New PSA Scoring System


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NEW SCORING SYSTEM - REACTION
The PSA issued a press statement on Tue 9th March, setting out a new scoring system it was to adopt for future ranking events after an initial outing for the Super Series Finals in May.

It was a move that came as a surprise to most observers, and has generated a considerable amount of reaction - summarised here, with more no doubt to follow ...


The New System:
Point-a-rally to eleven,
but from 10-all you need
to be two clear to win.
Still best of 5 games.

PSA Press Release

 10th March  
Ian McKenzie, Publisher of The Squash Player, is uneasy about the PSA's announcement of its intention to implement a new scoring system and sees the results of a PSA 'pilot' as having been predetermined.

A step too far
PSA have embarked on an interesting experiment. It is not just a scoring system they are playing with but changes that will affect the way the game is played. Trying to find a better scoring system is fine but announcing the intention to use this proposed system for all ranking events in future is I believe premature.

Squash is a brilliant game with many things in balance - shots and tactics, fast and slow paces, speed and endurance. It is a physical contest of skill, tactics, mental powers and determination. A contest where you can will on the underdog because he can try his best to catch-up, not give-up. A contest where one of the most basic principles is that 'play should be continuous' because you can work your opponent. A contest where the physical battle is an important part of the sport ­ but not an overwhelming one.

How will the proposed scoring system affect the balance of the sport? I don't know. Will this new system work? I don't know. Will it lead to more events, more prize money, more spectators, more media coverage? I don't see why it should. Will it in any way help bridge the gap between the professionals and the rest of the sport? Probably not.

The PSA intend to use this new system for all ranking events. How will this affect all those new entrants trying to progress their rankings and all those lower level ranking events? Has the PSA board, dominated by top level pros, considered the implications of this?

Hopefully we will have further information coming from the PSA with the research and statistics they have used to come to this decision. Statistics should be able to explain what the average length of a match is now and what it will be expected to move to.

Is there now a consensus that this is the best system for our top level sport and that this move will be beneficial for the sport overall? We are moving to a smaller group of tournament players, to 16 draw events and now to an even more fragmented scoring system. At the top level in our sport we have a professional circus, not an all embracing competitive structure ­ and it is this that we want to work towards.

There are implication for the wider sport. In England the National Championships were moved from 'Standard' scoring to PAR to 15 with the justification being given that, "this is what the professional game uses", and that England's fledgling young professionals should be preparing for the world circuit with the scoring system used on that circuit.

How many events around the world will have to revisit decisions made on their scoring system now. Will we end up in the bizarre situations where the the British National Championships have PAR to 15, The British Open PAR to 11 and the National League PAR to 9?

One former professional whose opinion I asked said: "They are playing around with the integrity of the sport." If that is a general reaction this move will not serve the PSA particularly well.

When the decision to move to PAR to 15 was made 16 years ago I spoke to a Board member on it and he said: "The case is unproved but we needed a peg to hang the Super Series on."

It the lessons of history are to be learnt that move did not result in a brilliant surge for the professionals or the rest of the sport.

Once again I feel the case is unproven. I think there are massive advantages for PSA in working with and being integrated with the rest of the sport ­ massive advantages for everyone and I feel this is not really happening.

It would have been better I feel to test this and prove that it really is a better system. Experimenting is fine, certainly in the Super Series Finals and in similar events. Perhaps even running this proposal as a parallel scoring system until the case is proved. How good it would be to have some consensus in our sport.

Personally I have too many questions on this new system. Until the case is proven, announcing the long term intention to implement it for all ranking events is, I believe, a step too far.
 
Andrew Shelley (WISPA)

"WISPA has maintained a consistent line on scoring. As far as we are concerned, until a system that offers demonstrable benefits to Standard Scoring comes along we are happy to continue using the scoring method that prevails all around the world. We score as recreational players do, just at the highest possible level.

That said, we went into the Scoring Task Force with an open mind as harmony between three rather than just two bodies would be preferable. Now that this has not led to anything other than a general reinforcement of the current system by WSF we will await the results of the PSA experiment at the Super Series Finals.

If PSA then decide to proceed with the alteration we will review the scoring ourselves. It is quite possible that it will not offer benefits to WISPA in the context of marketing our sport, which is paramount as we strive to provide a growing Tour for our members, but we will not pre-judge. Certainly, one of the intentions of the PSA tweak is to shorten matches which is definitely not an aspiration for us.

We remain hopeful that one day we will be able to unify the pro game scoring, and better still have one system for everybody, but we must be careful not to lose the attractions we possess.

At present we continue to be aligned with the game as a whole and maintain a watching brief".

Ted Wallbutton (WSF)
"I am interested by the PSA move but not entirely pleased because it does not assist towards the scoring unanimity the taskforce had been looking for.

"We have noted that the Canary Wharf Classic that plays in London later this month is experimenting with point-a-rally scoring to nine points with tennis style tiebreaks, so it will be interesting to compare player and spectator reactions to these different approaches on the men's circuit."

Dave Howell (Super League)
"We applaud this decision as we think that it is progress … however you might also like to know that the National Super Squash League was first to introduce PAR scoring, first to introduce lower tins, and has introduced changes to its scoring system over the years to improve the experience for players and spectators alike."
More details of
Super League innovation
.