The 1999/2000 Squash League will START on Monday, October 11, 1999. You are invited to form a team to join the League. The CLOSING DATE for application is July 30, 1999. Late applications will not be considered.

Please read the following carefully before filling in the Entry Form. The Form should be completed in all columns. Incomplete forms will be returned and the applications are regarded as rejected. The changes in rules are highlighted or set in italic for ease of reference.

The Squash League comprises of Main, Ladies and Masters Leagues, and is divided into divisions. Each team will normally play the other teams in the same division, WHERE POSSIBLE, on a home and away basis. The league fixtures are to be arranged at the discretion of Hong Kong Squash (HKS).

At the conclusion of the League, the team finishing in first place will be designated as the Division Champion. At the end of the league season, there will be a Final Series. The teams finishing 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th will play off for the Final Series Championship. Trophies/plaques will be given to the Division Champions and the Final Series Champions respectively.

Players should be principally residents in Hong Kong and MUST be fully paid-up members of HKS. The Team Convenor is responsible to collect and pay the membership subscription for his/her players together with the team entry fee when the team application is submitted.

The team entry fee for the 1999/2000 season will remain as:

The Entry Form (as attached) must be FULLY completed. Entry Forms with missing or inadequate information will be rejected.

To download an entry form, click here.

You must indicate the Division that you wish to enter and give FULL details of all your players in the proposed playing order. The Squash League Sub-committee (SLSC) has FULL DISCRETION in deciding in which division the team should play and reserves the right to move teams up or down after the Entry Forms are received.

Teams must indicate the division they played and the final position in the 1998/99 Squash League. With the exception of Division 1 and Division Ladies 1, the teams and their players finishing 1^st and 2^nd in the 1998/99 Squash League and the Final Series should be promoted to the next higher division. The bottom 2 teams in each division have the option to move down to the next lower division.

FULL details of all players must be submitted, including name of the team, division, rank/position he/she played, the league year, etc. If the player(s) has not played in the 1998/99 Squash League, details relating to the LAST LEAGUE he/she played MUST be stated in the Entry Form. It is the responsibility of the Team Convenor to register his/her players according to the grading system and to ensure that he/she is eligible to play in the division that the team has applied for. The SLSC has FULL discretion to accept or reject any player(s) to play in the applied division.

For teams with Home Courts, you must indicate which courts you propose to use. If the courts belong to a private club, you must provide details of the court facilities and evidence to show that the club concerned will make the courts available according to the fixtures issued by the HKS.

The 1999/2000 Squash League will have 28 divisions in total and the provisional timetable is as follows:

Depending on the number of entries, the SLSC may make adjustments to the ABOVE timetable.

For Main League Divisons 1-20, Ladies Divison L2-L5 and Masters Division M1-M3, league matches will be played between teams of 5 players with each rubber the best of 5 games. Each match will be for 6 points: one point per rubber scored and one extra point for the match winner. World Singles Game scoring (up to 9 points) will be used.

For Division Ladies 1, matches will be played between teams of 4 players with each rubber the best of 5 games. Each match will be for 5 points, one point per rubber and one extra point for the match winner. In the case of a draw, a count back of games and, if necessary, points scored, is to be made.

All lady players (except Grade SUPER A and those playing in the Masters League only) must first register and play in the Ladies League before they are eligible to elect to play for a team in the Main League.

Men and ladies aged 40 and above (except those of Division 1 standard) may enter the Masters League and teams may comprise of both men and ladies. Eligible men and lady players participating in the Main or Ladies Leagues may also play in the Masters League.

Draw ups from the Masters League is allowed, but NOT from the Main and Ladies League.

Players must be registered and paid-up members of the HKS before they are eligible to play in the Squash League.

Teams may register:

Division Ladies L1 -- a minimum of 5 players in a team and the maximum at any time is 10.

Division 1-20, Ladies L2-L5 and Masters M1-M3 ? a minimum of 6 players in a team and the maximum at any one time is 10.

Team Convenors MUST seed their players in order of ability and the provisional order should be stated in the Entry Form. However the order needs to be CONFIRMED by a formal notice to the League Secretary on or before September 15, 1999. In case nothing is heard from the Team Convenor before September 15, 1999, the provisional order as stated in the Entry Form will be taken as CONFIRMED. Thereafter, team order can only be changed TWICE during the League season. Proposed changes MUST be notified in writing to and subject to the approval of the League Secretary. Changes will become effective ONE WEEK after approval is given. No changes can be registered by a team during the last 4 playing weeks of the League season and/or preceding the commencement of the relevant Final Series, whichever is earlier. The SLSC has full discretion in approving or rejecting changes proposed to the playing order or composition of the team.

Where Club(s) entering 2 or more teams in the same League, the order of ability MUST descend throughout divisions. In case the SLSC feels that a player has not been nominated into the correct position, it may order the forfeiture of points won in any League matches in which the player concerned has taken part, or may disqualify the team.

Club(s) entering teams in more than one division may draw up players to play in a higher division from teams in a lower division in the SAME League. However, players drawn up from a lower division can only be drawn up to the SAME team on each occasion. A player who plays in a higher division team on the 3^RD OCCASION or more CANNOT revert to his original division. NO draw ups is permitted in the Final Series.

Clubs entering more than one team in the same division CANNOT interchange players between these teams.

Players MUST have played at least 5 matches for their team before being eligible to play in the Final Series.

Players who wish to transfer from one team to another MUST apply to the League Secretary in writing and subject to approval given by the SLSC. The SLSC will not permit the transfer of player(s) to a lower division unless there is special reason justifying the application. No changes of players will be allowed during the last 4 playing weeks of the League season and/or preceding the commencement of the relevant Final Series, whichever is earlier.

New players MUST first become members of the HKS before applying to play in the League. Team Convenors must make written application to the League Secretary TWO WEEKS in advance, providing full details on the playing standard of the new player (eg past records showing his/her participation in a squash league in Hong Kong or elsewhere, etc). The new player can only participate in the League subject to approval given by the SLSC. In case of doubt, the SLSC may require the new player to be assessed.

ALL registered players who have not previously attended a HKS Referee/Marker Course must attend such a course, conducted in either Chinese or English, BEFORE January 31, 2000. It is the responsibility of the Team Convenors to ensure that all his/her players have attended the Referee/Marker Course.

If, for any reason, a player has not attended a course by January 31, 2000, one point per match will be deducted from the team scores for each match in which the player has played until he/she has attended such a course.

Newly registered players must attend the next available course. Failure to do so will result in the deduction of one point for each match that the player has played.

As rules have been changed in recent years, players who attended a Referee/Marker Course before January 1993 are encouraged to attend a refresher course.

Teams giving walkovers will be penalized one point for each walkover given.

All league matches should be played according to the fixtures issued. However in the case of unavoidable absence of a player or players representing Hong Kong in overseas competitions, the relevant league match should be rescheduled. If possible, the match is to be played before the player(s) leave(s) Hong Kong and on a date to be agreed between the two Convenors concerned. The League Secretary should be notified in advance. In case, agreement could not be reached by the two teams, the SLSC will decide and instruct the match to be played on a rescheduled date, and this decision shall be FINAL.

Complaints will be handled by the SLSC. For incidents requiring disciplinary action, the SLSC shall first inform the player(s) who is the subject of the complaint and ask him/her to provide an explanation within a specified time limit. The SLSC shall investigate the matter and, if necessary, convene a meeting comprising the Chairman and two members, the player(s) and/or the Team Convenor(s) concerned. At the conclusion of the investigation, the SLSC shall send a full report outlining its findings to the Disciplinary Committee.

The Disciplinary Committee will review the case and endorse the recommendations made by the SLSC or invite the player(s) and/or Team Convenor(s) concerned to submit their views for their consideration. The Disciplinary Committee will then communicate its decision, in writing, to the player(s) and/or Team Convenor(s) concerned. Any APPEAL against the disciplinary action taken against the player(s) and/or Team Convenor(s) concerned MUST be submitted, within 7 days, in WRITING to the League Secretary.

The Executive Committee of HKS will form a Select Committee to hear the APPEAL. The decision of the Select Committee will be FINAL.