PSA Revises PAR Scoring Reporting

The Board of the Professional Squash Association has decided to revise the reporting of its scoring system with effect from 1 June.

The PSA's move in August 2004 to reduce of the points in a game from 15 to 11 transformed men's professional squash - making the sport more attacking, more exciting, and considerably enhancing its spectator and television appeal.

When a game score reached 10-10, a 'tie-break' was introduced, the winner needing a lead of two clear points. A game finishing at, say, '15-13' was reported as '11-10 (5-3)'.

From 1 June, all game scores will be reported in full.

"Our original intention was to make to presentation of our results simpler, with all games finishing at 11 points," said PSA President Alex Gough. "But after lobbying from various sections of the game - and the realisation that the full presentation of the scores is clear and acceptable to the general sports world - we have decided to make the change."

Steve Cubbins, the webmaster of www.squashsite.co.uk and one of the leading campaigners for the change, commented: "PSA's move to 11-scoring was undoubtedly a great success, and the '2-clear' element added much excitement to many matches.

"However the 11-10 (x-x) reporting method took a simple system (first to 11, 2 clear) and made it unnecessarily complicated, so SquashSite decided to report matches 'as they happened', eg 15/13.

"We are delighted that a standard method of recording the score, reflecting what actually happens, has been agreed."

The Women's International Squash Players' Association, who recently announced that the women's professional game will also move to PAR scoring to 11 in July, will also adopt the new presentation.