by

Ben Harris, International Correspondent

The Women’s World Championship was held at the Seattle Athletic Club/Downtown October 18-24, 1999. The first two days were devoted to 26 qualifiers contesting for 8 slots in the main draw of 32. Round 1 was held on Wednesday and the finals between number one seed Michelle Martin (Australia) and number four Cassie Jackman Campion (England) occurred on Sunday with Campion winning in three.

The World Squash Federation officiating team consisted of Canadians Rod Symington, Championship Referee and WSF World Referee, plus WSF International Referee Gerry Poulton and WSF World Referee Graham Waters. Augmenting that team was one other Canadian, WSF Regional Referee Adeline Clements, and three U.S. referees: Ben Harris (A), O. Wayne Hodges (B), and Michael O’Brien (B), who were used primarily as Markers through the quarterfinals. Rod held daily meetings of all officials 45 minutes before the start of play, attended by all officials even when they had no officiating duties.

Adeline and the U.S. referees (with the U.S. folks helped a bit by US Squash) paid their own transportation to and from the tournament. The organizer paid all of the officials’ lodging expenses during the active play. The WSF appointees received a typically generous meal allowance. The rest of us paid for our own meager meals and the rare weak beer consumed after the matches.

The standard Referee and Marker system was used throughout. Early play was held on two courts with balconies for us to work from. Other than being a bit farther back than we might have liked, the location was fine. Not so with the transportable court set up on a basketball court where all of the later matches were held. This was the same court Adeline, Gerry, Graham, and yours truly had last seen at the PanAm Games. Regrettably, the court was missing the excellent referee platform we used in Winnipeg that placed us in the very spot Rule 18 prescribes: "…at the centre of the back wall, as close to that wall as is physically possible, above the out line on the back wall, and preferably with seating."

Without the platform, the Referee and Marker sat in Row F of the bleachers perhaps 60 or 70 feet from the tin. It didn’t take long to recognize the difficulties this position presented: legs and bodies often blocking out the ball as it approached the tin (actually a board covered with yellow tape); substantial glare and reflections from the court lights which were mounted lower than usual; and decreased visibility looking through the door, back wall supports, and the back wall’s distortions. Resolving uncertainty using sound proved undependable because the sound of the ball’s striking the front wall above the board at times was the same sound it made below the board. So much for sight and sound; we were into the domain of reading body language and responding to the players’ complaints about absent or late calls.

Faced with these challenges I would like to report to you the team members all rose to the occasion, responded courageously, and performed brilliantly….but the truth is some of us simply crumbled. A few illustrations:

The tournament was calm in the sense that the players’ behavior —and personal appearance incidentally-- was generally excellent. We only had two Conduct Warnings throughout during the 55 matches. However, as often happens, without warning, we had one advanced officiating situation that Rod handled in a classically correct manner.

On a forehand follow-through Natalie Grainger hit Linda Charman in the mouth --hard. Rod left his position to verify the reality and extent of the injury (with bleeding). Having done so, he found Charman had a cut on the inside and the outside of her lip, a very difficult bleeding situation to stop. (In fact, it took more than 20 minutes to stop the bleeding.)

Because Grainger’s follow-through was proper, by definition, Charman was crowding and the injury was self-inflicted. Rod reported this fact to both players. He permitted a generous period to stop the bleeding with a combination of ice and pressure and explained the situation to the audience who had sat patiently throughout.. Neither bleeding site was well-suited to bandaging. He denied Grainger’s father’s insistence that the rules called for three minutes and immediate default. [Who knows why the senior Grainger had any standing in this discussion?] Rod also insisted that Charman continue (in spite of her tears) after the blood flow was stopped, risking possible disqualification if the blood began to flow again. Charman eventually did continue without further blood flow and lost the match.

On the social front, the referees cut the usual wide swath through Seattle society. Working until near 10 p.m. several nights, we were pressed to find someplace that would take our scruffy selves for dinner quickly. Most nights we ended up eating at "Cutters" right across the street from the club and overlooking Seattle’s wonderful harbor. In addition to good food (artichoke and Dungeness crab cannelloni, for example), the beers and views were great. Not surprisingly, we found (after the fact) we had been in the forefront of Seattle high life dining one night at "Wild Ginger," one of three Seattle places where the elite meet to eat. [The truth is it’s the first place Wayne and I found open after 10 p.m. that night.] Reality returned on Saturday night as the Washington Athletic Club bartender (where four of us had been staying) recognized our true status and set up a special table in the pool room for us totally isolated from the other members. I liked my food anyway.

In the good news department:

Finally, to my many Canadian referee friends --who know I have fond personal ties to Canada and Canadian squash with two Canadian-born children and five Canadian Examiners’ "A" and "A+" signatures --thanks for another great learning experience with the best. I know Wayne and Michael also share my thanks for your generous support in developing the U.S. officiating program and helping each of us personally. I am honoured to write for Barry, who has done so much for squash.