POLICY ADOPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2005
The risk of eye injury in racquet sports such as squash is "high" according to the American Academies of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, the American Optometric Association, and eye care professionals who have studied sports eye injuries. Fortunately, these injuries are almost totally preventable with appropriate protective equipment.
- All players and coaches must wear protective eyewear whether playing singles or doubles, hardball or softball squash during all activities that take place on the court involving racquets and balls at USSRA-only sanctioned events.
- The eyewear must meet or exceed the current American Society for Testing and Materials standard (ASTM-F803). To be used in competition, protective eyewear must appear on the ASTM reference listing.
- The eyewear must be unaltered and worn over the eyes as designed at all times.
- The policy applies to participants at all events in the United States including tournaments, exhibitions, clinics and leagues which are sanctioned only by the US Squash or organized by its member districts.
- Players under 19 years of age participating in Junior competitions internationally must wear approved eyewear at all times.
- Members of Team USA (Men and Women) are strongly encouraged to wear protective eyewear while competing in international events.
US Squash will maintain a reference list of ASTM approved eyewear but does not test, evaluate, or certify eyewear as compliant with ASTM-F803.
Selecting protective eyewear that meets or exceeds the ASTM-F803 standard is the responsibility of individual participants. Streetwear spectacles and unlensed eye protection do not meet the standard. In some cases eyewear manufacturers may assert their products are compliant with the standard or the products may carry the seal of an independent certifier such as the Protective Eyewear Certification Council. However, the US Squash recommends seeking advice from an eyewear professional before buying to insure that the eyewear meets or exceeds the ASTM-F803 standard.
Eyewear
List of eyewear manufacturers with contact information.
List of eyewear products
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- What eye injuries could I receive?
- Even a minor eye injury can cause retinal detachment and legal blindness. Bleeding within the eye may cause glaucoma years later. Orbital fractures are possible. A person who lost one eye and faces cataract surgery on the remaining eye has far more reason to be anxious than does a person with two good eyes.
- Am I likely to be injured without eye protection?
- Dr. Tom Pashby reports "racquet sports are the #1 cause of serious ocular injuries worldwide." Dr. Paul Vinger cites a study indicating a "25% probability that an unprotected squash player will suffer a significant eye injury after 25 years of playing three days a week."
- Do only novices receive eye injuries?
- No, but this is a widely held misconception. Ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Easterbrook's experience, among many others, suggests that "the experienced player is actually more at risk. The novice players in squash often watch the front wall and not the ball. The experienced player never takes his or her eye off the ball in order to anticipate the next shots."
- Can you cite a top player who has been seriously injured?
- Will Carlin, former U.S. champion ranked as high as #60 in the world, received a detached and torn retina from a ball strike. He has since endured two long surgeries, $50k+ in medical expenses, extreme pain, nausea, anxiety and a flood of "floaters." He also lost two years from a promising professional squash career.
- Can the risk of eye injury be reduced?
- Absolutely. The first step is educating participants about the risk. The second step is to buy and wear appropriate eye protection. Studies indicate this will eliminate 90% of eye injuries. It is cheap insurance.
- Why doesn't US Squash endorse particular types or brands of eye protection?
- US Squash lacks the resources to test, evaluate, and certify that eyewear meets the ASTM F803 standard. For that reason, US Squash recommends that each participant seek safety advice from his or her eyewear professional before buying eye protection.
- Whose responsibility is it to select, buy, and wear protective eyewear?
- These responsibilities rest solely on the participant or the participant's parents in the case of juniors.
- What's wrong with lenseless eyeguards?
- Lenseless eyewear is not effective in protecting the eye from frontal ball impact. Under certain conditions during tests the eyeguard actually channeled the ball into the eye socket.
- Is protective eyewear expensive?
- Not compared to medical expenses after an eye injury. Plano eyeguards are available in a wide range of prices less than $100. Prescription protective lenses will usually add to the cost.
- I require corrective lenses to see properly. Can I buy protective eyewear with prescription lenses?
- Yes. There are many types of protective eyewear that can be fitted with prescription polycarbonate lenses. Another option is to wear plano eye protection (i.e., without prescription) over contact lenses. In all cases the eyeguard selected should meet the ASTM F803 standard.
- Is protective eyewear available for children?
- Yes. It is particularly important for juniors to wear eye protection. Studies indicate that players between the ages of 5 to 14 have the highest percentage of racquet sports eye injuries of any age group.
- Why should coaches wear eye protection?
- Coaches set the example for others, especially children, and coaches can get hurt, too. Robert Graham reports he was feeding a player who, during a lesson, hit an unexpected forehand drive that struck him directly in the eye from six feet..."perfect squash ball to eyeball contact." Fortunately Robert's vision returned after two days of pain and anxiety. He now wears protective eyewear every time he gives a lesson.
- What does "worn over the eyes as designed" mean in the policy?
- Some people try to circumvent the policy by wearing an eyeguard, but not covering their eyes. Eyeguards must be worn in a manner that will protect the eyes from the impact of a ball or racquet.
- How will compliance with the eye protection policy be achieved?
- Through the cooperative efforts of players, parents, coaches, referees, tournament directors, et al. Participants with: no eye protection, unlensed eyeguards, or streetwear spectacles alone will not be permitted to play. Tournament/League Directors will handle questions concerning a specific lensed eyeguard's compliance with ASTM F803 on a case-by-case basis.
- Do other countries have standards comparable to ASTM F803?
- Yes. British Standard 7930-1: 1998, Canadian Standards Association P400, and Australia/New Zealand Standard 4066.
- Is there a comprehensive article available on sports eye protection?
- See Dr. Paul Vinger, "A Practical Guide for Sports Eye Protection," THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE, Vol. 28, No. 6, June 2000 available online.
Please submit them to:
CEO
US Squash
555 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10018-4311
Phone: 212.268.4090
FAX: 212.268.4091
E-mail: office@us-squash.org