Silver (Graded) competitions can be held and sanctioned throughout the season.
These are open competitions that are run in a graded format for all levels, meaning you should play matches with players of a similar ability.
The below process details best practice for getting your competition to the sanctioned stage, ready for publication. Further resources for competition organisers are available via our Support and FAQs page.
If you are unsure on the sanctioning level of your competition or would like to know more about Silver sanctioned competitions, read more information at Competition Structure.
STAGE 1 – PLAN YOUR SILVER SANCTIONED COMPETITION
This stage should be completed ideally a minimum of 8 weeks prior to your competition.
- Identify a host club and organiser(s) for your competition.
- Ensure your organiser(s) is an administrator of a Scottish club or regional association in order to be able to create competitions on SportyHQ.
- For Silver sanctioning, the competition must be run in a graded format, however there is full flexibility in terms of ball type, match format, number of matches and competition length.
- Identify a preferred Silver window for your competition in the Scottish Squash competitions calendar for that season. You can download the full competitions calendar for a visual season plan.
For 2024-25, the Silver windows are as follows:
Silver Window 1: 3rd/4th August – 17th/18th August 2024 (3 weekends)
Silver Window 2: 5th/6th October – 19th/20th October 2024 (3 weekends)
Silver Window 3: 9th/10th November – 16th/17th November 2024 (2 weekends)
Silver Window 4: 7th/8th December – 21st/22nd December 2024 (3 weekends)
Silver Window 5: 11th/12th January – 25th/26th January 2025 (3 weekends)
Silver Window 6: 8th/9th March – 29th/30th March 2025 (4 weekends)
Silver Window 7: 26th/27th April – 10th/11th May 2025 (3 weekends)
- Silver competitions outside of the preferred windows are also possible, but should be discussed with Scottish Squash in advance.
- Discuss with the host club on most suitable dates.
- Decide will your competition be for juniors or adults only, or combined.
STAGE 2 – CONTACT SCOTTISH SQUASH
- Contact info@scottishsquash.org or call 0131 374 2020 and discuss your competition with a member of our team, with the information above to hand.
- Settle on a date after discussion with our team and book court time at the host club.
- Create the tournament on SportyHQ making use of User Guide 1 How to Set-up a Tournament if needed – ideally a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the competition.
- Make use of the resources available on our Support and FAQs page to ensure your competition is set up correctly.
STAGE 3 – SANCTIONING & OPEN FOR ENTRY
- Request sanctioning from Scottish Squash (Squash in Scotland) via SportyHQ using the Request Sanctioning tab on the Administrator panel.
- Make sure to enter your Payout Settings via the Administrator Panel. If you have not done this before, your account will need to be verified via Stripe.
- This account will receive weekly payouts of entry fees (minus any SportyHQ fees).
- Publish your competition and check the entry process is working (administrators can bypass the payment process).
- You’re ready to go! It’s time to promote the competition and monitor entries.
- Scottish Squash can assist with sharing your competition on social media and via monthly newsletters.
Next Stages and Support
- Don’t forget to amend your court booking depending on entry levels and keep your host club informed.
- It’s helpful to keep in touch with participants at key stages, such as after entries close, when draws are published or changed, or when the tournament ends. You can do so by using the Email Participants function on the SportyHQ Administrator Panel.
Our team are here to support you through running your competition if needed. See our Support and FAQs page for more information and resources for competition organisers, or contact info@scottishsquash.org if your query is not listed.
