Refereeing Edited email from Joe Witherspoon (County Refereeing Co-ordinator):
"Hi All
I’ve recently taken up the role of Refereeing Coordinator for NSRA.
Everybody loves referees, well maybe not everyone, however let’s face it , no referees means no games.
Qualification to World Squash Officiating (WSO) level 1 is entirely online, multiple choice questions, and you can do it as many times as it takes to pass. It’s not that hard but you will be surprised at some of the rules that you thought still existed but have long since been dropped. Do you give an automatic let when the ball comes off the back wall for example? And who gets the point if there is an injury or is it just a let? Not as simple as they sound but the sources of many heated discussions! Apologies to you avid PSA Squash TV watchers who will of course know all the answers.
Don’t think this is restricted to the lower leagues, I’ve seen some obviously wrong decisions made by experienced players in the Premier League because of changes in the rules since they first picked up a racket. And it would be quite a step forward if everyone knew the correct calls for referees. ’Stroke Away’, ‘Game and Match Ball’, 2 examples that you’ll never hear on Squash TV! 'Game and Match ball' is valid in some of our divisions however - do you know why? And did you know that the warm up lasts a maximum of 4 minutes? Yes ! We all can name offenders there. A brief over view of referee calls is attached.
There is a small cost (£12) involved in taking the tests, but the County Committee has agreed to reimburse the costs with one caveat …. You must referee 3 matches every season in the NSRA list of tournaments to claim the refund.
That includes the forthcoming Northumberland Open of course, however the matches that require most help are the first round matches in tournaments such as the Northumberland Closed. After the first round it is normal practice for the winner to referee the next match on court, but it is generally a scramble for the first matches. They are usually the easiest to referee so no pressure really.
Check out the attached.
It would be great also if anyone who passes could let me know and I’ll compose a database of qualified refs in our County.
Good luck everyone, I look forward to replies and suggestions
Yes Let !
Joe Witherspoon"
SO you think you know the rules of squash?
The WSF and PSA have jointly launched World Squash Officiating (WSO), an online education and appraisal portal designed to standardise officiating qualifications worldwide.
WSO has been launched with the aim of creating a worldwide standard in refereeing and a clear referee pathway. Anyone wishing to improve their knowledge of the sport can access a host of resources such as in-depth articles and presentations on rules as well as a comprehensive video library from the SQUASHTV archives which explains previous decisions made by referees on the PSA World Tour.
Users of the platform can also take part in a number of courses starting with a free Level 0 course
The level 1 course will educate you to Club Level officiating. It is free to access and at the end there is a nominal fee to access Level 2.
If you need any help or guidance please get in touch
Joe Witherspoon (NSRA Refereeing Coordinator) - jgw2010@me.com
WORLD SQUASH OFFICIATING
The home of squash officiating established by the WSF and PSA
https://worldsquashofficiating.com/
