As the championship matches at the club wound down, I decided to have some fun and did a quick video survey of random squash players who were milling around at the club. I asked everyone one simple question – Should there be lets in squash?
Squash players can sometimes be irrational.
This is especially true when it comes to “let” calls. What one player claims as a definite let, appears to others as a fishing exercise. Clearly, the issue is not confined to club squash. Many argue that until the game rids itself of lame lets, it will never gain the kind of media coverage and popularity it deserves.
So, should there be lets in squash? Here’s what they said.
As you can see, each player has a different take on why lets should or should not be allowed in squash. Some had logic behind their choice; others, less so. The result was fairly even with the “no let” camp edging out the “yes” camp by one. This came as a surprise since the club has never offered a no-let format for the players in the house league matches or their round-robin games.
Unlike a fight in ice hockey, an argument on the squash court is not considered entertainment by the spectators and the media. Referees taking the brunt of player frustrations – justified or otherwise – have been the norm and continue to be so. Alan Thatcher of Squash Mad has written about this in a post titled “Why it’s time to address our refereeing system”
Looking back at the survey, I tend to agree with Alan Glen. The no-let format should be left to professional squash players.
Perhaps I should have asked, “Should squash clubs adopt the no-let format?”
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