In this edition of Voices from the Chair, we speak with New Zealand’s only Level 4 Referee, Glenn Carson, talking all things refereeing, appraising and WSO.
Like many Referees, Glenn started out as a player in Hamilton. “I basically grew up at the local squash club, as my parents were avid players and administrators at our club”, explained Glenn. This saw Glenn reach the National Age Group Championships as well as representing his region at both Junior and Senior level. Common amongst local events is the requirement for players to mark and referee the match after they play, which saw plenty of exposure to refereeing for Glenn from an early age and a job that he enjoyed doing. In 2009, Glenn started refereeing seriously, helped somewhat by the Director of Refereeing being a member at his local club, talking him into getting his National Refereeing badge, “I finally took the plunge after refereeing quite a high-profile match at one of New Zealand’s premier events, the Cousins Shield. I got good feedback from both teams on how I had handled that match so made the decision to get qualified at our National Individual Championships later that season.” This decision resulted in outcomes that Glenn never expected, reaching the highest levels of the sport. In those 16 years, Glenn has had many opportunities both home and away. The highlight so far being the New Zealand Open 2025, a Silver Event on the PSA Squash Tour, where Glenn had the honour of officiating the Men’s Final between Paul Coll and Marwan El Shorbagy, which ultimately saw Paul Coll come away with a 3-1 win on home soil. In front of 1200 passionate squash fans at the Isaac Theatre Royal, this was an unmatched experience. Away from home, Glenn has had opportunities to officiate worldwide on the PSA Squash Tour, with three World Championships appearances in 2017, 2024 and 2025, while also receiving appointments to three Commonwealth Games events in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
These appointments didn’t come by chance, Glenn earned them on merit and is a testament to the preparation he undertakes when he receives a WSO appointment, “I watch a lot of SQUASHTV, often with no sound, and signal to myself what my decision is, so that I can check my alignment with both the Match Referee as well as the results of any player or Referee review decisions.” The preparation doesn’t just involve watching other matches and Referees though, with Glenn explaining “I will rewatch many of my most recent matches, with a particularly critical eye on what I could have done differently, as well as studying the latest directives and attending WSO Refinars.” As WSO continues to drive the professionalism of squash officiating forward, this level of preparation is common among Referees of all levels, worldwide. Utilising WSO courses and resources is not only recommended for Referees, but a requirement to be considered for a position on the PSA Squash Tour and at major World Squash Championships, with this being a key source of development for Glenn, who was 10 years into his refereeing journey before the launch of WSO, “I’ve found the video sections really helpful for preparation for events as living in New Zealand is so far away from the very top levels of the game, making it challenging to “hit the ground running” at the top level. Having all of the resources and training material in one place and easily accessible makes it a great resource for all Referees coming through and supports the goal of achieving a consistent worldwide standard of officiating.”
Glenn isn’t just a WSO Referee, he also serves as an Appraiser, reviewing the performances of other Referees, supporting them within their own development journey. Originally operating as an Assessor within New Zealand since 2012 and Oceania since 2013, Glenn has since become an Appraiser in training with WSO, “Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to complete the WSO Appraiser training in 2025. It’s a somewhat different skill set to refereeing, and challenging in different ways” Glenn says, “It’s very rewarding to invest time in candidates and then see them progress.” Often working in the background, Appraisers dedicate their time, knowledge and skills to developing Referees, which Glenn has done for many years in New Zealand, while now being able to apply those skills to support Referees worldwide.
All in all, refereeing has been a rewarding role for Glenn and one that has several perks, including, “getting to travel the world and attend pinnacle sporting events in some iconic venues and having the best seat in the house.” The relationships he has built along the way have not been lost on him, stating that, “the camaraderie amongst the Referees is great and I have made many friends all over the world. Some days are tough, but everyone supports each other.” Having this support network of Referees is something that Glenn highlights as a strong piece of advice for new Referees, “seek out advice from others who have been before you, I’ve never met a Referee who isn’t prepared to help someone just starting out.”
From iconic venues to career defining moments, it’s been a privilege for WSO to watch Glenn’s development as a Referee and Appraiser, and we look forward to seeing him in action in 2026. To keep up with more WSO updates, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.
