The Vancouver Squash League (VSL) is BC’s largest squash league. Operated and sanctioned by Squash BC, VSL provides players in the Lower Mainland an opportunity to compete and socialize with those from other clubs in weekly match-ups. If you’re interested in participating in VSL, read on for active registration opportunities or contact vsl@squashbc.com if you have any questions.
VSL News & Updates
- VSL Winter 2025 Season – Approved Junior List (updated on January 17, 2025)
- Winter 2025 Season – Junior Eligibility Update
- Winter 2025 Schedule is now available on Club Locker (Please check the Club Locker page for the latest schedule updates – match start time, etc.)
- Vancouver Squash League – Rules and Regulations – January 2025
- Second Season of Vancouver Women’s Squash League!
- VSL Advisory Committee Sign-Up Form
- Previous Season Information Session – Fall 2023
- Survey Results & January 2023 Preview
2024/2025 Season: Dates (Subject to Change)
- League Registration Deadline: September 9 @ Noon
- Fall Season Schedule Posted: September 12
- League Captains Meeting: September 16 @ 7 PM via Zoom
- Proposed League Start Date: September 23/24 (Subject to change depending on number of teams registered)
- Team Registration Payment Due Date: October 9
- 2024 Fall Season Finals Night: December 2
- 2025 Winter Season Registration Deadline (New Teams): December 16
- 2025 Winter Season Start Date: January 6 (updated)
VSL Rules & Format
VSL is a team-based singles squash league. All rules and format regulations are available in our Vancouver Squash League – Rules and Regulations – Jan 2025.
Team Registration
The 2024/25 VSL Registration Fees will remain the same as the previous season. With teams having the option to register for the full 2024/25 season (September to April) or half season (September to December).
- Full Season Registration Fee: $480 + GST
- Half Season Registration Fee: $300 + GST
* All players must be full Squash BC members throughout the duration of the season Clubs registering multiple teams can use the following Excel document to submit your club teams registration for an easier submission. Once completed please submit your Club’s registration information to competitions@squashbc.com. Individual Teams can use the following link to register single teams VSL 2024/25 Registration Form. Please contact your Club Pro or Admin staff if you are unsure which registration option you fall under. Bonsor Team Registration – more information regarding the Bonsor Team Registration model can be found in this document – 24_25 VSL Bonsor Registration Notice. If you are interested in registering a Bonsor Team for the second half of the 24/25 season, please contact competitions@squashbc.com. Clubs or Team Captains will receive invoices for League Registration following the registration deadline, with payments being due Wednesday, October 9.
What does your registration fee cover?
- Teams can register an unlimited number of players on their team
- Team registration includes a box of 12 Dunlop Pro (Double Dot) balls for each season registered (Teams that register for a Full Season with receive a new box of balls for each season (box in September and a box in January)
- Prizes for division champions and finalists in both seasons
- Season-end finals night at a central venue
- Squash BC sanctioning fees & insurance for players
- League admin support
- League scheduling
- Club Locker support
- League rules enforcement
- and more
Captains are encouraged to discuss with your club administrators/pros on how the club will be handling registration for the upcoming season. Club Administrators/Pros or captains can submit an Excel document for the upcoming season through the registration form. An invoice will be sent in the first week of league play for all teams that have registered for the season. These can be addressed to and paid by either the Club or a team representative (captain, treasurer, etc.). Please confirm with your club administrators on how they would like this completed. Payments will be due a few weeks into the league and can be paid by e-transfer, cheque, or credit card.
Player Spare Registration
Squash BC will maintain a list of spares that team captains can contact if their team is needed. Clubs are also encouraged to have their own internal spare lists with their club players. Spare player registration will open soon!
Player Waitlist
Players that are not affiliated with a VSL club or those whose club does not have a team at the appropriate skill level can register for the Player Waitlist. If enough similar skill level players registered, a new team will be formed. If not enough players registered to field a full team, VSL will contact clubs to see if they have any roster spots available on their teams (and are allowed to take in external players). If you are looking to join a team please contact vsl@squashbc.com Note: All players must be full Squash BC members throughout the duration of the season.
Junior Eligibility Update – Winter 2025 Season
Effective January 17th, all interested Junior athletes 18 years of age or younger at the time of the match are required to complete a signed Junior VSL Eligibility Form. This updated Junior Eligibility requirement ensures Junior’s acknowledge the rules of VSL, the social requirements associated with playing in the VSL, and ensuring playing in the VSL aligns with the athlete’s Long Term Athlete Development in the Squash Canada pathway. The Junior VSL Eligibility Form must be completed and signed by the following:
- Junior Athlete
- Junior Athlete’s Parent/Guardian
- Junior Athlete’s Coach – The coach must be at minimum in-training among the Squash Canada Coaching Pathway
- Squash BC’s Sport Development Manager or Squash BC Provincial Coach
To meet eligibility requirements, the Junior VSL Eligibility Form must be submitted by Thursday at Noon the week before a match. All approved Junior athletes will be posted on the VSL webpage weekly. The same VSL Rules still apply for the maximum number of Juniors playing in a match tie, which can be found in the VSL Rules & Regulations in Rule 8.2. Junior VSL Eligibility Forms/VSL Junior Applications must be sent to competitions@squashbc.com.
VSL Winter 2025 Season – Approved Junior List
Summary of 2023 VSL Updates
In January 2023, Squash BC gathered feedback through our VSL Survey, several updates have been made to VSL. See below for a summary of VSL updates:
Registration & Team Size
Team Registration: Survey respondents were in favour of moving from Individual Registration to Team Registration, with 42% of respondents favouring registering by team, and 75% of respondents either preferring that option or being indifferent. As well, individual registration has proved to be an administrative challenge for Squash BC for a program of this type, with many registrants confused about the steps required. Therefore, VSL will shift to Registration by Team for the January Session and beyond. More information on January Registration is included below. Team Size: Survey respondents were relatively in favour of using a four-player lineup during the regular season (59%) and a five-player lineup during playoffs (63%). This format will continue into the January session. Registration Term: As this is mid-season, no changes will be made to registration term at this point, however Squash BC intends to offer a full-season (September-April) team registration option starting in September.
Post-Squash Social Activities
It is overwhelmingly clear that Post-Squash Social Activities are an important part of VSL, with 92% of respondents saying a social component should be required. Squash BC acknowledges that VSL is both a competitive and social league and we will continue to work towards making both components the best they can be. Social Requirements: A majority of respondents were in favour of only beverages being required for post-squash social activities (59%). As well, 56% of respondents supported the home team purchasing the night’s beverages, while all players would be responsible for their own food. These requirements will continue going forward. As well, Squash BC understands that not everyone can stay for post-squash social activities. However, as it is a key component of the league, we recommend at least two members from each team stay. Instances of an entire team leaving before post-squash social activities should be reported to vsl@squashbc.com as they will be considered when assessing registration for the following league session.
Juniors in VSL
Squash BC acknowledges that VSL in its current form is primarily an adult league. However, we do not want to discourage the junior participants in the league and want to find the best format for everyone’s participation and the league’s growth overall. Through a divisional assessment of the leagues sentiment towards juniors, we have developed the following definition of a Junior Player for use in the following requirements, when applied to the adult divisions of VSL: VSL Junior Player Definition: A Junior Player is defined as any VSL participant aged 11-16, with an active Club Locker rating below 4.5 (as of a specific match date). Therefore, players aged 17 and above, and those performing at a level of 4.5 and above will not be restricted by the following requirements. Juniors Per Match Line-Up: A large majority of respondents (72%) indicated that either one or zero juniors should be allowed in an evening’s four-player line-up. Therefore, VSL will limit the number of juniors allowed in an evening’s lineup to one during regular season play. If a team fields two or more spots with juniors, only the top match will be counted as scored. All other matches will be considered defaults in favour of the opposing team. Juniors will be held to the same standards as adults when competing in an adult division, meaning they will be required to stay and referee. As well, a team should ensure some of its members can stay for post-squash social activities, even when a spot is filled by a junior. We have included the rules above in our updated Vancouver Squash League – Rules and Regulations – Jan 2025.
VSL Feedback Survey
In November 2022, Squash BC gathered data from VSL players past and present in our VSL Feedback Survey. This provided us with many valuable insights as to how to effectively progress the league forward towards growth, sustainability, and participant enjoyment. We thank everyone who participated in the survey. A summary of results from the VSL Feedback Survey are below. We encourage you to click through the embedded interactive slide deck and use the Data Filters shown at the left side of most slides to see how questions were answered by specific division ranges, genders, and more filters. If you encounter issues with the embedded version below, you can open the slide deck in a browser here: Vancouver Squash League – Feedback Survey Results
Additional VSL Information
Squash BC Memberships:
All players will need to be active Squash BC members at the Adult, Young Adult, or Junior level to participate in VSL. Please note that the Squash BC recreational membership does not allow for participation in and insurance coverage for VSL. Squash BC Memberships turn over on November 1 each year. We encourage all VSL participants to set their membership to auto-renew in Club Locker to avoid any interruption to their standing and coverage.
REFEREEING
Both teams are responsible to referee. Please ensure every match has a referee. Home clubs are encouraged to ensure starting referees are on hand to start play. Please limit warm-up time to 5 min. and time between games to 90 sec. You can learn more about becoming a certified squash referee on our Officiating Page.
LIVE SCORING
Please utilize live scoring on your club tablet or personal handheld device. Live scoring can be viewed on Club Locker as matches are in progress. This also ensures correct calculation of nightly league results, as the actual points are required in the 4 person team format in the event of tie-break.
UNDERSTANDING CLUB LOCKER RATINGS
Learn more about Club Locker Ratings and Rankings Vancouver Squash League Logo designed by Robert Pacey of Squash Republic