1.  Introduction:

1.1  These terms and conditions apply to your use of England Squash Masters online tournament entry system (“Online Entry”) for the British Open Masters Squash Championship.

2.  Eligibility to Play:

2.1  The tournament is open to any player aged 35 or over, regardless of nationality.

2.2  Players (men and women) can only enter one age group.

2.3  Players must make themselves available to play over the published tournament period as required by the draw and schedule.  Players who cannot commit to the draw and schedule as issued should withdraw from an event.

3.  Entry Procedure:

3.1  Players must register for events by the closing date.  Players who register late will be added to the reserve player list and will only be permitted to enter the event to replace a player in the relevant age group draw of equals or higher seeding range.

3.2  As we are a UK organisation, all charges shown on the Online Entry system are in Pounds Sterling. If you are using Online Entry from overseas, your card issuer will convert the charge into your local currency. The Site and our terms and conditions have been designed for use within the United Kingdom. Whilst we will consider requests for services from outside the United Kingdom, we give no warranty, express or implied, that the Site or the submission of any entry through the Site from outside the UK complies with any applicable non-UK laws or regulations. Furthermore, we reserve the right to refuse any entry at our discretion from overseas customers and we will have no obligation to provide you with any reasons for refusing an entry.

4.  Draw Size and Composition:

4.1  If the maximum draw size of 64 is exceeded, some players within an age group may be required to play preliminary qualification rounds in order to qualify for the main draw.

4.2  The draw type based on the number of players is as follows:

4.3  Players should expect to play one match per round when participating in the main event.  The exceptions to this are:

• Players in a group that exceeds 32 players may be required to play 2 matches per day in the early stages of the event if they are required to play in a preliminary qualifying match.
• Players who play in a plate event may be required to play up to 2 matches per day.

4.4  Every effort is made to give players at least three matches. In the case of knockout draws of eight players or more, players who lose their first match will be offered the opportunity to play in a Plate event but must opt-in by telling the Event Manager immediately after their match.

5.  Player Seeding, Age Group Draw Creation and Scheduling

5.1  The Tournament Director has overall responsibility for the creation of the age group draws and the scheduling of the event with the support of the Event Manager.  The Tournament Director will seek advice from age group seeding representatives to seed the players, and will also take into consideration past results and personal knowledge.

5.2  The seeded position of players will be shown on the draw as follows 1, 2, 3-4, 5-8, 9-16, 17-32.  The top 8 seeded players in a knockout draw will be placed in the draw as follows 1 v 8, 5 v 4, 3 v 6 & 7 v 2.  Players in a seeded range (9-12, 13-16 etc.) will be entered in these positions randomly and no consideration will be given to the relative ranking of the players within this range.

5.3  The draws and playing schedule will be available on the website approximately 1 week after the registration closing date for the tournament.  Players should check the event website regularly up to and including the day of the tournament in case any alterations have been necessary. Players affected by these changes will be notified individually by the Event Manager, where possible.

5.4  The playing schedule will stipulate the start time and court for each match. This may be amended by the Event Manager in conjunction with the Tournament Director, but an earlier time will only be with the agreement of both players.

6.  Match Conduct

6.1  Matches should be conducted following World Squash Singles Rules 2024.

6.2  Players are expected to comply with the England Squash Code of Conduct both on and off court. Abusive language or behaviour towards employees and members of the host club, tournament officials or other players is unacceptable and subject to sanction by ESM. In addition to any penalties imposed by England Squash or other relevant national governing bodies, repeated infringement of Rule 15 of the Rules of Squash regarding conduct will be subject to sanction by ESM. Sanctions imposed by ESM include but are not limited to, verbal or written warnings and temporary or permanent exclusion from ESM tournaments.

6.3  Players must register for each match at the event desk at least 30 minutes before each match is due to start.

6.4  Scoring will be Point-a-Rally (PAR) to 11 points for all age groups.   

7.  Withdrawing from the Tournament

7.1  Before Registration Closes:  Players can only withdraw by contacting the Event Manager. Players who withdraw from the tournament before the tournament registration closing date will be entitled to a registration fee refund.

7.2 After Registration Closes but Before the Draw Seeding is Completed:  Players can only withdraw by contacting the Event Manager. Players who withdraw from the tournament before the draw seedings are completed will be entitled to a registration fee refund.  This option allows players to withdraw from the event if they cannot meet the requirements of the outline event schedule, which is issued to all players shortly after registration closes.

7.3  After the Draw Seeding is Completed but Before the Tournament Day:  Players who withdraw are required to inform the Event Manager by email or telephone.  The entry fee will not be refunded.

7.4  On the Tournament Start Day, or During the Event:  Players must contact the Event Manager, immediately by telephone. Leaving a message is not sufficient. The entry fee will not be refunded.