HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS SQUASH ASSOCIATION LEAGUE RULES
Season 2023/24

1. All participating clubs shall have paid their annual team fees to the Highlands and Islands Squash Association. The fees will be set at the AGM for the upcoming season.
2. Teams shall be composed of four players in the Premier Division, Division 1 and 2 who shall be bona fide members of the club whom they represent and be members of Scottish Squash.
3. For clubs with more than one team in a division there are two options. The first option is for a pool system where the club splits their teams in any way they choose. If a player who was not previously assigned to a team represents any one team on three occasions, that player becomes tied to that team for the remainder of the season. The second option is for teams to operate on a strict ladder basis (see Note 2). Clubs must declare their option prior to the season commencing to the League Secretary.
4. A match is defined as the contest between two teams and a tie is the contest between two players. A tie shall be best of five games.
o Premier League teams only: Point a Rally to 11, 2 clear points to win.
o Divisions 1 & 2 will play: Point a Rally to 15, 2 clear points to win.
5. The match must be played during the course of one day and at the correct venue (unless mutually agreed between captains and communicated to the League Secretary). The away captain must make every effort to contact the home captain at least two days before the fixture to check court arrangements and to confirm time of arrival which should be as close to 18:45 as possible. A minimum of two players of corresponding ranking must be ready to play at 19:00.
6. Results will be co-ordinated by SportyHQ (www.SporytHQ.com). Home teams must enter results between the match date and 22:00 on the Saturday after the match. If they can’t do this, they must notify the League Secretary otherwise a penalty point against the home team will be incurred.
7. Having represented one club, a player is not eligible to play for any other club during the remainder of the season unless otherwise agreed by the HISA League Secretary and/or HISA Committee. A player may represent only one team on any original fixture date; if a player is playing in a rearranged match, the captain of the team must ensure that the player did not play for another team on the original fixture date as they will be “cup tied”.
8. If a captain cannot raise a four person team they can play an un-eligible player (rule 7) as a ‘dead rubber’ but they must play at the bottom of the order and the result should be entered as a 3-0 win for the opposing team.
9. Captains will exchange team orders before the match commences. Team order should be that of ability. All ties shall be played in reverse order unless mutually agreed by both team captains. If one of the first four players fails to turn up, that tie must be conceded to the opposing string and the other players should move up in order (see Note 1).
10. Matches should be played on the evenings published. If they are not, see rules 11 to 13.
11. A team has one “joker” that they can play before Christmas (the first half of the season), and one after Christmas (the second half of the season), where they can postpone a game without being penalised. The “joker” captain must ensure they inform the League Secretary that they are playing their “joker” before 22:00 on the Saturday of the original fixture or they will automatically lose a penalty point.

12. In the first half of the season any postponed “joker” game must be played before the start of the second half of the season. Any postponed “joker” in the second half must be played within one week of the last scheduled fixture date (nominally the end of March). When rearranging a “joker” match the opposing team has the right to choose a date that enables a similarly strong line-up to that which was originally available on the scheduled fixture date. The onus is on the “joker” captain to rearrange the match. If a postponed “joker” match isn’t played within this timeframe then the opposing team will be awarded a walkover of 12 points.
13. If a scheduled match does not go ahead (and the “joker” is not being played) then the onus is on the home team captain to communicate the reason(s) with the League Secretary. The failure of a team to be able to play a scheduled fixture will result in 6 points being deducted from that team. Any un-played matches will result in a 12-0 walkover against the team that postponed the original fixture.
14. In calculating league position, points are awarded as follows; 1 point for each game won. In the event of a tie for promotion or relegation, a decision shall be made based on:
1. Points difference as per league table.
2. Combined head-to-head result(s) of the two teams concerned.
3. Play-off at a venue to be mutually agreed.
15. Any disputes shall be referred, by e-mail, to the League Secretary, who shall arbitrate in the matter. A club will have the right of appeal to the HISA Committee against the League Secretary’s decision. The HISA Committee’s decision will be final and binding.
16. Ties shall be according to “The Rules of Squash - Singles”, according to World Squash Federation Rules.
17. Black double yellow dot balls will be used in the league unless both players agree otherwise. The home team must have two new balls available for every match.
18. Match results and league tables will be available on SportyHQ (www.SporytHQ.com).
19. “Ask the balcony” has been added to encourage players to mark games and is run on the basis below:
1. Each player starts a game with a single claim to the balcony.
2. A player can make a claim to the balcony (assuming they have a claim left in the game) if they disagree with a decision of the marker.
3. The marker is obliged to “ask the balcony” for their feeling on the claim and then can either agree with the balcony or reject the view of the balcony; the marker has the final call.
4. If the marker changes their decision based on the claim, the player keeps the claim otherwise it is lost.
20. There is an expectation that all top/bottom teams in each division will take promotion/relegation the following season. Exceptions to this need to be discussed with the League Secretary/HISA Committee.

Notes
The following notes have been added following the AGM in Sep-2018. The idea is to help clarify the interpretation of the rules and to indicate areas where disagreements can arise. The common factor with most disputes is a lack of communication. The key point is that opposition captains need to communicate with each other prior to ‘match night’ and for the League Secretary to be kept informed of any problem when a match does not go ahead as planned.

Note 1: Number 1 Failing to Turn Up

What happens in the event of a league match where a number 1 fails to turn up despite all the other ties having already been played? In such an event the rules indicate that a 12-0 walkover should be awarded since players 2 to 4 should have all moved up to play at 1 to 3.

However, the rules (No. 5) also allow for some flexibility: “The match must be played during the course of one day and at the correct venue (unless mutually agreed between captains and communicated to the League Secretary).”

So, an alternative outcome to the 12-0 walkover is simply for the 2 number 1s to rearrange their fixture and allow all four results to stand. The key point is that the League Secretary needs to be kept informed.

Note 2: League Rules – A-team Players Playing for B-teams

When is it acceptable for an A-team player to drop down and play for their respective B-team?

The general consensus of the meeting is that all Clubs and teams need to play within the spirit of the game. Where Clubs play 2 teams based on ability/’ladder system’ (rather than a ‘pool system’) it would seem unreasonable, for example, if a regular “number 3” were to drop down and play at “number 1” in the B-team.

Problems may arise, for example, where a 5-team pool of players in the A-team is based on ability and rotate each week with a player sitting out. Here it might seem reasonable for the “number 5” who’s not getting a game that week to drop down and play for the B-team. If it’s the “number 4’s” turn to miss a game, then it’s perhaps not quite so reasonable for them to do the same but perhaps not a showstopper. The meeting agreed that it is unreasonable for a “number 3” to play for the B-team.

The meeting agreed that players “playing up” isn’t a problem e.g. B-team players playing for the A-team.

The key point is that all team captains need to play within the spirit of the game and to declare to the League Secretary at the start of the season how they intend to select their players for the teams.