Junior Guidelines

1. Rules of Squash

All accredited (sanctioned) U.S. Squash Junior Competition is governed by the Rules of Squash as set forward by the World Squash Federation (WSF), unless there is a specifically noted exception.  Click here to view the full WSF World Squash Singles Rules.

2. U.S. Squash Code of Conduct

The U.S. Squash Code of Conduct establishes detailed guidelines regarding sportsmanship and conduct for players, coaches and spectators during all U.S. Squash accredited (sanctioned) junior activity. The Code of Conduct applies to behavior both on and off court. It is the responsibility of every entrant to understand the Sportsmanship & Conduct Guidelines. By entering a accredited (sanctioned) tournament, the entrant agrees to accept and abide by the Code of Conduct, and acknowledges that any breach of the established guidelines may result in penalties applied by U.S. Squash.

3. Eligibility to Compete In Sanctioned Junior Tournaments

All players in U.S. Squash accredited (sanctioned) junior squash tournaments must be current members of U.S. Squash through the last day of the tournament.

All players must be age-eligible as of the final day of the tournament in which they are competing.

A player may enter any level of junior tournament (Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc) regardless of his or her ranking. However, divisions in some tournaments will be limited in size, and entry will be granted to the highest-ranked players that apply by the entry deadline. For instance, if a division in a Gold tournament is limited to 32 players, and 36 players apply before the entry deadline, the Tournament Director will grant entry to the top 32 ranked players as of the time of the release of the cut list. The remaining 4 players will be placed on a waitlist in order of ranking, and will be granted entrance to the tournament in that order in the event of a withdrawal or other circumstance.

If any players apply after the entry deadline, they may also be placed on the waitlist, but will be placed below the already present entries, regardless of ranking. Please see the tournament information page of each event for any other pertinent information.

Entry into Junior Championship Tour (JCT) events is also determined by ranking in that age group as of the release of the cut list. U.S. Squash reserves two positions in each division to be selected at its discretion. During the conversion into the new ranking system, player ratings and conversion tournaments may be taken into account for entry into JCT draws where appropriate. Please see the tournament information page of each JCT for additional regulations and other pertinent information.

In Gold and JCT tournaments, players may only compete in one age division. Players may compete in multiple age divisions in Silver and Bronze tournaments.

4. Protective Eyewear

All players and coaches must comply with the U.S. Squash Eyewear Policy, which requires eyewear that meets ASTM-F803 standard, at all times during accredited (sanctioned) play.  This covers any activity on court during a accredited (sanctioned) event, including practice and pre-match warm-ups.  Standard streetwear glasses or spectacles do not meet the standard. at all times during accredited (sanctioned) play.

5. Videotaping

All players, parents, coaches, and spectators must comply with the U.S. Squash policies on videotaping matches at all times. Please click here to view U.S. Squash Broadcast Policy.

6. Refereeing Requirements

At all U.S. Squash accredited (sanctioned) junior play, players are responsible for refereeing their peers. Winners and Losers are responsible for refereeing after their match, unless released by the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director may also ask players to referee matches at other times or on other courts. The refereeing and marking players must be ready and present for their duty within five minutes of the completion of their match. In event players do not fulfill their refereeing responsibilities, penalties may be assessed against the offending players.

7. Seeding Guidelines

Players generally will be seeded in order of their U.S. Squash ranking in the appropriate age division with adjustments made in circumstances where players do not have a full ranking in that division (see below).  Tournament Directors may use their discretion in the seeding of foreign players, or in other exceptional circumstances, but are expected to use their best judgment to seed players accurately and fairly.

U.S. Squash uses an automatic seeding program that takes several factors into account in order to seed players fairly.

• If a junior plays in their current age division, and has a “full” ranking in that division, i.e. 4 or more tournaments in the last 11-month rolling period, their seeding is based off their points average in that division.
• If a player plays “up” in an older age division, the player’s seeding is based off their points average as it would be if they had aged-up into that division per the age-up policy for rankings.
• If a player has been playing “up” and enters a tournament in his or her standard age division, but the player has fewer than 4 tournament in their standard age division, their point average for seeding is determined by adding tournaments from the older age division, with points multiplied by 1.2, until a total of 4 tournaments is reached for an average in the lower division.  For instance, if a player has 2 played BU15 tournaments and more BU17 tournaments, but was playing in a BU15 event, seeing would be based off his two BU15 tournaments, plus his top 2 BU17 tournaments multiplied at 1.2
• If a player has fewer than 4 tournaments in their age division, as well as no active tournaments in an older or younger age division, the existing tournaments will be multiplied based on how many a player has played.
  • If a player has only 1 tournament, the average is calculated by taking  50% of that tournament.  For example, if a player earned 800 points in their only tournament, they are seeded as if their average is 400
  • If a player has only 2 tournaments, the seeding point average is calculated by averaging those two tournaments and then taking 70% of that average.  For example, if a player had two tournaments in which they earned 600 and 1400 points, that player’s seeding average would be [(600+1400)/2]*.70=700
  • If a player has only 3 tournaments, the seeding point average is calculated by averaging those 3 tournaments and then taking 90% of that average.  For example, if a player had three tournaments in which they earned 600, 1000, and 1400 points, that player’s seeding average would be [(600+1000+1400)/3]*.9=900

Player seedings will be determined based on the Tuesday evening ranking run that occurred a full week before the start of the tournament.   For instance, if a tournament began on Friday February 15^th, the February 5^th ranking run would be used for seeing purposes.

Straight bracket seeding will be used for National Championships (1 v. 32, 2 v. 31, etc).  For all other events, randomized seeding will be used within the following groups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-24, 25-32.  Players in each seeding group will be drawn to fill the positions on the draw for those groups.

International Players or participants are who are not United States Residents may accumulate Junior Ranking Points for seeding purposes by participating in U.S. Squash Junior Sanctioned Tournaments.   Players in this category are not able to acquire a U.S. Squash Ranking, and the points accumulated are for seeding purposes only.

For Junior Championship Tour (JCT) events and U.S. National Championships, please consult the tournament information page on the U.S. Squash website for more detailed seeding information.

8. Scoring

9. Default and Withdrawal Policies 

For all junior accredited (sanctioned) tournaments, a player may withdraw before 5:00pm on Friday (in the time zone of the tournament) one week before the start of the tournament without penalty.  Any withdrawal after that timeframe is considered a late withdrawal.

If a player withdraws from a tournament after the withdrawal deadline but before they have begun their first match, or if the player is registered for the tournament and does not appear, the player may receive the following penalties:

• 1^st late withdrawal within an 11-month period: No penalty, but the late withdrawal goes on the player’s record.
• 2^nd withdrawal within an 11-month period: The tournament goes into the player’s ranking calculation with a 0-point value.  This tournament counts like any other in his or her average, but he or she receives no points for the event.
• 3^rd or further withdrawal within an 11-month period: For each further late withdrawal, the player continues to receive 0 points for the tournament in question.

Players must play in all scheduled matches for a given tournament.  If a player does not arrive on time for their scheduled match, the Tournament Director reserves the right to default that player after 15 minutes of the scheduled match time.  Players who default a match in a tournament also default any subsequent scheduled matches.  Players may be permitted to continue in the tournament at the discretion of the Tournament Director.  In making these decisions, the Tournament Director will take into consideration the level of communication with the player, court availability, and any other relevant specific factors.  In no case is the Tournament Director obligated to make special accommodations for players.

If a player withdraws after the beginning of a tournament, they will show a “default” match against their first opponent.  Players will not receive more than 1 defaulted match.  For instance, if a player withdraws in a Round Robin, they will receive 1 default match but no other scheduled matches will be recorded.

If a player withdraws once he or she has begun his or her first match of a tournament, the player receives the lowest amount of points available based on the round they were in at the time of the withdrawal.  For instance, if a player defaults in the semifinal of a 8-player tournament, they receive the points for the 4^th place finish if there was a ¾ playoff in place.  If there was no playoff planned, the player would receive the point for finishing in the 3-4 position.

1. The Points-Based Ranking System

Junior Players will earn points towards their ranking based on the type of tournament in which they play, the finishing position they achieve in the tournament, and size of the draw in their division.

Tournaments are broken up into the following four main categories, listed in order of descending point value: Junior Championship Tour (JCT), Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Additionally, players will earn points in U.S. Championships and Closed tournaments (see below for description of ‘Closed’ tournaments). For a full breakdown of the points available in different tournament types, please see the Junior Rankings Points Table and the U.S. Junior Championships Points Table.

2. The Junior Championship Tour, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Structure

The yearly tournament calendar is designed to give players of all skill levels the opportunity for fun and competitive tournament play. The strongest players will participate primarily in JCT and Gold level tournaments, while less experienced players may focus on Bronze and Silver tournaments until they feel ready to move up to the higher levels.

Players of any ranking may apply for entry into any level of tournament. However, some tournaments may be restricted in size due to demand and court restrictions, such as in the case of JCT and Gold tournaments. For information on the selection of players for these events, please see the section on Rules and Guidelines (above) or consult the tournament information pages on the U.S. Squash website.

3. Ranking Average Divisor

In order to determine a player’s ranking, an average of their highest points-earned tournaments is taken and compared against the averages of other ranked players (see below for more information).If a player has played 4 or fewer tournaments, his or her aggregate total will be divided by 4 to determine his or her ranking average. If a player plays 5, 6, 7, or 8 tournaments, his or her ranking average will be determined by taking the best (top point-earning) 4 events and dividing by 4. If he or she has played 9, 10, or 11 tournaments, the total points from his or her best 5 tournaments will be averaged (totaled and divided by 5). For 12, 13, or 14 tournaments played, the average will be taken of their best 6 events, and so on with a rise in 1 in divisor per multiples of 3 tournaments.

4. The Rankings

Tournaments from the previous 11 months (determined as 48 weeks) will be taken into account in a player’s ranking point average.  After that point, the tournament will no longer affect a player’s ranking.

Rankings will be run weekly on Tuesday by 11:59pm Eastern Time, and will take into account all tournaments, including those from the immediately previous weekend.

Players must be current U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents to be listed in the rankings.

Players with fewer than 3 exposures counting towards a specific age division in the 11-month period will not be listed in the rankings.

5. Aging Up Into a New Division

When a player reaches his or her birthday and ages into a new division, his or her ranking will be removed from the previous division.

Tournaments from the younger age division will be carried over into the rankings for the older age division.  These tournaments will count as exposures in the new age division.  The points earned in each of these individual tournaments will be multiplied by .4 before being factored into the rankings of the new division.  As a player plays tournaments in the new age division, tournaments from the lower age division are removed from their average and exposure count.  For instance, when a player ages up into the GU17 division and has 2 tournaments already played in that division, her average would be based off those two tournaments (regardless of what she earned in those events), and her 2 highest points-earned GU15 tournaments converted at 40%.  When she plays a third GU17 tournament, another GU15 tournament will fall off.

Once a player ages up in this policy, their exposure count is reset to a maximum of 4 tournaments until that player has played more than 4 tournaments in the new older age division.

6. Round Robin Tie Break Rules

In the event of a tie in a round robin draws, finishing positions are determined based on the following criteria, which are applied in sequential order until the tie is broken.

1. Most Matches Won
2. Fewest Matches Lost
3. Most Games Won
4. Fewest Games Lost
5. Percentage of Total Points Won

7. Competing in Higher Age Divisions

A player may choose to participate in a higher age division than that of his or her actual age. In this case, the player will earn points towards a ranking in the upper age division. These points do not convert downward and therefore have no affect on his or her ranking in the lower age division. The points earned in the higher age division will stay on the player’s ranking in the upper division for the standard 11-month period.

8. Combined Age Divisions

In some cases, a Tournament Director may choose to combine age divisions (For instance Boys’ Under 15 and Boys’ Under 17) due to low entries or other extenuating factors.

In the event divisions are combined, a player who registered in the younger age division may choose to have his or her earned points from that tournament applied to his or her ranking in that younger age division.  If there are 4 or more players who are eligible by age in the younger age division which have been combined into the older age division, the requesting player will earn points equivalent to his or her relative finish compared to all players in the division who qualified and attended the tournament from the lower age division (e.g. if 5 players qualify for the BU11 division and it is combined with the BU13, the player that finishes the best out of those 5 players would receive points for first in the BU11, etc.).    If there are 3 or fewer players, then the requesting player will earn the same number of points in the younger age division as they did for their finish in the older combined division.

The player may also choose to not convert his or her point values into the younger age division, and instead take the points in the older age division.

If a player who registered in the lower age division wishes to have their points converted into his or her standard age division, they must communicate this request via email to tournaments@ussquash.com in order to have the points adjusted.

9. Closed Tournaments

Closed tournaments restrict entry to players based on certain set criteria. Examples include individual championship tournaments for U.S. Squash Scholastic Squash Program (SSP) leagues, or regional/district junior championships.

Players may opt to not take the points and exposure from their HS Individual Championship if they choose by emailing tournaments@ussquash.com.

Point allocations for closed tournaments will be determined based on the overall strength of the players entered in each division, determined using a number of factors including player rankings and rankings.  Point breakdowns for closed tournaments are available online on the Junior Squash information page.

10. Summer Gold Tournaments

Players may use the points from only two (2) Gold tournaments held between and including the months of May through August.  This restriction applies whether a player is playing in a single age division or in multiple divisions during this period.  If a player plays in more than two Gold tournaments, that player’s top two point-earning events from the youngest age division tournaments will be used.  In this case, the additional Gold tournaments will not count towards a player’s ranking average nor affect that player’s overall exposure count.

If a player participates in three (3) or more tournaments over multiple age divisions and would like their points applied in the tournaments from the older age divisions instead of the younger, the player must email tournaments@ussquash.com to request the two (2) tournaments from which they wish points to apply to their ranking.

1. Junior Championship Tour (JCT)

The Junior Championship Tour is designed to bring together the best players from around the country, and hence has the most available ranking points other than the U.S. Closed Championships and the U.S. Junior Open.

JCT tournaments are restricted to up to 32 players in each age division. JCTs may be limited to divisions of fewer than 32 players at U.S. Squash’s discretion. Entry into JCT events is determined by ranking in that age group as of the release of the cut list. U.S. Squash reserves two positions in each division to be selected at its discretion. During the conversion into the new ranking system, player ratings and conversion tournaments may be taken into account for entry into JCT draws where appropriate. Please see the tournament information page of each JCT for additional regulations and other pertinent information.

Players must be age-eligible as of the final day of the tournament.

All players must be current U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents, as well as current U.S. Squash members. Players may only enter one division.

2. U.S. Junior Championships (Closed) 

The U.S. Junior Closed Championship is considered the culmination of the Junior Squash Season, and crowns the 10 U.S. Junior National Champions (one from each age division). Players that are age-eligible as of February 26th, 2013 may compete in that age division even if they age out of the division before the competition.

The U.S. Junior Closed Championships are restricted to the top 32 players who apply in each age division. The cut list will be based off the February 26th rankings run, with the top-ranked 32 players qualifying for each division. In the event that a player has competed in an older age division during the season, he or she may be allowed to compete in the younger age group if his or her ranking average from an older age group qualifies him or her in the younger age group. The ranking average from the older age division will not be converted to a higher number for qualification purposes the younger age division. For example, if a player has a point average of 1450 in the older division, 1450 is the average that will be used to determine qualification in the younger age division.

U.S. Squash reserves two discretionary spots per division for entry into the U.S. Junior Closed Championships. Consideration for these discretionary spots may include college students participating in collegiate programs.

All players must be current U.S. Citizens, as well as current U.S. Squash members. Players may only enter one division.

Please consult the U.S. Junior Championships Points Table for the available points at the U.S. Junior Championships (Closed).

3. U.S. Junior Silver Championships

The U.S. Junior Silver Championship is restricted to players ranked #33 and below as of the February 26th, 2013 rankings run. Players that are age-eligible as of February 26th, 2013 may compete in that age division even if they age out of the division before the competition.

Draw sizes will be limited to 32 players per division, selected based on descending order of ranking. If a player does not make it into a division based on his or her ranking, he or she may participate in an older age division if space remains in that division after release of the cut list.

U.S. Squash reserves 2 discretionary spots per division for entry into the U.S. Junior Silver Championships.

All players must be current U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents, as well as current U.S. Squash members. Players may only enter one division.

Please consult the “U.S. Junior Championships Points Table” for the available points at the U.S. Junior Silver Championships.

4. U.S. Junior Bronze Championships

The U.S. Junior Bronze Championship is restricted to players ranked #65 and below as of the February 26th, 2013 rankings run. Players that are age-eligible as of February 26th, 2013 may compete in that age division even if they age out of the division before the competition.

Draw sizes will be limited to 48 players per division, selected based on descending order of ranking. If a player does not make it into a division based on his or her ranking, he or she may participate in an older age division if space remains in that division after release of the cut list. In the event that court capacity allows it, some division sizes may be extended to 64 players.

U.S. Squash reserves two discretionary spots per division for entry into the U.S. Junior Bronze Championships.

All players must be current U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents, as well as current U.S. Squash members. Players may only enter one division.

Please consult the “U.S. Junior Championships Points Table” for the available points at the U.S. Junior Bronze Championships.

5. U.S. Junior Open Championships

The U.S. Junior Open Championship is open to all junior players from around the world who meet gender and age requirements. Players must be age-eligible as of the final day of the tournament.

All U.S. Citizens and Residents who apply for the tournament must be current U.S. Squash members. Foreign players do not need to be current U.S. Squash members.

U.S. Squash will make its best effort to seed foreign players appropriately.

Please consult the “U.S. Junior Championships Points Table” for the available points at the U.S. Junior Open Championships.

6. Participation in Multiple U.S. Junior Championships

Players may compete in only 1 of the 3 U.S. Junior Individual Championships.

Boys’ and Girls’ Under 11 Division Only: Players may participate in multiple U.S. Junior Championships in the Under 11 Division if they are qualified based on their ranking. In the event that a player chooses to play in multiple U.S. Championships in the Under 11 Division, that player will only receive points for the highest level tournament in which they compete. For example, a player competing in both the U.S. Junior Championships (Closed) and the U.S. Junior Silver Championships will only receive points in the U.S. Junior Championships (Closed).

1. High School Scholastic Rankings

Players that compete for schools in a Scholastic Squash Program League (a U.S. SQUASH accredited (sanctioned) High School League) are eligible to be included in the U.S. SQUASH High School Rankings.  With the Junior Tournament points-based ranking methodology, only individual High School Championship matches will count towards a player’s Junior Tournament Ranking.

The High School Rankings will be based on the U.S. SQUASH ELO Rating Algorithm.  All accredited (sanctioned) school matches will go into the rating calculation, and rankings will be posted based on these calculated ratings.

Besides intra-league matches, players will also receive rating exchange for the U.S. High School Squash Championships, and for their League’s individual championship tournament if such a competition is held.  Ratings exchange will also be given for interleague matches between teams competing in separate SSP Leagues.  Both teams must be members of leagues participating in the SSP program, and the match must be entered into the U.S. SQUASH league software in order to receive this ratings exchange.

If a SSP League holds an individual championship, players can also gain points towards their U.S. SQUASH Junior Tournament Ranking.  The point breakdown for these tournaments will be determined based on the relative strength of the players in each division.  Players may opt to not take the points and exposure from their HS Individual Championship if they choose by emailing tournaments@ussquash.com.

2. U.S. Middle School Championships

Any organized Middle School group, whether a varsity, club, or informal team, may compete in the U.S. Middle School Championships.  All players must be currently enrolled and attending classes at the school which they represent.  All participants must maintain a current U.S. SQUASH membership through the final day of the competition.  For full information on qualification criteria, please visit the U.S. Middle School Championships tournament page.

3. U.S. High School Championships

High School groups, whether a varsity, club, or informal team, may compete in the U.S. High School Championships.  All players must be currently enrolled and attending classes at the school which they represent.  All participants must maintain a current U.S. SQUASH membership through the final day of the competition.  For full information on qualification criteria, please visit the U.S. High School Championships tournament page.