COURT DISCIPLINE

The committee consider it appropriate to remind players that the authority of match officials must be recognised and accepted at all times.

To this end all referees and players should thoroughly familiarise themselves with the S R S publication “The Rules of Squash”. Particular attention should be given to the attached following sections:-

A) RULE 11 - APPEALS

B) RULE 17 - CONDUCT ON COURT

C) GUIDELINE G 13 - PENALTY PROVISIONS

D) GUIDELINES G14 - SINGLE OFFICIAL

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For the avoidance of doubt Beds S R A wishes to emphasise the following specific interpretations:-

1) AN APPEAL AGAINST A MARKERS CALL MUST BE MADE IN A COURTEOUS MANNER AND THE REFEREES DECISION WILL BE FINAL.

2) CALLS OR DECISIONS MADE BY THE MARKER/REFEREE MUST NOT BE ROUTINELY CHALLENGED. REFEREES ARE ENTITLED TO CONSIDER SUCH BEHAVIOUR AS INTIMIDATING CONDUCT.

3) DISSENTIOUS REMARKS FROM PLAYERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. COMMENTS SUCH AS “NO WAY REF”, “RIDICULOUS”, “YOU MUST BE JOKING”, “NEVER” ETC. ARE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

4) REFEREES SHOULD ALSO ACT TO DISCOURAGE PLAYERS WHO DEMONSTRATE NON-VERBAL TRANSGRESSIONS: GESTURES, TIME WASTING, INTIMIDATING GLARES ETC.

5) PLAYERS MUST REFRAIN FROM ENTERING INTO PROLONGED DISCUSSION OR DEBATE.

REFEREES SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO APPLY THE
PENALTY PROVISIONS AS DETAILED IN THE RULES

Although not especially provided for by any ruling, the committee are also concerned about the conduct of spectators. Spectators, invariably also players, are reminded that they too should respect the difficult task undertaken by officials.

Comments and expressions of opinion from spectators are unwelcome and unhelpful. Such behavior achieves nothing other than to demean the perpetrator or disturb the concentration of the official.

In the best interests of the game all participants, in whatever capacity, should discourage such conduct.

11 APPEALS.
The loser of a rally may appeal against any decision of the Marker affecting that rally.

An appeal to the Referee under Rule 11 should be prefaced with the words “Appeal please”. Play shall then cease until the Referee has given his decision,

If an appeal under Rule 11 is disallowed the Marker’s decision shall stand. If the Referee is uncertain he shall allow a let except where provided for in the Note To Referees after Rule 11.2.1 and Notes To Referees C and D after Rule 11.2.2.

Appeals upheld or Referee intervention under Rule 20.4 are dealt with in each specific situation below.

Note to Referees
A pointing gesture is not an appeal

11.1 Appeals on Service

11.1.1 If the Marker calls “Fault”, “Foot fault”, “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” to the service the server may appeal. If the appeal is upheld a let shall be allowed.

11.1.2 If the Marker fails to call “Fault”, “Foot fault”, “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” to the service the receiver may appeal, either immediately or at the end of the rally if he has played or attempted to play the ball. If, in the opinion of the Referee, the service was not good he shall stop play immediately and award the stroke to the receiver.

11.2 Appeals on Play other than Service.

11.2.1 If the Marker calls “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” following a player’s return, the player may appeal. If the appeal is upheld the Referee shall allow a let except that if, in the opinion of the Referee:
- The Marker’s call has interrupted that player’s winning return, he shall award the stroke to the player.
- The Marker’s call has interrupted or prevented a winning return by the opponent, he shall award the stroke to the opponent.

Note To Referees

In the latter case the Referee shall also award the stroke to the opponent if he is unsure whether the Marker’s call was correct.

11.2.2 If the Marker fails to call “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” following a player’s return the opponent may appeal either immediately or at the end of the rally if he has played or attempted to play the ball. If, in the opinion of the Referee, the return was not good he shall stop play immediately and award the stroke to the opponent.

Notes To Referees

A. No appeal under Rule 11 may be made after the delivery of a service for anything that occurred before that service.

B. Where there is more than one appeal in a rally (including an appeal under Rule 12) the Referee shall consider each appeal.

C. If a return is called “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” by the Marker and that same return subsequently goes down or out the Referee, on appeal, if he reverses the Marker’s call or is unsure, shall then rule on the subsequent occurrence.

D. If a service is called “Fault”, “Foot fault”, “Not up”, “Down” or “Out” by the Marker and that service subsequently goes down, not up or out, or is again a fault, the Referee, on appeal, if he reverses the Marker’s call or is unsure, shall then rule on the subsequent occurrence.

17. CONDUCT ON COURT
If the referee considers that the behaviour of a player on court could be intimidating or offensive to an opponent, official or spectator, or could in any way bring the game into disrepute, the player may be penalised.

(G12) Offences which should be dealt with under this rule include audible and visible obscenities, verbal and physical abuse, dissent to Marker or Referee, abuse of racket or ball and coaching, other than during the interval between games. Other offences include unnecessary physical contact and excessive racket swing (Rule 12.10), unfair warm up (Rule 15.2 Note To Referees), late back on Court (Rule 16.4 Notes to Referees A and B), deliberate or dangerous play or action (Rule 16.5.3) and time wasting (Rule 16.6).

(G13) For these and any other offences which, in the opinion of the Referee, justify the application of this rule, one of the following penalty provisions may be applied.

Warning by the Referee (called a Conduct Warning) Stroke awarded to opponent (called a Conduct Stroke) Game awarded to opponent (called a Conduct Game) Match awarded to opponent (called a Conduct Match)

Notes To Referees

A. If the Referee stops play to give a warning a let shall be allowed.

B. If the Referee stops a rally to award a conduct stroke then that stroke award becomes the result of the rally. If the Referee awards a conduct stroke at the conclusion of a rally, the result of the rally stands and the conduct stroke award is additional but without change of service box.

A conduct stroke awarded at the end of a game shall be carried over to the next game.

C. If the Referee awards a game that game shall be the one in progress or the next game if one is not in progress, in which latter case the interval between games shall not apply. The offending player shall retain any points already scored in the game awarded.

G13. PROGRESSION OF PENALTIES

The penalties available to the Referee under Rule 17 are:

                            A warning
                   A stroke
                   A game
                   The match

The guidelines for applying the penalties are as follows:

The first penalty imposed by the Referee for a particular offence may be at any level to suit the seriousness of the offence, ie. A warning, stroke, game or match. However, any second or subsequent penalty for the same type of offence may not be of a lesser severity than the previous penalty for that offence. Thus the Referee may award several warnings or several strokes for the same type of offence if he felt that the offence did not warrant a stronger punishment.

When issuing penalties imposed by the Referee for a particular offence may be at any level to suit the seriousness of the offence, ie. a warning, stroke, game or match. However, any second or subsequent penalty for the same type of offence may not be of a lesser severity than the previous penalty for that offence. Thus the Referee may award several warnings or several strokes for the same type of offence. Thus the Referee may award several warnings or several strokes for the same type of offence if he felt that the offence did not warrant a stronger punishment.

When issuing penalties the Referee should use the following terminology:

          Conduct warning ……..(player’s name) for … . (offence)
Conduct stroke ….……(player’s name) for ……(offence), stroke to (opponent’s name)
Conduct game ……..…(player’s name)   for ……(offence), game to (opponent’s name)
Conduct match ……….(player’s name)   for ……(offence), match to (opponent’s name)

G14. SINGLE OFFICIAL

It may not always be possible to have two officials for a match. A single official would act as the Marker initially, but when there was an appeal he would then take on the role of the Referee and give his decision, on appeal, as the Referee.

Whilst this situation is not recommended, it does happen, and the single official should know that he acts as the Marker and then on appeal, as Referee. It is not correct to say that because there is only one official there is no Referee.