The College Squash Association (CSA) is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with DigiMithril, the pioneering AI sports technology company founded by entrepreneur Pragun Seth, to introduce AI-enabled refereeing into college squash.
In development for almost two years, IntelliReferee is an advanced AI platform designed to spot interference in squash and make consistent and objective decisions in real-time. By combining Computer Vision and AI technologies, the system is designed to be deployed on any livestream feed and currently detects and interprets 18 key squash parameters (e.g., distance between players, access to the front wall, frontal and lateral interference, ball speed, and reachability).
Throughout the summer, several live-match tests of IntelliReferee were conducted, with pilots planned for early fall at several colleges. These pilots will allow for rigorous testing and refinement of the system in live-match settings with student referees. As the 2024-2025 college squash season begins, the CSA is excited to expand the testing of IntelliReferee, further assessing the software during live college matches to validate its decision-making model and usability by various referees.
“I’m stunned by how far this system has come so quickly,” said CSA Chair Will Carlin. “The idea of using AI to help decide the incredibly tricky stroke and let calls in squash seemed like science fiction only months ago. I am thrilled that the CSA has partnered with Pragun and the DigiMithril team and that college squash matches will be used to put the system through its paces this season. With the level of play at an all-time high and our first Olympics just four years away, we’re excited to address a longstanding challenge and help elevate the sport to new heights.”
“IntelliReferee is solving a key issue in squash through the use of powerful technologies such as artificial intelligence, and we are directing our efforts to make refereeing in the sport more consistent and objective,” said DigiMithril Chief Executive Pragun Seth. “. We are honored to have the College Squash Association as a partner in this journey and look forward to implementing IntelliReferee in colleges around the country!”
The collaboration marks the start of a new era for college squash, where technology will help make decisions on the toughest calls in sports: those requiring judgment. Both the CSA and DigiMithril are excited to set a precedent for integrating AI technology not only in squash but also in the broader sports officiating landscape.