SquashTalk> Columns> The Spin > Too Short [last update was 4-oct-05 ]

Too Short a Night in Islamabad:

... tinkering with a well-balanced sport ...

Fiddling with the Basics of the Sport © 2005 SquashTalk.com
by Ron Beck (Ron Beck is the editor of SquashTalk and spent five years on the WPSA pro tour)

Ladies and Gentlemen who love the game of squash ... the new PSA scoring system (point-a-rally to 11) has resulted in some measureable changes in the game. Please take note.

The 11 point PSA scoring system --- introduced about a year ago --- "is still a work in progress", and the results, while at some moments exciting, are NOT all positive.

Tonight in Islamabad was the first round of a $25,000 PSA Tour Event. The highest seeded player in the tournament (Ong Beng Hee), lost his first round match in 26 minutes. (Beng Hee isn't usually viewed as a player with the style of finishing off points rapidly.) In fact the longest match of the eight matches played today — between reasonably closely match opponents — lasted a mere 34 minutes. And six of the eight matches lasted less than 1/2 hour.

In fact the entire elapsed time for the top half of the draw (4 matches) took less time (1 hour and 40 minutes) than the time Jahangir spent on court in any of a dozen or more of his famous long battles against determined rivals. (And Jahangir could—and does—relate some fascinating stories about the tactical battles going on in those contests.)

A Pendulum Swing
I am taking this opportunity to say that I don't completely like the changes. The modification has been too extreme. There is enough evidence that the new scoring system has measureably shortened top level pro matches. It has to a noticeable extent taken away that special, indefineable endurance element of the game. And that is a shame because it consequently alters one of the essences of the sport.

Yes, there was good reason to try some modifications to make the game somewhat more offensive and attacking in nature, to reduce the rewards for the attritional approach, to lessen the chance of another Midnight, 2 hour and 10 minute contest, in Grand Central, where not a single attacking shot is hit (I am referring, of course, to Marshall versus Johnson at the TOC in 2000) and only a few fans remained at the bitter end.

Yes, in the short term the concept of the change has been good for the pro game, because it has leveled the playing field for Nicol and Power, still two of the most compelling practitioners of the game right now, who know they won't need to stay out on court for 2 hours, and therefore can be motivated to commit themselves to the tour for another year or more.

Hopefully, A further Adjustment
But six 20-something minute matches out of eight first round matches in a not insignificant prize money event is hopefully sending a strong signal to some PSA thought-leaders that the pendulum has swung too far in one direction. The shorter game makes it too easy, for example, for the shotmakers to get by without making that 110% full commitment to fintness and to rounding out their game.

I am confident that the PSA will see all this and will consider further modifications over the next year or so to compensate slightly back in the other direction — to add to the average duration of the matches and rebalance the several elements of a devilishly well-balanced sport. A sport that has always had that special balance between the elements of skill, speed, rapid decisionmaking, gamesmanship, and endurance.

The WISPA Tour continues with the traditional hand-out to 9 scoring system.