The
US based Pro Squash Tour released its Rules of Play today:
The traditional "let" (do-over) will no longer be a part of
the game. This change, which will take effect at the
Baltimore Open in September, significantly reshapes the way
squash is played and will enhance the enjoyment for
spectators.
“Our elimination of the traditional let is a dramatic leap
forward for both players and fans,” said Pro Squash Tour
Commissioner Joseph McManus.
“Americans do not want ‘do-over’ calls in sports. A ball is
served and returned, a rally ensues, and a clear winner
should be declared for every rally. Players should not hit a
shot that they cannot clear.”
"We did retain a small provision to protect player safety
and allow for equipment failure," added McManus. "These will
be exceptional occurrences though."
Previously, a “let” occurred when an opponent impeded the
striker from getting into position to play the ball. If a
let was granted by the referee, players were forced to
replay the previous rally. This will now result in a stroke
call, granting the rally, and point, to the striker.
Bob Hanscom, US National Certified Referee immediately
endorsed the new rule. “Finally! It's been a concept I've
talked and written about for a good while.”
Paul Ansdell, also a US Certified Referee, concurred.
“Taking away the 'yes let' will make the players work harder
to play the ball and get out of the way, thus making the
game far more exciting and enjoyable to watch.”
“Each year, the most popular sports in the United States
review their respective games and make improvements to
enhance the fan experience,” said McManus. “The NFL, NBA,
and MLB are fan-centric organizations that annually find
ways to improve the fan experience. Our Pro Squash Tour is
committed to doing the same."
More than 150 years old and played by more than 20 million
people in 175 countries, squash has shown sustained growth
at the junior level in the US. in recent years. The US based
Pro Squash Tour was founded in 2009 and coordinates a tour
with stops across the United States. The season begins in
September and runs through April.
US Pro Refs Flowchart
Five Lets ...
the wording
Each player will begin a match with 5 lets at his disposal.
A player requesting a let will still say “Let, please” to
the referee. And the referee will continue to have three
options: “Yes, let”, “No let” or “Stroke to Player A”.
If the call is “Yes, let”, the referee will then follow
with, “Player A has used his first let. He now has 4
remaining.”
If a player requests a let and the referee responds with a
“no let” or “stroke” call, the player will still retain his
5 lets.
Once the player’s 5 lets have been exhausted, the referee
will only be able to award a “no let” or a “stroke” call.
01-Jun-10: Five lets to become No lets ...
After some successful testing this spring, the US Pro Squash
Tour is going to play “no let” squash when our season begins
again this fall.
After several months of deliberation with top players and
referees, we knew that we were either going to limit the
number of lets players that were allotted or completely
eliminate them during match play. Our decision is to move
forward with the elimination of the let.
(Exception: We will allow the referee to rule a let when (s)he
is unsighted and cannot make a call on a double bounce or in
the case of an unavoidable turn at the back glass which
creates a player safety issue. A turn at the back glass does
not necessarily require the stoppage of play and should be a
rare occurrence.)
To implement this new rule successfully, we will obviously
be punishing “blockers” for not clearing. This will no
longer be called a let. When a player hits a shot that he
cannot clear, he will lose the rally.
Also, we will no longer reward “fishermen” who choose a poor
path to ball and create unnecessary contact trying to create
a let. This behavior will receive a “no let” call.
If you have additional thoughts for us to consider, I
welcome your feedback. Our updated rules will be released on
August 2.
17-Apr-10: US Pro Squash New 5-Let Rule
A
Resounding Success
Squash referee Mike Riley, one of only six
World-certified referees in the world, called last week’s
Franklin & Marshall Invitational “some of the most exciting
squash ” he’s ever seen. This enthusiasm was a result of the
5-let rule that US Pro Squash instituted—completely
reshaping how squash is played.
At last week’s Franklin & Marshall Invitational, two-time
world champion David Palmer asked US Pro Squash CEO Joe
McManus to consider implementing the 5-let rule
immediately instead of waiting until May tournaments. “The
play was free flowing as we had promised and the players
played more balls than they thought they could. Of course
there were some ‘hairy’ moments, but I thought it went very
well,” says McManus.
Riley adds, “David Palmer was the most creative I
have ever seen in his career. Wael El Hindi played
through so many balls I know it surprised even him! Let’s
keep this going!”
“I think the 5-let rule worked well for the first time” says
Palmer. “In the final with Wael I think we only called about
4 lets for the whole match. We both made a lot more effort
to move around each other and clear out shots so we could
save our lets for later in the match. We still need to test
it more to see if 5 is the right number, but I think we are
on the right track .”
Former World #1 John White calls the rules change “a
great step forward in cleaning up the game” After the
tournament, White said, “The 5-Let rule made players clear
and play the ball more often than normal. The rallies were
more continuous with players only asking for a let when they
really needed it. It stopped all the weak let calls when
players knew they were out played, out of position or just
did not want to play that ball glued against the wall!”
28-Mar-10: Five lets, that's your lot
The US Pro Squash Tour, a series of tournaments running
across the USA, is set to implement a new rule which allows
players only five lets per game.
There have been many discussions about how to reduce the
number of undecided points in a squash match, a feature of
the game which has marred, even ruined a number of
professional matches, but as far as we're aware this is the
first time a measure like this has been implemented (as it
happens, I was chatting with the referees at Canary Wharf
about the exact same subject, so good timing US Pro!).
Anyway, there's bound to be a lively discussion about this,
but here's the US Pro explanation of their move to "change
the way squash is played".
Natick, MA (March 29, 2010) —
US Pro Squash is reshaping how squash is played. Players
will now be restricted to five lets per match in US Pro
Squash Tournaments – a bold move that will significantly
enhance the fan experience. This will eliminate the endless
replaying of points that has long characterized match play
in squash. The rule change will take effect beginning with
the New England Open, May 11-13, 2010.
“Our new 5 let rule is a dramatic leap forward for both
players and fans,” said US Pro Squash Chief Executive
Joseph McManus. “Americans do not want ‘do-over’ calls
in sports. A ball is served and play ensues – barring some
egregious form of interference, a clear winner should be
declared for every rally.”
John White, the former World #1 Touring Pro and now
head squash coach at Franklin and Marshall College, agrees.
“I firmly believe this is a critical step in cleaning up the
game! Squash is supposed to be a continuous battle between
two great athletes, not a “stop and start” contest with a
let call every third point. Players will adapt to this rule
the same way all of us adapted to modified tin heights and
the changing of the scoring system,” said White.
“By limiting the let calls to 5 per match, players will have
to start playing and clearing the ball a lot more. There are
too many lets for minimal interference. Once players know
that it could come down to a Stroke or No Let they will
start to play the ball.”
World-certified Referee Mike Riley believes the
current manner of play and officiating often detracts from
the game. “This new five let rule brings us back to the way
the game is meant to be played. There are simply too many
lets in today’s pro tournaments,” remarked Riley. “With this
new rule, squash is moving in the right direction and I’m
confident that US Pro Squash will stay on top of the
situation, continuing to meet with top world players and
referees to improve the game.”
Moving forward, each player will begin a match with 5 lets
at his disposal. A player requesting a let will still say
“Let, please” to the referee. And the referee will continue
to have three options: “Yes, let”, “No let” or “Stroke to
Player A”. If the call is “Yes, let”, the referee will then
follow with, “Player A has used his first let. He now has 4
remaining.”
If a player requests a let and the referee responds with a
“no let” or “stroke” call, the player will still retain his
5 lets. Once the player’s 5 lets have been exhausted, the
referee will only be able to award a “no let” or a “stroke”
call.
“Each year, the most popular sports in the United States
review their respective games and make improvements to
enhance the fan experience,” continued McManus. The NFL,
NBA, and MLB are fan-centric organizations that annually
find ways to improve the fan experience. US Pro Squash is
committed to doing the same.
The
US based Pro Squash Tour released its Rules of Play today:
