By Brett Erasmus
While the U.S. has yet to adopt the metric system, it has already caught up to the rest of the world when it comes to squash scoring. Internationally, point-a-rally to 11 points (PAR-11) has been the primary system of the softball singles game for several years. After testing PAR-11 in certain skill levels last season, the MSRA and U.S. Squash are now using it for all levels this year. Not without controversy, however, as players have argued that PAR-11 scoring lessens the length and quality of games. But the reality is that for players who are closely matched, and/or for those playing at a high level, games will actually be longer, more athletic, and of better quality with the new system. Allow me to explain.
A common complaint is that without the hand-in/hand-out exchanges of point-per-serve (PPS), PAR-11 shortens games. However, world number one, Karim Darwish, noted that PAR-11 scoring actually
