The World Squash Federation (WSF) is the

international federation This is a list of international sports federations, each of which serves as a non-governmental governing body for a given sport and administers its sport at a world level, most often crafting rules, promoting the sport to prospective spectator ...

for

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

, an indoor

racket sport Racket sports are games in which players use a racket or paddle to hit a ball or other object. Rackets consist of a handled frame with an open hoop that supports a network of tightly stretched strings. Paddles have a solid face rather than a net ...

which was formerly called "squash rackets". The WSF is recognised by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...

(IOC) as the International Federation (IF) for squash, and is also a member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and the

Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation constituted through and recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The ARISF's members are international sports ...

(ARISF). It is based in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

in England. As of 2021 it has 122 member federations. The first squash court was built in England in 1865; there are now around 50,000 courts in more than 185 nations worldwide. To harness this growth and to promote and co-ordinate the sport, the International Squash Rackets Federation (ISRF) was formed in 1967, its name being changed in 1992 to the World Squash Federation (WSF).

Presidents

Below is the list of presidents since 1967 :

Membership

The WSF has 122 Members, all of whom are National Associations of squash, recognised by their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry of Sport as the sole and undisputed governing body for the sport in the country. Members are required to join one of the five Regional Federations which are an integral part of the WSF structure. Members receive a number of votes to be used at General Meetings depending on the number of squash courts in their country.

Management

The WSF is managed by an executive board (the board), responsible for day-to-day control of the Federation and an executive committee (ExCo) which assists the board in the strategy and policy making process. Members of the board are elected at general meetings and consist of a president and three vice-presidents, who each serve four year terms of office. One additional vice-president may be co-opted on an annual basis if required. ExCo comprises all members of the board plus one regional vice-president appointed by each of the five Regional Federations. The chairman of the Athletes Commission and a representative of

PSA PSA, PsA, Psa, or psa may refer to: Biology and medicine * Posterior spinal artery * Primary systemic amyloidosis, a disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins * Prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme used as a blood tracer for pros ...

are members of ExCo. The board is supported by a number of committees, commissions and panels whose members are volunteers with specialist knowledge coming from the Regional Federations and Player Association. The WSF employs professional staff who are responsible for implementing the decisions of these bodies whose main activities are described below.

Actions

World calendar of events

The WSF works closely with the Player Association – the Professional Squash Association (

) – to control and co-ordinate the world calendar for

. Championships are held in all major squash playing nations and are integrated with the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

and Major Games calendar to ensure that there are no clashes of dates.

World Championships and major games

The Championships Committee is responsible for running and promoting World Championships for men, women, juniors and masters at individual and team levels in both singles and doubles via National Federations. World Championships are run by WSF Members, who tender for the events at least four years in advance. Team Championships are held every two years; and Open/Individual Championships are held annually. The committee is also responsible for ensuring that squash is represented in all major regional multi-sport games – squash is now included in the Pan-American Games,

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the ex ...

World Games The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games wer ...

and

All Africa Games The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (AN ...

Olympic Games

The WSF has established an Olympic Games Committee which is responsible for conducting a high-profile campaign for squash to be accepted as a full medal sport in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

. (Bid)
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Athletes Commission

The Athletes Commission comprises representatives from

. The chairman, an athlete, reports to ExCo and represents the interests of the current players in areas such as Championship Regulations and implementation of the new WADA Code.

Coaching and development

The WSF encourages the development of squash, not only in countries where it is a new sport but also where it is already well-established. Advice on all development matters is given to members and is implemented through the group of WSF specialists in the Coaching & Development Committee and via "best practice" on the WSF website. Committee Members identify needs for development projects in their regions and recommend activity plans to the WSF for resources and funding. The committee organises a Coaching Conference on an annual basis and runs coaching courses in new and developing squash nations to help develop local coaches. The committee also organises a management conference for senior executives in national associations so they can network, share resources and establish best practice on the WSF website.

Referees and rules

The Referees Committee has responsibility for implementing and running a Referees’ Programme which trains, accredits and assesses the top grade WSF Referees. A referees conference is organised on a biennial basis. The Rules Commission continually monitors the rules of the sport and makes recommendations for change. It also provides a very popular on-line rules answers service to the public at large on interpretation of the rules.

Court and equipment specifications

The Technical Committee sets standards for all technical aspects of squash, including court construction, rackets, balls, eye protection and clothing. It inspects and accredits court components which meet the specifications and works with its partner companies to promote good practice in court construction worldwide.

Anti-doping

The Anti-Doping Commission ensures that squash is fully compliant with the new WADA Code. The commission is responsible for establishing a Registered Testing Pool and an Athletes Whereabouts System for out-of-competition testing. It has established a panel of physicians which reviews Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) and calls on specialist Doping Hearing and Review Panels when required.

Medical

The Medical Commission generates positive guidelines for all medical aspects of playing and training for squash. It identifies and gives medical advice on topics such as eye protection, heart health, injury prevention and injury management.

Ethics and disciplinary matters

The WSF has established an independent Ethics Panel at the suggestion of the IOC. It also has a well-established Disciplinary Committee supported by an independent Appeals Panel when necessary – this is called upon very rarely.

Promotion and publicity

The WSF delivers an information and publicity service to squash players and the sports media worldwide. Press information is circulated regularly through the WSF's media services, who are also responsible for ensuring that up-to-date information on World Championships and other major squash events appears on the WSF website.

Squash 57

The WSF renamed Racketball as Squash 57 in September 2015 to distinguish it from the sport of

Racquetball Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...

, and in January 2017 updated the Standard Rules for it.

Continental association

Events

Seniors' events *

* World Open Squash Championships *

World Team Squash Championships The WSF World Team Squash Championships are an international squash competition organised by the World Squash Federation The World Squash Federation (WSF) is the international federation for squash, an indoor racket sport which was formerly ...

World Doubles Squash Championships The World Squash Doubles Championship has been held in North America since 1981 when it was sanctioned by the International Squash Racquets Federation. It has been held bi-annually since 1994 where it has alternated with the World Softball Doubles ...

Junior events * World Junior Squash Circuit *

World Junior Squash Championships The World Junior Squash championships are the official junior tournament in the game of squash conducted by the World Squash Federation (WSF). Entry is open to individuals aged 19 and below. Since its inception the world juniors has been held bie ...

University events * World University Squash Championships Masters' events *

World Masters Squash Championships The World Masters Squash Championships are an international squash competition organised by the World Squash Federation and played between players for athletes over the age of 35 years. World Masters are divided into ten categories — Over 35, Ove ...

Professional association

Professional Squash Association The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the governing body for the men's and women's professional squash circuit. The body operates in a similar fashion to the ATP and the WTA for tennis. The PSA's highest professional level, the PSA W ...

(PSA)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control

Squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

Squash organizations