Runa Reta - WISPA Squash Pro on Tour on www.squashtalk.com

[also Read Rod Symington's Recent Article on Refereeing]

A Guide to Improved Player-Referee Relations
Part 2 - Players [also read Part 1 - Officiating]

Pleading the case (photo © Debra Tessier)

Yelling, screaming, breaking racquets, pointing fingers (middle and index), throwing tantrums, swearing (in multiple languages), shoving, mocking, spitting, gesticulating, alternating looks of disgust, despair, disbelief and disdain, ….oh, it would seem at times like squash players were the direct descendants of John MacEnroe himself!

Needless to say, we have never given the officials any easy breaks when it comes to competition. And despite the fact that it is only a handful of players who really give squash a bad name with their childish on-court antics, I still think that there is a lot of room for improvement with respect to how we competitors conduct ourselves during match play. Here is a bit of food for thought for those players who tend to lose their tempers easily, and are constantly critical of officials during competition.

I once played a player who (having a particularly bad day) was hitting about 65% of her shots loose or directly out into the middle of the court. On many occasions she was in the way of my swing, and I was able to pick up several strokes as a result. She became increasingly frustrated- not with herself for having been playing such bad shots into the middle, but with the referee, for giving away so many strokes.

... Didn't you see that, referee? ... (photo © Fritz Borchert)

One thing that players need to remember during play is that bad things happen when the ball is played loosely. That is partly why we have been told time and time again to keep the ball deep in the corners and/or tight to the walls. If players are caught hitting balls that land mid-court or bounce off the walls into the center of the court (where most interference occurs) one must expect the consequences of a possible stroke call. Rather than berate the referee while continuing to play sloppy squash, it would probably serve one’s cause to think about tightening up and re-establishing good, deep length (particularly straight length). This is especially important in matches where there are lots of stoppages due to players getting in each others way.

A high level of interference caused by a loose shot (photo © Debra Tessier)

Many times I have seen players get frustrated against opponents and referees when there is a high level of interference during a match; if these competitors could move away from the negative (namely, thinking about the opponent’s poor clearing or the referee’s calls) and focus on the more positive approach of confronting the issue tactically by placing the ball deeper into the corners and avoiding too many angles that could potentially create a let situation (ie. cross-courts), everyone would be much better off. The game would clean up, referees would have to make fewer calls, and the frustration levels of both players would be greatly reduced as a result of a smoother flow of play.

A few months ago, I watched one of the highest quality men’s matches to date, between two remarkably well-behaved English players. Despite how nail-bitingly close the match was (11-9 in the 5th, 92 minutes long) both men kept their cool throughout, and were never unnerved by the calls. In fact, there was only a single instance where a decision was challenged by one of the players. After having been awarded several no let calls as a result of the ref’s belief that he could not reach the ball in time, the player opened the door, poked his head out and said in a calm, measured voice: “I really think that you are underestimating my abilities”. Then he gave a coy smile and went back on court. Not only is this a sure way to win over spectators (heck, I was half-ready to marry the guy after I saw him do that!) but it has proven time and time again to be the most effective way to win matches. Studies show that an absurdly high percentage of points are lost by players following a call that they were visibly vexed by. The reasoning is simple: getting too pre-occupied with outside factors (namely, officiating calls, spectators, court conditions, etc.) lends to distractions from the more important issues and tasks at hand (ie. winning).

High drama in the face of intereference (photo © Fritz Borchert)

It is no small coincidence that the two players mentioned above were from England, for it is the coaches in this country in particular that seem to place the highest degree of importance on teaching the virtues of calm, composed court demeanor to their disciples. Indeed, through example and continued practice, the English have gained the well-earned reputation of being amongst the toughest competitors on tour because of their even-keel attitudes, remarkable mental toughness, and unwavering focus on court.

On another note, if you watch any of the top competitors who are playing at their very best, you will notice that they rarely expend energy arguing with the refs or letting their emotions boil over. World #2 Vanessa Atkinson is a perfect example: her greatest improvement over the past year and a half (and arguably what has gotten her so close to the coveted #1 position in the rankings) has been her ability to temper her emotions and stay positive even in the most pressure-ridden matches. As an opposing example, it is little surprise that former #1 Lee Beachill’s recent loss of form has been accompanied by uncharacteristic levels of argumentation with the officials (demonstrating a clear lack of focus). In sum, the correlation between optimal performance and calm, unfaltering demeanor (in any sport) is unmistakable.

Achieving a state where one can control one’s emotions is an on-going process even the best players struggle with. When matches are close and the stakes are high, it becomes even more of a challenge to remain composed (especially in the face of what one perceives as bad calls) but the player who can best handle these situations is more likely to come out as the victor. This is why players should take a page out of the English coaching books and devote more time to working on the mental side of the game; it is largely overlooked, but as we have seen it is a critical element for success. Furthermore, improvement in this area will not only benefit players, but also officials and the game itself by helping develop more controlled and well-behaved competitors on court.

Like I mentioned before, it is very difficult to remain calm and cool when one is immersed in a closely contested match. However, I strongly believe that no matter how much one disagrees with a call, there are limits to how one should express diverging opinions. Calmly voicing one’s opposing view or asking civilly for reasons behind officiating calls is acceptable. Swearing, yelling, gesturing, and generally acting like a spoilt child is not. No matter what the circumstance, referees like anybody else deserve respect. One certainly cannot imagine treating others in this manner in any other setting; the squash court should not provide any kind of exemption from the general rules of social conduct.

Referees are human and as a result, are prone to making mistakes. This is a simple fact that gets forgotten all too often. For whatever reason, many players have a syndrome that makes them believe that they are omnipotent and all-knowing (of every right call) during their own matches. Funny though how quickly this super-human quality dissipates the second these very same players are asked to referee others. Innumerable times I have watched players who pretend to know it all on the squash court turn into the most insecure, uncertain and blatantly bad referees off the court. Surprisingly, I have also seen top-ranked players show signs of doubt and uncertainty when having to take the official’s seat. And it is no surprise how players mysteriously disappear and/or flee like cockroaches in the light when asked to score. The point is that refereeing is not a particularly enjoyable or enviable task. There is a high level of pressure that goes along with it and therefore players should either appreciate what refs do or be able to put their money where their mouths are and referee flawlessly whenever they are put to the task (an obvious impossibility).

Many will argue that as squash players making such meager earnings from the tour, every point is crucial and worth doing whatever is necessary to win. Personally I don’t buy that line of reasoning, simply because even though we are making very little, officials are making even less. In fact, they are making nothing. They take time out of their lives, often paying their own way to events, and are given nothing in return other than food and accommodation. Seeing the way that they are frequently treated at tournaments, it’s a wonder why they keep coming back. My guess is that it is because they love the sport and my hope is they do it because they understand their value to the game. As players, we need to do more than the standard end-of-event thank yous to show our appreciation. We need to show referees that we value their presence by affording them the respect they deserve during competition, and we need to understand ourselves that they are a vital component of the sport. Very few of us can envision ourselves becoming officials in the future, so as long as this fact remains a reality, we as players need to make a special effort to behave appropriately and safeguard those elements that are indispensable to the game.

We have seen how losing one’s cool on court can harm a person’s chances of success, as well as how crossing the limits of acceptable behavior not only is a gross form of disrespect to the officials but a major detriment to the game. The eyes of the world have finally turned towards the sport of squash with keen interest and curiosity. As players, we must decide what aspects of the game we will showcase to the world. Will it be the speed, strength, endurance, flexibility, reflexes, deception and raw intensity of the sport that people are left to admire, or the less prevalent but largely overshadowing aspects of juvenile on-court antics that spectators bitterly part with? A time like this comes but only once. Let’s make the right decision.

I hope that these two articles have been of some use in helping bring both players and officials closer to understanding the challenges that lie at both ends of the spectrum. Although relations between the two may always remain tenuous, there is no reason to believe that both sides can’t make small changes that could impact largely on the game, equally in terms of how it is viewed and how it is played at a professional level.