand signal from NL to YL – which
would have given him the point.
John answers: “The let is the right
call – but me mind didn’t send the
right signal to me hand”! The player,
Peter Barker, then replies: "I know
what you mean – I tried that once on
my girlfriend!"
• How many points for
‘benzoxycamphors’? The Brits in
attendance (Wendy, Dean, John, &
Jack) seem to travel the world for the
purpose of playing Scrabble in as
many countries as possible – and if
there happens to be a Squash
tournament – then all the better.
• Mike, having just finished a
conversation about Cricket between
games, finds himself needing to
specify an injury time out to a player
– and announces: 'Self-inflicted
injury – you have three wickets!"
• Since the WSF now has a new logo
discussions came up about a new
shirt for WSF Referees. The issue of
colour was also under discussion,
and an informal poll seemed to
conclude on a pale blue. Now – how
about that suggestion about building
in dark-blue vertical stripes like
referees have in other sports?! I think
not!
• While the group was chatting in