MA Squash will feature occasional columns relating to issues of rules and refereeing, written by Nat Lovell, Rules & Referee Coordinator for MA Squash. Nat is available to give clinics at your school or club; you can contact him at nwlovell@yahoo.com.
Dear Referee,
My opponent and I were deep into a match when I struck a winning nick shot to capture the game. To my dismay, my opponent then requested a Let on the grounds that her string had broken mid-point and must have affected the outcome of the point. The Referee granted her a Let, and we replayed the point. I eventually lost the game. Please help me understand why her equipment failure constitutes a Let for her. Thanks!
Dear Dismayed Player,
Her mid-point equipment failure certainly does NOT entitle her to a Let. Nowhere in the Rules is a Let specified for equipment failure. The referee’s correct call should have been No Let. If the failure occurs during a game, then between points, the Referee should ask the player to leave the court briefly to exchange racquets. The player is expected to return promptly to the court and continue play.