Squash Club Championship Software
One day, four courts, a singles knockout with a plate, and the players coming off court refereeing the next match
A squash club championship is a one-day singles knockout for 16 to 32 members on three to six courts. Early rounds are best of three, the semi-finals and final best of five, and every game goes to 11 with two clear at 10-all. The two players from the previous match on a court referee the next one, and first-round losers drop into a plate so nobody goes home after one match. The organiser's real work is court time and a draw that stays current.
The day on four courts with 16 players
08:30 — check-in closes. The draw went out the evening before, so everyone knows their first opponent and court.
09:00 — first round, eight best-of-three matches in two waves on four courts. The two players who finish on a court stay on to referee the next match there.
10:00 — quarter-finals on courts 1 and 2, the first plate matches on courts 3 and 4. A 15-minute rest setting stops the schedule from sending a player straight back on after their own match.
11:15 — semi-finals, best of five, on courts 1 and 2. The plate semi-finals run on the other two.
12:15 — the match for third place and the plate final.
13:00 — the final, best of five, on the court with the best gallery.
13:45 — prizes. The main draw had 16 matches and the plate 7, so 23 in all.
With 32 players on six courts the main draw grows to 32 matches and the plate to 15, 47 matches in total. That still fits in one day, but it is a long one.
Draw size, seeds and match length
Sixteen players fill a 16-draw exactly. With 20 entries the draw grows to 32 and 12 players get a bye. In a singles knockout JudgeMate places players by their start numbers, so number 1 is your top seed. Byes go to the top numbers first, 1, then 2 and on down the list. The Polish federation PZSQ uses the same order of seeding groups (1, 2, 3–4, 5–8, 9–16), but draws byes by lot within a group they do not fill (§12.5). JudgeMate gives them strictly by number. Numbers 1 and 2 go into opposite halves and can only meet in the final. Nothing is drawn by lot. If you want the unseeded players drawn, draw them yourself and number them in that order.
Every game is PAR 11: the rally winner scores a point and serves next, a game goes to 11, and at 10-all it continues until one player is two points clear. The WSF rules in force since 1 September 2025 describe no other scoring system. A match is normally best of five, but may be best of three (WSF rule 2.3).
A one-day club event uses both. Best of three in the first round and the quarter-finals keeps the morning moving. PZSQ's general tournament rules require best of five for the semi-finals, the third-place match and the final, and members expect the last matches of the day to be the long ones.
In JudgeMate you set the format once for the whole draw, points per game and games to win, and then override single matches. Set the draw to two games to win and raise the two semi-finals, the third-place match and the final to three. Do it before those matches start, because a match's format is locked once its scoreboard is running.
A plate for first-round losers
Half the field loses its first match. In a 16-player championship that is eight members who paid an entry fee and played a single match.
The WSF Masters regulations answer this with plate events, so as "to offer all players a minimum of three matches". The Spanish federation RFES runs a consolation draw for first-round losers in its national events.
JudgeMate offers two versions. The consolation round gives first-round losers one more match among themselves. The full consolation bracket lets them play on to a plate final, and a second loss ends their day. With 16 players the full plate adds seven matches and guarantees everyone at least two. The third match that the WSF Masters plates (Plate, Consolation Plate, Classic Plate) aim to give every player is not available.
With a 30-minute slot, seven best-of-three matches take three and a half hours of court time. Put them into the schedule before the draw goes out.
Courts, slots and players who referee
Add each court as a resource with the start time and a slot length. You can give the best-of-five matches a longer slot, for example 45 minutes, by setting the duration on each of them. The scheduler then builds the running order and flags clashes on a court.
At club level the referees are the players. PZSQ rules have each match refereed by both players from the previous match on that court, and players may not dodge the duty. The German DSQV tournament rules list a note on the players' refereeing duty among the optional items of a tournament announcement (§ 24). Since 2025 the WSF rules expect a referee, or a referee and a marker, and a single official does both jobs.
When a match is called, start its scoreboard from the match row. Its referee QR code then appears on the print sheet. Scanning it opens the score panel for that match, so the outgoing pair runs the score on a phone. The squash panel has let and stroke buttons. A stroke awards the point and a let is logged without one; for a no let there is no button, the next rally starts. When the match ends, you confirm the scoreboard result into the draw.
If nobody wants a phone on court, the referees write the score on the printed match card and you, or the tournament desk, enter it in the match sheet. In the draw, players do not enter or confirm results.
Setting the championship up in JudgeMate
Allow about 20 minutes a week before.
Create the event and pick squash. The category is singles by default. Choose knockout, switch on the match for third place and pick the full consolation bracket for a plate final.
Set an entry limit, for example 16. Further entries go onto the waiting list, and you move players up by hand when someone withdraws. Mark each entry fee as paid or waived as it comes in. JudgeMate keeps the list, and the money is collected the way your club already does it.
Give each player a start number in seeding order (Participants → tap the player → Start number), then generate the draw. In the draw settings choose games to 11 and two games to win, and raise the semi-finals, the third-place match and the final to three.
Add your courts with a 09:00 start, a 30-minute slot and a 15-minute rest, then set 45 minutes on the four best-of-five matches. Generate the running order and publish the draw the evening before.
On the day, start each match's scoreboard as it goes on court and hand its QR code to the players coming off. Start from squash in the create menu.
What JudgeMate does not do for a squash championship
- No draw for every place. PZSQ recommends a draw in which all places are played out, and the DSQV plays every place at its national championships. JudgeMate decides first, second and third. Places 5 to 8 and 9 to 16 are not played out.
- No third guaranteed match. The full plate guarantees two matches per player. The WSF Masters model with three plates is not available.
- No PZSQ match report export. PZSQ accepts a tournament app only if it exports match reports in the format set by its board. JudgeMate exports results to PDF and CSV.
- No notifications. Players get no email, SMS or push message that their match is next. They follow the draw on the event page.
- No warm-up or break timers. The score panel counts points and games. The referee watches the four-minute warm-up and the two minutes between games.
- No ranking and no payments. Results do not feed the PZSQ, DSQV or any other federation ranking, and entry fees are only recorded.
Set up your event
Free for organizers. No athlete cap. No commission on registrations. See squash features · Organizer guide