“Americans do not want ‘do-over’ calls in sports,” stated US Pro Squash Chief Executive Joseph McManus. “A ball is served and play ensues—barring some egregious form of interference, a clear winner should be declared for every rally.”
That was the hope and expectation when US Pro Squash announced in late March that it was going to introduce a “5-Let Rule” in its tournaments, beginning with the New England Open (play was underway at press time). The concept? Players will be restricted to five lets per match in an effort to eliminate the endless replaying of points that has long characterized match play in squash. McManus believes the rule will significantly enhance the fan experience.
And by all accounts, he appears to have hit on something. In early April, US-based David Palmer, a two-time world champion, asked McManus to consider implementing the rule immediately rather than waiting for the May event. So the five-let limit was employed in the Franklin & Marshall Invitational and, according to World Referee Mike Riley, it was “some of the most exciting squash I’ve ever seen.”
“Palmer was the most creative I have ever seen in his career,” added Riley. “Wael El Hindi played through so many balls, I know it surprised even him!”
“I think the five-let rule worked well for the first time,” said Palmer. “In the final with Wael, I think we only called about four lets for the whole match. We both made a lot more effort to move around each other and clear our shots so we could save our lets for later in the match. We still need to test it more to see if five is the right number, but I think we are on the right track.”
Former World No. 1 and coach of Franklin & Marshall, John White, said, “It is a great step forward in cleaning up the game. The rule made players clear and play the ball more often than normal, and the rallies were more continuous with players only asking for lets when they really needed it. Normally there are just too many lets for minimal interference. Once players know that it could come down to a Stroke or No Let, they will start to play the ball.”
Moving forward, each player will begin a match with five lets at his disposal. A player requesting a let will still request it with, “Let please.” At that point, the referee will continue to have three options: Yes Let, No Let or Stroke. If the call is “Yes Let,” the referee will then follow that with, “Player X has used his first let. He now has four remaining.” Alternatively, if a Stroke or No Let is decided, the player will retain his five lets, and so on.
Just prior to the event at Franklin & Marshall, Squash Magazine contacted the PSA CEO, Alex Gough, about the concept and whether or not such events would be sanctioned by PSA. “In this format,” said Gough, “they would not be. I do not think this would work in any competitive environment. That said, I am sure we will be talking with Joe at some point about a next step and a possible PSA involvement.”
“Each Year, the most popular sports in the United States review their respective games and make improvements to enhance the fan experience,” said McManus. “The NFL, NBA and MLB are fan-centric organizations that annually find ways to improve the fan experience. US Pro Squash is committed to doing the same.”
