Contents
Squash suits a box league well. A match takes under an hour, courts are booked in short slots, and players can manage a match or two a week. A box league turns that into a regular game against the right opponents, without anybody having to organise each one.
How many players to put in each box
Five to eight. Every player plays every other player in the box once a round, so the size decides the number of matches and the length of the round.
| Players in a box | Matches each | A round of about |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | three to four weeks |
| 6 | 5 | four weeks |
| 7 | 6 | five weeks |
| 8 | 7 | five to six weeks |
Squash players can often fit in two matches a week, so rounds can be shorter than a week per match. Ask your keenest box and your busiest box before you settle on one length for everybody.
Group players by standard. For the first round, use team selection, last season’s results or your best guess. Promotion and relegation will sort the order out within a couple of rounds.
| Player | DM | TF | HS | RO | CB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Mackie | 11-8 11-6 11-9 | 11-9 8-11 11-7 9-11 7-11 | 11-7 9-11 11-8 11-5 | 11-7 11-9 11-5 | |
| T. Farrar | 8-11 6-11 9-11 | 6-11 9-11 8-11 | 11-9 7-11 11-6 8-11 11-8 | 11-6 11-9 11-7 | |
| H. Sandhu | 9-11 11-8 7-11 11-9 11-7 | 11-6 11-9 11-8 | 11-5 11-8 11-6 | 11-7 8-11 11-9 11-6 | |
| R. Okafor | 7-11 11-9 8-11 5-11 | 9-11 11-7 6-11 11-8 8-11 | 5-11 8-11 6-11 | 9-11 11-8 7-11 6-11 | |
| C. Bell | 7-11 9-11 5-11 | 6-11 9-11 7-11 | 7-11 11-8 9-11 6-11 | 11-9 8-11 11-7 11-6 |
Scoring a squash box league
Score by games rather than by result alone. Every game then matters, a close loss is worth fighting for, and a player who turns up and loses still scores.
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Won 3-0 | 6 |
| Won 3-1 | 5 |
| Won 3-2 | 4 |
| Lost 2-3 | 3 |
| Lost 1-3 | 2 |
| Lost 0-3 | 1 |
| Not played by the closing date | 0 |
A win always scores more than a loss, however close. When two players finish level on points, the match between them decides it. If that does not, games won minus games lost does, then points won minus points lost.
The squash box league rules to agree
Most arguments are about the same few things. Settle them before the first round:
- Matches are best of five games, each to [11] points, point-a-rally, two clear at ten all.
- Either player may arrange the match. The player asked offers at least [three] times within the week.
- The player who arranges the match books the court. The other brings [a double yellow dot] ball.
- Players warm up for the usual five minutes, two and a half on each side.
- Players referee their own match. When in doubt about a let or a stroke, play a let.
- A match not played by the closing date scores nothing for either player.
- The winner reports the score the same day.
The ball matters more than it sounds. The double yellow dot ball is the standard for most club players, but a box of newer players will have longer rallies and more fun with a faster ball. Let the lower boxes choose.
Score by games, and every game in the box league matters.
Promotion and relegation between boxes
At the end of each round the winner of each box goes up one box and the last player goes down one. With seven or eight in a box, many clubs move two each way. Everyone else stays where they are.
Box 1
- 1PriyaTop of the league
- 2Sam
- 3Alex
- 4Jo
- 5TomDown to box 2
Box 2
- 1RuthUp to box 1
- 2Dev
- 3Kate
- 4Mo
- 5LeeDown to box 3
Box 3
- 1AnaUp to box 2
- 2Ben
- 3Cal
- 4Dina
- 5EdBottom of the league
New members join at the bottom box, or in the box that matches their standard if you know it.
Keeping the box league going
The first round always goes well. Rounds drift when one or two matches in a box are never played, so:
- Send a reminder halfway through each round, naming the matches not yet played.
- Publish the table as results come in. A table that moves is a reason to book a court.
- Close the round on the day you said, and start the next one straight away. A gap between rounds is where players drift off.
Filed under Competitions · Squash