- The SA Schools Squash Executive reserves the right to revisit any of the rules listed in this document should they feel it appropriate. They will only exercise this right in very exceptional circumstances. Such an example may be a family bereavement in the middle of an IPT.
- Parents, Players and Managers will be required to sign this document in which they acknowledge the rules pertaining to IPT events to avoid any misunderstandings.
- In addition, regional chairs will be required to submit a document via the team managers at each IPT which must be signed by all the players AND their parents, indicating that they both understand and accept the IPT rules. This form should be submitted together with the indemnity form and the alcohol/substance abuse form.
Team order and procedure in the event of illness/injury at high school IPT’s (u14/16/19)
- Provinces/Regions MUST play their players in order of strength.
- The order must be announced BEFORE the start of the IPT at the first managers’ meeting and may not change during the IPT.
- Players cannot be played lower down the order because they are carrying an injury at the start of IPT. Anyone that is in such a position should not be selected to participate in IPT in the first place.
- In the event of either an injury or illness in the A section, a replacement player MUST be brought from the B Section and all the A Team players MUST move up one position with the B section player playing at number 5 in the A team. The B team then plays without a reserve – hence the reason for a 6-man B team. Provinces may NOT send for a replacement player – even if it is the host province.
- If a player does not complete a match/concedes a match to his opponent, it is accepted that he/she has withdrawn from the team for the remainder of the IPT – unless the injury was inflicted and/or contributed to by an opponent in which case the injured player may return when he/she has recovered.
- If these rules are broken (whether through ignorance or not) then that region’s A and B teams in that gender will both be disqualified and will lose all the points for the match in which they defaulted AND all subsequent points in the IPT.
- The injury rule must be listed on the reverse side of the match card.
- The order of play will be (6); 3; 4; 5; 2; 1.
Expulsion from IPT
In the event of a player being sent home from IPT for disciplinary reasons, that player MAY NOT be replaced at all – not even from the team below. His/Her team will play short for the rest of the IPT. Players will move up the order within a team. There will be no movement from B team to A team. For example, if the numbers 3 and 4 get sent home, then that team will play two players short and will concede at No 4 and No 5.
Withdrawal during the course of IPT for personal reasons
The SA Schools Squash Executive reserves the right to consider each circumstance individually and to make an informed and well-considered decision.
Players making themselves available for participation in IPT teams must understand that they need to be available for the full duration of the event. In highly exceptional circumstances representation may be made to the SA Schools Executive by the province concerned no later than 14 days of the event for concessions in this regard.
Should a player withdraw in the middle of IPT for personal reasons (such as selection for a national cricket team or a provincial hockey team etc) then the same rules will apply to those pertaining to a player being sent home. In other words, all the players in that team will move up the order. There will be NO movement from B team to A team. For example, if the numbers 3 and 4 from an A team, get sent home, then the A team will play two players short and will concede at No 4 and 5.
Should a player(s) withdraw form IPT, all results of that team (both completed and still scheduled) will be declared null and void. The team will complete their schedule without the missing player(s) but all individual results within the team event will stand for national selection. In the event of a player having to withdraw from IPT due to a personal, unscheduled family crisis (or similar), the decision will rest with the SA Schools executive as to how that team will continue in the IPT.
Team order and procedure in the event of illness or injury or withdrawal or expulsion from u13 IPT and u11 Festival
For primary schools a player may withdraw from a team and return later in the tournament. In such a case the team concerned simply forfeits the match in that position. Players do not move up. The same applies shoulda player be suspended and/or sent home.
Discipline
Players are subject to Article 14 of the Rules and Conditions of SA SCHOOLS SQUASH which states: “All players (regardless of age) attending the tournament shall be subject to school discipline and shall be expected to follow high standards of dress and behaviour both on court and off it. If a school player, while on court, says or does anything that is not strictly within the rules (e.g. emotional outbursts or intentionally dropping of racket), the point shall be awarded against him or her and, for the second offence, the game in progress shall be awarded against him or her. Should this behaviour be repeated, the match shall be awarded to his or her opponent. Please note that this WILL be strictly enforced.
No hats, caps, bandanas or baggies will be allowed on court. Full length compression pants may only be worn if a medical certificate is produced. Compression socks are allowed. This is exactly I line with WSF regulations.
Any jewellery that is worn may be deemed to create any potential safety concerns on court. In such an event, players may be requested to remove such jewellery.
Procedure following the abuse of alcohol or substance abuse
All players in this situation will be required to sign a notice of misconduct report. Any player found to have been drinking or using/abusing substance(s) will immediately be sent home from the IPT and/or SACF and suspended from ALL squash (schools, senior and schools’ league, Top Schools and Jarvis/Kaplan etc) pending a full disciplinary hearing to be conducted by one or more of a panel of three lawyers who serve Squash SA. The headmaster of the school which the player(s) attend (or his appointed representative) will also be asked to attend. The IPT organisers do not have the time or the legal knowledge to conduct these hearings and so we have decided to do it completely by the book. The players(s) will be asked to write a statement at the IPR before leaving for home and all further investigations will be conducted by lawyer(s).
Players must play in an IPT event in order to be eligible for selection to Jarvis/Kaplan Cup in a particular year
- There will be NO PLAY-OFFS for selection purposes at any IPT
- Managers AND players will be required to sign a document which says they understand the rules of an IPT BEFORE the IPT begins – at the managers’ meeting
- Teams who break the playing rules (knowingly or unknowingly) will lose ALL further points in the IPT.
- Protective eye-wear is compulsory
- All players playing in an IPT event MUST do a marking/reffing course before they attend IPT. Some practice (under marking mentors for the inexperienced) is encouraged.
Please could we try to play the IPT’s in the spirit of the game, whereby the SA School and Squash SA Code of Conduct for all participants is adhered to.
If managers require the full set of IPT rules pertaining to other IPT matters, these can be obtained from the IPT organiser and/or their regional chairperson should further details be required.
The curfew will be 22:00. The doors will be locked at exactly 22:00. If any player arrives at the Residence (with/without his manager) after 22:00 they will be locked out. In addition, they will be suspended in the following manner:
Arriving between 22:00 and 22:30 will mean suspension for one match.
Arriving between 22:30 and 23:00 will mean suspension for two matches.
Arriving after 23:00 will mean suspension from the rest of the tournament. Lights out 22:30.
Selection Criteria for the SA Schools Teams and SA Top Ten
An SA Schools top 10 will be selected at IPT based on the specified compulsory events.
The criteria for selection to SA Schools Squash Top 10 are:
Players must play in the IPT tournament in June for their province in order to be selected for
SA Schools Squash AND IN THE AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THEY WISH TO BE CONSIDERED FOR NATIONAL SELECTION. You must also have played in your home region’s Open and Closed events. Players had to have played in SA Schools Closed and Bloemfontein Open Tournament to qualify, and players have had to have finished 2 of the events in their entirety.
Only players whose behaviour at these tournaments is satisfactory will be considered for national selection. Players who regularly query decisions and/or throw their rackets and/or shout on court (or similar) will NOT be selected. In addition off court behaviour will also be monitored and may influence selection. Any action that brings the game of squash into disrepute may result in a player not being selected.