Irish Squash

Points and National Team Selection Criteria

Points achieved by players at tournaments for the purpose of National Team selection are not used by the selectors/ranking subcommittee [RSC] for the purposes of ranking players for the next tournament.
Points are earned from the four Provincial Tournaments and the Irish Open only.
Each tournament has equal value for points earned.
The RSC will be mindful, when a player is moving up in age group, of points already earned by that same player at the lower age group, during that season.
The top five points scorers will automatically be selected for each team. The RSC may consider a wild card selection to fill the 6th position on a team - such a player will be of a standard to play at either number 1 or 2 on that team.
Teams are ranked for Internationals from 1-8. This is to allow for players being unable or unwilling to travel to the Home Internationals.
Points are awarded at the end of each tournament and are used for National Team selections only. It is obvious however that the player with the highest finishing points will be ranked highest unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. High points are no buffer for a non-travelling player again unless there are very compelling reasons as to why he has not travelled. A player with higher tournament points can be ranked lower than another player if the higher "pointed" player does not travel and play.

Criteria for International Selection 2009/2010

i. Ladies (Over 35) / Men (Over 35/40):
Tournaments: Irish Nationals, Ulster Open, Irish Open. Points awarded as per Tournament Points Structure. Points scored from a player's best 2 events to determine the panels from which the selectors will pick the teams.
ii. Ladies / Men (All other categories):
The Tournament Points Structure determines the panels from which the selectors will pick the teams. Points from one's best 3 events to count.

Tournament Points Structure
The following points will apply to all Open competitions.

Placing Points Placing Points
Winner 140 6th 35
Runner-up 100 7th 30
3rd 70 8th 25
4th 50 9th 20
5th 40 10th 15


Competition Format

Seeding: Updated ranking lists will be made available after each tournament and those rankings should be used for seeding the next tournament. Where a 'new' player enters and there is doubt as to where to seed him or her the Tournament Director should contact the Masters' Secretary for guidance prior to the making of the draw. Failure to adhere to the current rankings may result in no ranking points being awarded to the section concerned.
Interval between matches: For health and safety reasons - and because it is now mandatory for all over age tournaments - players must have a break of at least 4 hours between finishing a morning match and commencing an evening match. Tournament Directors should schedule 5 hours if possible between morning and afternoon matches on Saturdays. For example, winners of the earliest quarter-finals should meet for the first semi-final and so on.

Complaints / Appeals / Suggestions

The RSC will take suggestions, appeals, corrections etc. that are received in writing and will reply in writing.

Explanations / Considerations
( The idea behind this section is to give further information/examples so players have an idea of why we make the decisions we do.)
There are many circumstances which the RSC have to take into consideration:
~ Players who choose not to play at their own age group but subsequently choose to play at their own age group
~ Players who choose not to travel
~ Players who enter a tournament having not previously travelled
~ Players who will only reach the new age group at the end of the season
~ Players who choose not to enter the first tournament of the year and then seek a wild card
~ Players who may have a very good reason for not travelling.
[A doctor's certificate would normally suffice as an explanatory note.]

The RSC attempts to be fair and exercises judgement with fairness as the core of that judgement.

Ranking Guidelines
The Guidelines used by the RSC after each tournament are as follows:
1) Rankings are determined by the results of the last tournament of the season.
2) Players are once again ranked after each tournament based on their results in that actual tournament.
3) The tournament winner is ranked no 1 and second placed is ranked no 2. and so on. Subject to the considerations set out below.
4) Players who were ranked entering the tournament but who did not travel will be dropped from between 0-4 places depending on the circumstances.
4a) The RSC will be mindful of anomalies. A minor drop in ranking will only take place where the RSC has a written submission.
4b) The RSC will be mindful of players who have won more than one tournament when dropping players ranking places.
5) Ranking is done from 1-16.
6) B section plate winners will be marked with an * granting them a wild card in the following tournament except in unusual circumstances.
7) Players, moving up from one age group to another during the season and who have been ranked at a lower age group, may be given a wild card into the higher age group.
7a) The wild card shall only apply for the first tournament for which the players are eligible.
7b) The RSC will be mindful where a "new player" arrives on the scene, such as from the UK. This new player may get a hearing on appeal re his/her ranking.
7c) Single or multiple players moving from one age group to a higher age group must have their rankings in the lower age group respected.
8) Local matches, league results, cumulative points, will have no bearing on the rankings at each tournament. The finishing position only, will be where sensible, paramount