Gresham’s Law states
that bad money drives out good. In like manner, bad habits drive out good
ones. One of the most prevalent bad habits in squash is the failure to call
“Let please” when a let is being requested.
The Rules are
very clear on this matter: “A player should request a let by saying “Let
please” (Rule 13). So why do so many players simply stop and wave the
racquet—or even just catch the ball on the strings expecting the Referee to be
telepathic?
This is one
of those bad habits that has filtered its way down from the top players to
those at lower levels. In this case, however, the “trickle-down effect” has
not benefited the game. On the professional circuit the players long ago got
into the habit of simply stopping play when they wanted a let, or waved the
racquet when they expected to be awarded a stroke. Why waste your precious
energy in actually calling “Let please,” when you need it for the next
exhausting rally?
The result of
this type of behavior, however, is that the Referee is called upon to
interpret the player’s action (or lack of it), and if the Referee is
inexperienced, this can lead to some unfortunate misunderstandings. I have
even seen very experienced referees fooled by such a situation: the player
stops, the Referee says “Yes, let”—and the player says, “I wasn’t asking for a
let.” The Referee looks like an idiot, the players feel the Referee can’t read
the game, and the spectators wonder what on earth is going on. Been there,
done that.
All would be
well if players would abide by the Rules and make an audible call of “Let
please” every time. In fact, under the Rules the only time when a gesture of
some kind is permitted, instead of an audible request, is when communication
is difficult between the players and the referee (for example, when the court
is totally glassed in).
I am often
asked, “Why don’t the Referees at the top level insist that professional
players call “Let please?” The answer is simple: the players would not respect
a Referee who could not “read” the game at their level. If a referee wishes to
be accepted at the top level, he or she must be able to follow the play and
interpret the actions of the players appropriately. It will not do for only
one Referee to insist that the players call let—that person would be viewed as
an outsider.
So what
should we do about this bad practice at lower levels of play? Referees should
insist that a player call “Let please”—and not offer a decision until the
player does so. If there has been no audible request for a let and you call
the score, you can be sure that there will be an audible response from the
player pretty quickly!
If the
situation is not completely clear—which sometimes happens when there is a
collision or noise on court—it is acceptable for the Referee to inquire if a
player is asking for a let. In fact, the Rules state that the Referee “must be
satisfied that the player is actually making an appeal.” If you are not sure
why the player is requesting a let, you must ask the player for an
explanation.
But under no
circumstances may you offer the player a let by saying, “Would you like a
let?” Can you imagine a player saying: “No thanks, I don’t deserve one.”
If all
players got into the habit of making an audible appeal for a let every time,
and if every Referee insisted on that, the game would be much the better for
it.
(Photo above: You must
actually utter the words "Let, please!" to be awarded a let. Stock photo by
SquashPics.com) |
