SquashVote Weekly
So you think you can ref?
This week on SquashVote.wtf, we saw a massive decision at a critical moment in the Farag vs. ElShorbagy match from the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals. With the match tied at two games all and the fifth game locked at 2-2, a crucial call was put to the community. The debate on Reddit’s r/squash was fierce, with passionate arguments for all three possible outcomes.
The situation: Farag, after playing a shot, found himself in a position where ElShorbagy was blocking his path to the ball. The question for the community was simple: who was at fault, and what was the correct call?
The arguments for a ‘Stroke’ centred on ElShorbagy’s failure to clear. Proponents of this view argued that as a professional, ElShorbagy should have been aware of Farag’s position and made a greater effort to get out of the way. They pointed to the rules, which suggest a player has a right to direct access to the ball, regardless of their starting position.
On the other side, those who believed it was a ‘No Let’ or a ‘Let’ argued that Farag had caused his own interference. This side suggested Farag played a poor shot and was too slow to recover, placing himself in a position where interference was inevitable. Some comments even suggested that Farag was “standing in a stupid starting position” and that his own actions were the root cause of the problem.
With a total of 80 votes cast, the community has spoken, and the results are definitive:
19 Strokes
42 Lets
19 No Lets
Most voters sided with a ‘Let’, suggesting that while there was interference, it wasn’t a clear enough case to warrant a ‘Stroke’ for Farag or a ‘No Let’. It seems the community consensus is that neither player was entirely blameless, and the fairest outcome was to replay the point. This decision highlights the fine line referees must walk in high-stakes matches and the difficulty of making the right call in the heat of the moment.
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