Last amended April 2026
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Fixture shall mean a contest between two teams.
Match shall mean a contest between two players. All matches shall be the best of five games.
WPS shall mean Western Province Squash and the board.
SSA shall mean Squash South Africa.
League shall mean the Western Province Squash League.
1. TEAMS ELIGIBLE
1.1 All clubs affiliated to WPS may apply for one or more teams to play in the league.
1.2 Club dues must reach the Treasurer by no later than the due date of the invoice.
1.3 Clubs that have not paid their dues by that date may not be allowed to participate in the league.
1.4 Interest will be charged at 2% above the prime lending rate charged by the Bank on all late payments.
1.5 Unless a club notifies WPS within one week of the final allocation of fixtures being sent out that it wishes
to withdraw a team, clubs will be liable for full league fees for all teams in the final allocation.
1.6 A club in default of payment of Affiliation Fees to SSA will be automatically banned from further
participation in the WPS leagues nor may its members participate in any national or provincial events.
1.7 A player may not change clubs for league purposes after the commencement of the league season,
unless there are valid reasons, which have been accepted by the player’s existing club and WPS. First
league players shall however not be permitted to change clubs after 31 January of that year.
1.8 A Letter of Clearance on the prescribed form from the current club President must be supplied to WPS by
any player who transfers from one club to another for the purposes of participating in the WPS league.
2. A play-off system, if deemed necessary by WPS, will be used at the beginning of the season to determine
the strength of any new clubs/teams wishing to enter the WPS league. This system may also be used in
the case of too many teams requesting a position in a particular league.
2.1 A play-off will consist of the bottom teams playing in a round robin challenge.
2.2 Play-off matches must take place in March and must be concluded by end March.
2.3 Play-off matches for 1st league must take place in February and be concluded in February.
2.4 The losing teams are relegated to the league side below the play-off league level.
3. If, after the first two league fixtures of a new season, a team is deemed, by general consensus, to be too
strong or too weak for that league, an option will be given to such teams to move to vacancies which exist
in a more appropriate league.
3.1 The relegated team must make up the first two fixtures within one month of relegation.
2. COMPOSITION OF TEAMS AND ORDER OF PLAY
1. Any player wishing to be eligible to represent WPS at any SSA sanctioned tournament is required to
participate in the WPS league. To be eligible, the player must play a minimum of 60% of the scheduled
league fixtures.
2. Men shall not be allowed to play in the Women’s league.
3. Women wishing to be eligible to represent WPS at the annual Growthpoint IPT are required to register for
Women’s league and play at least 50% of women’s league fixtures. Discretion may apply on application to
the Board.
4. Women not wishing to be eligible for Growthpoint IPT can play Men’s league
5. All league teams shall consist of 4 players who must be fully paid-up members of their club.
6. All league playing clubs shall, before the commencement of the first league fixture of the season, submit
a current ladder (Men’s and Ladies) to WPS.
7. Clubs will be required to submit an updated ladder at the start of the second half of the season. Should a
dispute arise during the season, clubs may be called upon to submit a current ladder
8. A club team in men’s first league may not include more than two players in the top ten South African
national rankings in the same team for any one league match on a given date. For this purpose, ranking
will be based on the first official South African ranking of the year or the last official ranking done before
league commences, whichever is more recent.
9. Players must play in order of strength as indicated by the club’s current ladder. This rule also applies
when a replacement player is used. The practice of continually changing the playing order of teams is not
considered to be in the spirit of the game and undue movement of players from week to week will result
in penalties being imposed.
10. A player may play in only one round of fixtures per week, the exception being if one (or more) of the
fixtures is (are) a rescheduled fixture, officially sanctioned in writing by WPS. Once a club becomes
aware that its player falls into this category, prior permission to use the player must be obtained from
WPS. Failure to do this may result in penalty points. Due to the complexities regarding player eligibility, if
a club has any doubt regarding a player being eligible for a fixture, consult with WPS in writing.
In this context, a league fixture shall include a situation where a player’s team has a bye or receives a
walkover. Any player whose team has a bye, or walkover may not play in another fixture during that week.
The rule relating to one fixture per week shall not restrict players from playing Masters League, or women
from playing a Men’s league match where they have already played in a women’s fixture that same week.
Contravention of this rule may result in penalties being imposed.
11. If a player is not available on the day of a fixture, an alternative player shall be moved up from a lower
league into the No.4 position and the other players shall be moved up one position to close the gap in
that team. An infringement of this rule will result in the player’s match, and all matches in that fixture
below the number for which they were selected, being awarded to the opposing team.
12. A team playing with three or fewer players may be penalised by three points being deducted from their
total league points. In the event of a team playing short, all players must move up in the order to fill the
team from the number 1 position down and the offending team must concede matches from the lowest
position downwards. The penalty for infringement of this rule will apply on each occasion such offence is
committed.
13. The use of "floating reserves" is not allowed.
14. A player joining a club during the season must be reflected on the ladder and must play in that ladder
position.
15. An injured player returning to the team must be reflected accordingly on the updated ladder.
16. The match result of a player deemed to contravene one or more of the WPS league rules shall be
recorded as a 3-0 walkover to the opposition. Similarly, the match result of every player below that player
in that fixture may also be recorded as a 3-0 walkover. WPS is entitled to enforce a further three-point
penalty on this team if, in its opinion, the above penalty is not sufficient for the infringement.
17. A player in a league team that has completed all its scheduled matches may not thereafter play for a
lower league team but may play in a position higher than their ladder position. An infringement of this rule
will result in penalty points. Withdrawal from the league before the conclusion of the season will not be
deemed as the conclusion of scheduled matches.
3. TWO TEAMS IN THE SAME LEAGUE SIDE
1. A club with two teams in the same league must ensure that they are approximately equal in strength. No
variation to this rule will be allowed unless a written application is received by WPS by the end of March
of the year in question.
2. A player returning to a lower league from a higher league must return to the team from which he/she was
promoted to the higher league.
3. A player may not play in two or more teams in the league, and when they have played for one team, must
stay in that team throughout the season. The only exception is that a player who is promoted from a
lower league may, with the prior permission from WPS, be promoted to the team other than the one for
which they played before moving to a lower league.
4. FIXTURE AND COMMENCEMENT TIMES
1. All league fixtures shall commence at 18:30 for both men and women. The captains must take all
reasonable steps to ensure that two players from each team are ready and able to play their
corresponding numbers in the opposing teams at the designated commencement time (i.e. that there are
two sets of matched opponents ready to begin at such time). In the event of the first match not having
commenced within 15 minutes (by 18:45) of the designated commencement time, the offending team or
teams may have five points deducted from their score. Members of the home team must be present and
ready to play, however the visiting team will be allowed reasonable leeway for delays outside of their
control, such as unexpected traffic delays.
2. The team nearest to the date on the fixture list shall be the home team, unless otherwise indicated.
5. PLAYING MATCHES/FIXTURES ON ALTERNATIVE DAYS.
1. Players must play as a team, and no individual matches will be permitted, except where a player has been
selected to play for their district, province or country, is playing in an individual tournament officially
recognised by SSA on their calendar or is obliged to fulfil duties as a provincial or national squash
administrator on the date of the fixture. In this event a player shall play their match within a period of 14
days before the date of the fixture and must notify WPS immediately of the change. If the first round of a
tournament starts on a Sunday or Monday, all league fixtures for the preceding Tuesday must be played
as scheduled. No player will be allowed to play a match after the date of the fixture. In the event that the
match has not been played by the fixture date, a penalty will apply. Players must contact their opponent
before the period of the two weeks dispensation commences.
2. All first-round matches must be completed and scores captured on SportyHQ by the end of the 1st round
of the league season. All 2nd round matches must be completed and scores captured by the culmination
of the league season. Failure to do so will result in both teams scoring zero for the fixture.
3. Teams may not play on an alternative night other than as scheduled in the WPS fixture list. In the event of
a team finding itself unable to fulfil a fixture on the designated date, the captain shall contact the
opposing captain to seek an alternative earlier date. Such fixture must be played 7 days prior to the
rescheduled fixture date or before the next scheduled fixture. However, should the opposing captain find
the proposed alternative arrangement unacceptable, for valid reasons, the fixture shall be played as
scheduled or shall be conceded by the team seeking the indulgence. WPS must be notified of the agreed
arrangement in order to ensure that the fixture is recorded correctly. Failure to notify the WPS office will
result in the fixture being automatically awarded to the opposing team.
4. If both teams agree to an earlier alternative date, and the fixture is played on such date, the players who
participate will then not be eligible to play in the week in which the fixture was originally scheduled to be
played.
5. University, school and religious holidays are deemed legitimate reasons for teams who are affected by
these, to apply for an alternative fixture date which must comply with regard to the 14 day period.
6. Teams wishing to reschedule matches for the abovementioned reasons, must seek permission in writing
from WPS.
6. DATE CHANGES BY WPS
1. In the event of it being necessary for WPS to change the date for one or more fixtures after the final
fixtures have been published, all affected clubs will be notified in advance. It shall be the responsibility of
individual team captains to ensure that their teams and their opponents are aware of any changes and
any misunderstandings resulting in a failure to play fixtures will result in either team, or both teams losing
all points for the fixture in question.
7 DISPUTES AND DISCIPLINARY COMPLAINT
1. Any disputes or disciplinary complaints must be submitted in writing by the Club President together with
a detailed account, to WPS within 10 days of the fixture. WPS may then refer the matter to the
Disciplinary Committee or the Rules Committee, either of which shall have the power to enforce the
necessary penalty against any player, team or club. A decision of either of the abovementioned sub-
committees shall be final and binding on all parties to the dispute. WPS shall have the power to submit
any perceived violation of the Rules, of which it becomes aware, to the Disciplinary Committee or the
Rules Committee, notwithstanding that it has not received any complaint.
8 SCORING
1. Each individual game won by either team will earn one point.In addition there will be a bonus of two points
for the team which wins the greater number of matches i.e. 4-0 or 3-1. In the event of a fixture being 2 all
in matches, then the team winning the greater number of games shall be the winner. In the event of the
games being equal, then the team with the greater number of points shall be the winner. Should matches,
games and points be equal, the fixture shall be declared a tie and each team will score one bonus point.
2. In the event of two teams having equal points at the end of the league season, the winner shall be the
team which has won the most fixtures in the season. In the event of the two teams winning an equal
number of fixtures, the winner shall then be the team which has won most matches in the season. If
fixtures and matches are equal, the winner shall be the team that has conceded the lesser number of
games in the season. If fixtures, matches and lesser number of games conceded are equal, there shall be
a playoff to decide the winners, which shall be played within 7 days of the last scheduled league fixture.
In the event of a playoff, each team must ensure that the members of their team have played at least 50%
of the league fixtures in that league or a lower league during the year.
9. COMPLETION AND SUBMISSION OF RESULTS
1. The result of each fixture must be captured on SportyHQ. The deadline for entering results is the Monday
following the week in which the fixture was played.
2. Captains shall ensure that all league players have been registered on SportyHQ and are fully paid up.
Non-registered players and players who have not paid the annual SSA Registration fee will automatically
attract penalty points.
3. If a team has a walkover, the result should be entered as such. The walkover option on SportyHQ must be
used.
4. Any team that withdraws from a league after completing one or more matches shall have all points for and
against removed and such team will be relegated to the bottom of the log. A Club whose team withdraws
once the fixtures have commenced will not be eligible to be considered for either the Clive Corder or
Carollyn Guthrie trophy.
10. EQUIPMENT AND APPLICABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL RULES
1. All matches shall be played under the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (Updated 25 September 2025).
2. All matches shall be played with a squash ball that conforms to the standards as set out in Appendix 5 of
the World Squash Singles Rules 2025.
3. All other equipment shall conform to the standards as set out in Appendix 5 of the World Squash Singles
Rules 2025.
4. Clothing shall be neat and of a colour which will not clash with an opponent’s or marker/referee’s visibility
of the ball. In all cases recognised squash shoes shall be worn.
11. MARKERS AND REFEREES
1. All matches must be marked. Teams are to co-operate in this regard and to take their turn at marking. It is
advised that each match be marked and refereed by a representative of each team, one acting as marker
and one as referee.
12. PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
1. Promotion to and relegation from 1st league shall be based upon the use of the accepted scoring system
from Squash Levels. WPS shall have regard to a number of factors, in particular the preservation of a high
standard and a balance between allocation of teams to various clubs.
2. As regards other leagues, WPS will follow a guideline of promoting the top two teams into the next higher
league, and the last two teams in the league above will automatically be relegated. WPS shall however
have the final discretion in this respect, and shall be entitled to take into account any other relevant
factors which may facilitate the efficient running of the league.
13. ELECTRICITY FAILURE
In the event of electricity failure, such as experienced during loadshedding, during the course of a league match, the following will apply where a fixture is affected:
1. All postponed fixtures MUST be played within 10 days of the date of such fixture and the same players
who were listed must play in the postponed fixture at the assigned venue.
2. If the fixture has commenced and the first match has not been completed due to electricity failure and
subsequent abandonment of that match and the rest of the matches, the entire fixture shall be replayed
within 10 days.
3. If any one match of a fixture has been completed, the result of that match shall stand on the resumption
of the fixture at a later date.
4. If one or more matches have been completed in the fixture and a subsequent match is interrupted, the
scores shall stand and such match will be resumed at the same point when the fixture is replayed. (e.g. J
Smith was leading 2-1 and 6/4 against B Brown - the match will be resumed at this point).
5. The WPS office must receive a copy of the incomplete fixture card of a match that has been abandoned
at any point due to electricity failure. Upon completion of the fixture the card is to be submitted again
with full results recorded.
THE WPS OFFICE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE RULES IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
