College Squash Should Not Have Paid Referees

by Guy Cipriano


I don’t agree with Bob Hanscom's recommendation of having paid referees for college squash matches.

The essence of the culture of squash is that it’s a gentlemen’s game and that it is a lifetime sport.

You are going to see the people you play again frequently throughout  your life.

 The players are to be  instructed by each coach to perform his/her refereeing duties ethically.

That is to be taken seriously.

Most of the players know one another pretty well from prep school/junior competition, etc.

After graduation, sooner or later, the players are going to want to join the same clubs in the same cities.

A player who has  disgraced himself on the court through bad conduct,  or as a biased referee, will not be elected.

Is that snobbish? No. It’s reality. Bad conduct generates a poisonous reputation which endures.

The solution is to instruct the players in refereeing carefully and comprehensively,  and for all the coaches to insist that the players behave ethically.

And  then if a coach sees one of this players refereeing in an unethical way he is to intervene.

I saw that with my own eyes, done by John  White and  Mark Devoy.

Collegiate squash is intended to be a learning experience. Refereeing is an essential part of that process.