CBTA Programme - World Squash Federation

CBTA Programme
For the Appointment of
WSF International Referees
May 2010

Contents
Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Purpose of the Programme ............................................................................................................ 3
1.2 Referees' Code of Conduct ............................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Appointment .................................................................................................................................. 3
Section 2: Previous Experience ...................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Entry Pre-Requisites ...................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Recognition of Prior Learning ....................................................................................................... 4
Section 3: Competency Statements and Training ........................................................................................... 5
3.1 Competency Statements ................................................................................................................ 5
3.2 Training Programme Syllabus ....................................................................................................... 5
3.3 Seminar - Interpreting the Rules and Decision-Making for International Candidates .................. 6
Section 4: Assessment and Nomination ......................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Seminar .......................................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Practical Refereeing ...................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 Assessment Standards ................................................................................................................... 7
4.4 Assessment Tool ............................................................................................................................ 7
4.5 Nomination .................................................................................................................................... 7
Section 5: Practical Refereeing ...................................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Refereeing Activity ....................................................................................................................... 8
5.2 Tutoring and Mentoring ................................................................................................................ 8
Section 6: Ongoing Nomination and Appointment ........................................................................................ 9
6.1 Re-Nomination .............................................................................................................................. 9
6.2 Assessment Failures ...................................................................................................................... 9
6.3 Re-Appointment ............................................................................................................................ 9
Appendix 1 Assessment Standards for the International Level ...................................................................... 10
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Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Programme
The purpose of this programme is to detail the requirements for training, assessing and nominating
candidates who wish to be appointed World Squash Federation (WSF) International level referees.
The International designation is the first refereeing level administered by WSF.
1.2 Referees’ Code of Conduct
WSF has adopted a Code of Conduct for International Referees and Assessors. All candidates are
required to observe this Code. They are also required to sign the Code in jurisdictions where this is
not inconsistent with the law.
1.3 Appointment
Candidates for the International designation are nominated by their Member Nation or Region and
appointed by the WSF Management Committee based on recommendations made by the WSF
Review Board. The Review Board will not recommend the appointment of candidates who do not
meet the requirements of this programme. International Referees are appointed initially for a 1-year
period. Re-appointments are usually for a 3-year period (see Section 6.3).
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Section 2: Previous Refereeing Experience
2.1 Entry Pre-Requisites
Prior to completing this training programme, candidates shall:
Be an accredited National or Regional level referee meeting the requirements of the WSF
CBTA programmes for these levels.
Have passed a rules examination approved by the WSF.
Have passed the WSF General Principles for Officials Advanced Level course.
Have signed the WSF Code of Conduct for International Referees and Assessors (see Section
1.2)
Have natural or corrected 20-20 vision and good hearing, as verified by a qualified medical
professional.
When nominating candidates for International appointment, Member Nations or Regions must
certify that candidates have satisfied these pre-requisites.
2.2 Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
While the WSF accepts the principle of the recognition of prior learning, it will not apply at the
International level.
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Section 3: Competency Statements and Training
3.1 Competency Statements
In order to be appointed as a WSF International Referee, candidates must:
Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the Rules and their interpretation and apply the
Rules in accordance with accepted international interpretations
Make correct decisions on interference, including minimal interference
Make correct decisions on other areas of the rules
Demonstrate consistency in decision-making
Demonstrate an understanding of the movement of players when going to and when moving off
the ball
Demonstrate an understanding of swing-interference
Demonstrate an understanding of a player’s effort to play the ball
Demonstrate an understanding of a winning shot at the elite level
Understand the context of the match
Demonstrate control of the match using the Conduct rule, if necessary
Demonstrate composure in stressful situations
Communicate effectively with players
3.2 Training Programme Syllabus
Candidates must complete a seminar on interpreting the rules and decision-making in elite-level
matches, which can be found in Section 3.3. In addition, a candidate’s knowledge of the Rules will
be assessed during the candidate’s refereeing activity (as observed by a WSF Assessor).
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3.3 Seminar - Interpreting the Rules and Decision-Making for International Candidates
This seminar will introduce candidates to the range of skills that enable International Referees to
officiate effectively in squash matches involving elite level players.
1. Nominal Duration
4 hours
2. Seminar Aims
This seminar will introduce participants to the main requirements for becoming an
International Referee. A successful candidate for International Referee will:
Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the Rules and their interpretation and
apply the Rules in accordance with accepted international interpretations
Make correct decisions on interference, including minimal interference
Make correct decisions on other areas of the rules
Demonstrate consistency in decision-making
Demonstrate an understanding of the movement of players when going to and when
moving off the ball
Demonstrate an understanding of swing-interference
Demonstrate an understanding of a player’s effort to play the ball
Demonstrate an understanding of a winning shot at the elite level
Demonstrate control of the match using the Conduct rule, if necessary
Communicate effectively with players
3. Seminar Content
The seminar will include sections on:
Decision-making at the elite level
Player tactics at the elite level
Interpreting the behaviour of elite level players
Dealing with poor conduct
Stress management
Communicating with players
4. Delivery Strategies
Seminar including DVD
Practical refereeing
5. Resources
Current WSF World Squash Singles Rules
WSF “Guide to Understanding the Rules of Squash”
WSF Refereeing DVD “Calling the Shots”
WSF General Principles for Officials, Introductory and Advanced Level presenter’s kits –
Stress Management, Communications and Negotiation content only
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Section 4: Assessment and Nomination
The assessment process at the International level is undertaken primarily during a candidate’s
refereeing activity. However, evaluation during the seminar on Interpreting the Rules and Decision-
Making for International Candidates may also be carried out.
4.1 Seminar
Informal assessment may be done during the seminar by requiring candidates to fill in the answer
sheets supplied with the WSF DVD “Calling the Shots”. Formal assessment is done in Section 4.2.
4.2 Practical Refereeing
The major test of competence is conducted through the assessment of the candidate’s refereeing by
a WSF Assessor. A satisfactory demonstration of refereeing skills is required on Squash matches:
4.2.1 of appropriate international standard and difficulty as defined in Section 5.1;
4.2.2 that last at least four games and in which the candidate has to make at least 25
decisions, of which a significant number are difficult rather than easy; and
4.2.3 with at least 90% of the decisions made rated as correct and consistent.
4.3 Assessment Standards
The assessment standards for the International level are included in Appendix 1.
4.4 Assessment Tool
4.4.1 An assessment tool (the WSF International Referee Assessment Sheet) is used, in
conjunction with the Guidelines for WSF Assessors, to measure the candidate’s
demonstration of the required knowledge and skills detailed in all of the competencies
listed in Section 3.1. In order to pass, the candidate must be rated as competent on all
aspects of the assessment tool.
4.4.2 The WSF International Referee Assessment Sheet and the Guidelines for WSF
Assessors are available from the WSF Office.
4.5 Nomination
4.5.1 To be eligible for nomination as an International Referee, a candidate must, in a 3-year
period, receive at least 3 passing assessments in matches from the categories in
Section 5.1.1, at least 2 of which must be on matches between PSA players both
ranked in the top 30 at the time of the match.
4.5.2 The assessments in 4.5.1 must be from at least two WSF Assessors.
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Section 5: Practical Refereeing
Refereeing practice is integral to achieving competency for Squash referees. The quantity and
levels of refereeing activity required for initial and ongoing appointment are specified in this
section.
5.1 Refereeing Activity
In order to achieve a satisfactory level of activity, a candidate must fulfil the requirements both of
5.1.1 and 5.1.2:
5.1.1 Within a 3-year period, a candidate must have refereed at least 15 matches which
conformed to the following standards:
5.1.1.1 Any tournament or recognised match (but not exhibitions) involving players,
both of whom are PSA players ranked in the top 150 or WISPA players both
ranked in the top 75 at the time of the match. A candidate claiming a match
under this sub-paragraph as a valid activity is required to state the
PSA/WISPA ranking of the players at the time the match was played; or
5.1.1.2 Any quarter-final or subsequent match in the championship draws in either
individual or team events in any of the following events: WSF World
(Senior) Championships, WSF World Team (Senior) Championships; or
Commonwealth Games; or
5.1.1.3 Any semi-final or subsequent match in the championship draws in either
individual or team events in the WSF World Junior Men’s Championships; or
5.1.1.4 Any other match considered to be of an appropriate level by a WSF Assessor
assessing the match; and
5.1.2 Of these 15 matches, at least 10 must be men’s matches and at least 5 must be matches
between PSA players both ranked in the top 50.
5.2 Tutoring and Mentoring
In addition to appointing International-level assessors to assess the candidate, International or
World referees should be appointed to tutor and mentor the candidate during practical refereeing.
The role of the tutor is to provide encouragement, constructive advice and feedback on the
candidate’s performance at an individual tournament. The role of the mentor is to establish a
longer-term relationship with the candidate to provide encouragement, constructive advice and
feedback on the candidate’s performance. This tutoring and mentoring is crucial in helping the
candidate to meet the assessment standards and to achieve his or her potential as a referee.
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Section 6: Ongoing Nomination and Appointment
6.1 Re-Nomination
To be eligible for re-nomination, International referees must:
6.1.1 Continue to referee the number and standard of matches specified in Section 5.1.
6.1.2 Where the Rules of Squash have changed since the referee was last accredited, attend
a course on rule changes or pass a Rules Examination approved by the WSF.
6.1.3 Continue to be assessed and pass in accordance with the requirements in Section 4.5.
6.1.4 If appointed for a 1-year period, in addition to meeting the requirements of Section 4.5
over the preceding 3 years, during the 1-year period must have received at least 1
passing assessment on a match between PSA players both ranked in the top 30 at the
time of the match.
6.1.5 Continue to have natural or corrected 20-20 vision and good hearing, as verified by a
qualified medical professional.
6.2 Assessment Failures
In accordance with the WSF Quality Control Policy, if a referee fails an assessment, the referee
must be referred to a WSF Assessor for guidance and assessed again within 6 months. If this second
assessment is again a failure, the referee becomes inactive and must apply again for appointment in
accordance with the requirements of Section 4.5.
6.3 Re-Appointment
Re-appointments are made usually for a 3-year period. However, re-appointment may be made for a
1-year period in accordance with Section 6.1.4 if it is considered that the referee’s performance
requires review within a shorter period.
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Appendix 1
Assessment Standards for the International Level
Competencies
Assessment Standard
1. Demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of the Rules and their
interpretation and apply the Rules in
accordance with accepted international
interpretations
Knows thoroughly all rules arising in a match and
applies them correctly
2. Make correct decisions on
interference, including minimal
interference
3. Make correct decisions on other areas
of the Rules
4. Demonstrate consistency in decisionmaking
Almost all decisions on interference correct
- no more than 10% error rate
- no totally wrong decisions
Almost all decisions on other areas correct
- no more than 10% error rate
- no totally wrong decisions
Good consistency in decision-making
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the
movement of players when going to
and when moving off the ball
6. Demonstrate an understanding of
swing-interference
7. Demonstrate an understanding of a
player’s effort to play the ball
8. Demonstrate an understanding of a
winning shot at the elite level
Almost all decisions on movement of the players
correct
- no more than 2 or 3 marginal differences
- no more than 1 or 2 incorrect decisions
- no totally wrong decisions
Almost all decisions on swing-interference correct
- no more than 2 or 3 marginal differences
- no more than 1 or 2 incorrect decisions
- no totally wrong decisions
Almost all decisions on player’s effort to play the
ball (including minimal) correct
- no more than 2 or 3 marginal differences
- no more than 1 or 2 incorrect decisions
- no totally wrong decisions
Almost all decisions on winning shots correct
- no more than 2 or 3 marginal differences
- no more than 1 or 2 incorrect decisions
- no totally wrong decisions
9. Understand the context of the match Good understanding of the context of the match
10. Demonstrate control of the match
using the Conduct rule, if necessary
11. Demonstrate composure in stressful
situations
12. Communicate effectively with
players
Good control of the match
Good composure
Good communication with the players
Further explanation of the assessment standards can be found in the Guidelines for WSF Assessors
available from the WSF Office.
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