1. Reading the Schedule.
Format 1. Similar to last year.
One the left side the club match ups are shown
week by week.
For example, September 28, week 1, Evergreen and VRC are matched
up. Hollyburn and VLTBC (Vancouver Lawn) are matched up. SC (Sport
Central) has a bye.
Across the top the time and the matches to be played at each club
are shown.
The matches are always listed in order of time. See in bold 6
7 8 9 which refers to 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm start times.
The numbers in boxes are the team numbers. There are 8 teams ranked
from #1 to #8 playing for each club. Each week half the club team
will be hosting at home while the others are away. The odd numbered
teams are always together at one club while the even numbered
teams are at the other club.
Again using September 28 as an example; Evergreen is hosting VRC’s
odd numbered teams. #1’s play at 6pm, #3’s play at
7pm, #5’s play at 8pm, and #7’s play at 9pm. VRC is
hosting Evergreen’s even numbered teams. #2’s play
at 6pm, #4’s play at 7pm, #6’s play at 8pm, and #8’s
play at 9pm.
A similar thing is happening at VLTBC and Hollyburn that night.
SC (Sport Central) has a bye.
The following week, Oct 5, SC is hosting the Lawn’s evens
while the Lawn is hosting SC’s odds. At Sport Central, #6,
#2, #8, and #4 play at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm respectively. And
when and where is SC’s #7 playing?
Format 2. Set up like a round robin.
The intersection of two clubs on the grid shows the week the match
is played.
Read the schedule across. Find your team in the left column. Read
across to find the appropriate week #. Your opponent will be at
the top of the column. The boxes are coded with shading or colours.
On my version, pink is a bye, yellow is hosting Odds, and blue is
hosting Evens.
As an example, look at Sport Central. So reading across for SC,
week #1 they have a bye. Week #2 is at the end of the line, and
their opponent is The Lawn. Week #3 they play VRC, week #4 they
play Hollyburn, and week #5 they play Evergreen.
The dates of the matches are below. They are all Wednesdays. Week
#1 is September 28; Week #2 is October 5, and so on to Week #5 on
November 2.
The order of play is shown for each date. Yellow line for the Odds
and the blue line for the Evens.
Week #2 for SC is against The Lawn. SC’s box is blue so they
are hosting The Lawn’s Evens. Check the line for The Lawn.
See that their week 2 box is yellow (hosting Odds) and at the top
of that column is Sport Central their opponent. Great!
The other match up for week #2 is Hollyburn (yellow, hosting odds)
vs. Evergreen (blue, hosting evens). VRC has a pink box for week
#2, they have a bye.
So Week #2, October 5, SC vs. Lawn. Playing at SC will be #6, #2,
#8, and #4 at 6, 7, 8, and 9pm respectively. Playing at The Lawn
will be #5, #1, #7, and #3 at 6, 7, 8, and 9pm respectively.
2. The Structure of the Schedule.
Over the season each club plays the other four clubs 3 times.
So there are 12 matches plus 3 byes for a 15 week schedule.
The Odds and Evens both play 6 matches at home and 6 matches away.
However, for a particular opponent, you meet only 3 times, so
for some 2 of the 3 will be away and 1 at home.
The order which teams play is never repeated. The four times (6,
7, 8, and 9pm) are spread evenly (one of the times will appear
three times and the other times four times) over the 15 weeks.
You will see that the season is made up of three cycles. From
one cycle to the next, the sequence of clubs you play repeats.
The home and away games alternate. That is, VRC will play Evergreen
Week #1, #6 (first week of cycle two), and #11(first week cycle
of three). VRC’s Evens are at home weeks #1 (first cycle)
and #11 (third cycle) and the Evens are away the second cycle.
3.Post Season.
There will be three weeks of post season play. All on Wednesdays.
Top four teams will be in a playoff on two Wednesdays.
There will also be a wind up week for all five clubs using all
five venues.
February 22, 2006. Playoff Semi-finals. Top four teams.
March 1, 2006. Wind up Week. All clubs participate.
March 8, 2006. Playoff Finals and ¾.
4. Scoring
It’s more than who won the match, so keep good records of
the matches played.
The club team earns one point for each game won.
In addition, if a club wins 5 or more of the matches, they also
get one more point.
If the clubs split 4-4, no extra point is awarded.
The club with a bye will automatically be awarded 18 points.
5. Reporting Scores
The scores are sent to Lynn Broman at the earliest time.
Players should be encouraged to report scores with as much of
the needed information to captains promptly. Leaving a sheet at
the doubles court for visitors and hosts to sign in and then record
scores makes the job easier. Unlike singles, the captain is often
not at the club to gather the information.
Best by email. LJBROMAN@SHAW.CA
Phone: 604 922 2788.
No, Lynn Broman does NOT have a fax. Yup, you have to type it
out and send an email.
The information needed for each match: Players’ names and
wall. Club. Team #. Match score indicating winner.
I assume first named player is LEFT WALL.
#1 Brian Covernton L and Cathy Covernton R VRC 3-2 beat Evergreen
Tim Martin L and Mark Heaney R.
Setting up a little Word Document shell would be
helpful for team captains.
Sport Central Score Opponent
Left Wall Right Wall Left Wall Right Wall
#1 __________________________/________________________
#2 __________________________/________________________
#3 __________________________/________________________
#4 __________________________/________________________
#5 __________________________/________________________
#6 __________________________/________________________
#7 __________________________/________________________
#8 __________________________/________________________
6. Reporting Team Line Ups.
Club Captains will send a line up to Lynn Broman by Sunday preceding
a match.
The line up may be revised or may be incomplete. Do your best.
Use the same Word Doc shell for reporting scores.
The intention is that best available play at #1 and weakest team
play at #8.
It is not acceptable to throw away a match at a top position to
strengthen the club’s chances at lower positions.
7. Communication within the
League
One or two contacts (captains, organizers) will be named with
phone #’s and email addresses for each club and that information
will be made available to League participants.
Also needed are club phone numbers with directions about how to
contact Doubles area of club.
Encourage all players to provide email address (phone too) to
Lynn Broman by sending an email to LJBROMAN@SHAW.CA Much of the
League communication is done by email. Lynn is happy to pass along
to all colourful information about particular matches. No foul
language or libelous comments.
8. Hosting.
Hosting Doubles is not the same as VSL hosting.
It’s still very basic in doubles. Get the beer on the table.
9. Refereeing.
BC Doubles and Doubles League encourage refereeing or at least
score keeping of matches.
Bringing beer to the court rather than heading for the bar is
a difficult habit to break.
However, the doubles game is better when the matches have officials
and officials gain experience.
10. Court Times, Lates, No
Shows.
All matches are scheduled to begin on the hour. The expectation
is that players will be ready to step on court on the hour.
A critical concern is getting the 6 pm match going on time.
There may be long matches which will delay the start of the next.
If a match, particularly one early in the evening, appears to
be headed for a marathon session, it would be courteous and appreciated
that the remaining game(s) be shortened to say 7, 9, or 11 points
with no sets.
However, a match that begins late because a player is not ready
will be adjusted so that the match does not delay the following
match. The late team may forfeit points, or a game. Other options
are to play best of 3 rather 5; play to the clock, that is the
match is over on the hour; or shorten some or all the games. The
team that is on time has the upper hand here. If there is a complete
no show, get a match in with whoever is available. In such cases,
send a message to Lynn Broman with some details so that appropriate
points will be awarded.
Keep in mind the object is to play all matches. If someone is
late, they will not screw up the rest of the evening by delaying
the remaining matches.
If your opponents chose an even up solution, in spite of your
late arrival, you should be buying the beer!
11. Matches Rules
The matches are played according to “Squash Doubles Playing
Rules” and “A Complete Explanation and Interpretation
of Squash Doubles Rules”.
Exception is late rule. See above.
Be aware of Rule 10.
Approved protective eye guards must be worn properly over the
eyes at all times during play.
This rule also includes appropriate clothing. Vancouver Lawn and
Hollyburn have whites only rules.
All clubs expect suitable squash attire that includes non marking
indoor court shoes.
12. Eligible Players.
Each club has its own policy about who may or may not play for
the club.
There are no League rules regarding the eligibility of players
except that every player must be in good standing with Squash
BC and each player is encouraged to register with BC Doubles through
Squash BC.
Each player is encouraged to attend a Doubles Rules Clinic and
afterwards become certified.
13. Publication of Scores
and other Statistics.
The results of individual matches and club point standings have
been published through Squash BC and Squash Canada.
Also published are individual player statistics. In the past players
who won all matches within a cycle were recognized in what was
called the 343 Club. That will now be modified to the 444 Club.
The full league roster with results is published periodically
with those winning at least half their matches recognized in the
500 Club.
