Lee Drew has been appointed as the Head of World Squash Officiating
July 14 2023
UNSQUASHABLE Ambassador Lee Drew has been appointed as the Head of World Squash Officiating (WSO), the organisation established in partnership between the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) in 2019 dedicated to regulating and advancing squash officiating on a global scale.
A former World Tour player and England Junior National Coach, Lee assumed the role of Refereeing Director for the PSA in 2014. As the head of WSO, he will lead efforts to enhance officiating standards in squash, strengthen the operational team, and establish the sport's first full-time professional referees.
“The opportunity of evolving WSO is exciting because it can have a huge impact on officiating and the way the game is played and portrayed," said Lee Drew.
"It is important that we develop a consistent message and communicate it globally. WSO needs to move forward as a high-performing entity that offers world-class products and delivery. There is currently a massive disparity between money generated in the game and the money invested into officiating, and we want to begin to professionalise the sector and reinvest back into the development of officiating at all levels.
"A major goal for WSO is to introduce more people to the rules and officiating as early on in their experience of squash as possible. To achieve this, it is crucial that we get our messaging and content circulating worldwide with the support from as many squash stakeholders as possible," added the UNSQUASHABLE Ambassador.
WSF Chief Executive William Louis-Marie said: "The development of worldwide qualified referees remains an important goal of the WSF and the appointment of Lee as the head of WSO will help build on the work that has already been accomplished in the last couple of years.
"We are confident that WSO will greatly contribute to the growth of the refereeing community in a more diverse and inclusive way in keeping with the universality of our sport and offer more opportunities for the international referees to officiate at all major events around the world. Lee’s input has already been visible with the recent addition of new educational courses aimed at giving all our players a better understanding of the rules of the sport."
PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough added: “In his nine years as PSA Refereeing Director, Lee has played an important role in overseeing the development of refereeing within the professional game, and I am confident he will be a valuable asset to the WSO.
“We want squash to be an entertaining and free-flowing sport and the WSO will play a crucial role in developing referees and educating our athletes to ensure that the sport remains an engaging spectacle at the highest level.”
The primary goal of WSO is to professionalise and standardise squash officiating worldwide, offering a comprehensive pathway of internationally recognised courses, starting from grassroots level to the highest level of the sport. Their aim is to enhance refereeing performance and provide better education for players. In addition to offering various modular online and in-person products such as workshops, appraisals, and mentoring, WSO also supports continents, Member Nations, Federations, and individuals in managing event officiating and match seminars.
The WSO website serves as a valuable resource hub, featuring flowcharts for the rules, online courses, updates from recent events, informative articles, and a video library explaining previous referee decisions at PSA tournaments. To ensure global implementation of WSO's officiating standards, the organisation will collaborate closely with stakeholders such as Member Federations and tournament organisers.
The appointment of Lee Drew as the Head of WSO marks an important step towards professionalising squash officiating and improving the sport's global standards. With a focus on education, consistency, and inclusivity, WSO aims to enhance the overall squash experience for players, officials, and spectators alike.