Title :

Official Tennis
Rules

INTRODUCTION:
In most professional play and some amateur
competition, there is an officiating head judge or
chair umpire, who sits in a raised chair to one side
of the court.
The umpire may be assisted by line judges, who
determine whether the ball has landed within the
required part of the court and who also call foot
faults. There also may be a net judge who
determines whether the ball has touched the net
during service.

Duties and Procedures of Chair Umpire

Duties and Procedures of Linesmen

Chair Umpire
Is the final authority on all questions of fact during the match.
Most visible official on the court, sitting in a raised chair by the net.
Have the right to overrule calls made by line or net judges if they are
sure a mistake has been made; however, the call must be overruled
immediately after the mistake is made and never as the result of player
protest. Play can be stopped or suspended at any time it is deemed
necessary by the chair umpire such as in cases of darkness or bad
weather.
Manual inspections of ball marks can be granted on clay courts only.

Umpires are impartial and cannot be prejudiced. The

Chair Umpire has the final word on all issues relating to
on-court facts, for example whether a ball is in or
out, if a player has a foot fault, a service touches the
net, etc.
In matches where electronic review (commonly called
hawk eye) is in use, this can over-rule a Line Umpires
and/or Chair Umpires decision (following a challenge)
and cannot be appealed.
The Chair Umpires duty is also to control the match and
enforce the Code of Conduct whenever required.

Duties of the Chair

Umpire

Before the match

Have the proper equipment: scorecard, point penalty card, at least 2
pencils, hand-held stopwatch, measuring tape, coin ; a small
clipboard to hold your scorecard is also useful.
Check the court: condition of net, singles sticks, height of net,
position of Chair Umpires chair (approximately 3 feet from the net
post), position of Line Umpires chairs , position of the players
chairs, any trash or old balls left on the court.
Assure that a sufficient number of new and used balls are available
for the match. If provided by the tournament, ensure that towels
and water are available to the players.
Conduct the pre-match meeting with players before allowing the
warm-up to begin.

 Check the players clothing if a dress code is applicable.

Provide the basic information concerning the match: the
number of sets; use of tie-breaks; normal or no-ad scoring;
ball changes (if any) and the number of balls that will be in
play; who will be calling the lines
Toss the coin in the presence of both players. Remember that
the winner of the toss has 4 possible choices: serve, receive,
side of the net, or give the choice to the opponent.
Returning to your chair, mark your scorecard: who won the
toss; their choice; who will be serving from which side during
the first set
As soon as the first ball is struck in the warm-up, begin timing
the length of the warm-up period. During the warm-up, inform
the players of the time remaining in the warm-up period (2
minutes, 1 minute). At the one minute mark, make the match
introduction

During the Match

At all times, be aware of all that is happening on your court.
Mark the scorecard .
Make the necessary announcements concerning the score, interruptions of
play, Code Violations and so forth Call the lines (or confirm/overrule the calls
of the players or the Line Umpires).
An overrule must be made only when you are 100% sure and must be made
immediately not as the result of a reaction or protest by a player.
Make all other calls for which you have responsibility: lets, not-ups, touches,
foul shots.
Use the stopwatch to time interruptions and pauses: changeovers (90 seconds;
call time at 60 seconds), set breaks (120 seconds; time at 90 seconds),
medical time-outs, rain delays, and so forth. At the local level, it is not to verify
the time between each point (maximum of 25 seconds), especially when there
are no Ballkids and the players must retrieve their own balls. Should it become
obvious that an unusually long delay is occurring between points, however, it
will be necessary to start your watch.

 On a clay court only, at the request of a player, you may be called

upon to inspect a ball mark.
Ensure that the ball changes occur at the proper time. Apply the
Rules of Tennis and the Code of Conduct as the situation arises.
Communicate with players concerning the Rules of Tennis and the
Code of Conduct, and answer any reasonable questions that they
may ask.
Suspend the match if conditions become unfit for play (for example,
due to rain or darkness).
At higher levels, communicate with the Line Umpires and Ballkids,
and ensure that they are in their proper positions.

After the Match

Leave the Umpires chair as soon as possible
(after the players have shaken hands and
returned to their own chairs). This is very
important in order to avoid problems after a
difficult match.
Do not start a conversation with any of the
players.
Complete, check and return the scorecard (and
point penalty card, if used)

Linesmen
In charge of judging whether a ball is in or out and
determining if a service foot fault has been committed.
Are allowed to make calls on balls or faults on their assigned
lines only.
Responsible for reporting any misconduct from a player that
was not witnessed by the Chair Umpire.
Also go with players on toilet or change of attire breaks to
make sure no violations occur.
If a call is questionable, line umpires must inform the chair
umpire, who will make the final decision.

ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD LINE

UMPIRE
a. Excellent eyesight.
b. Ability to concentrate.
c. Decisiveness
d. Ability to admit to making an error and to quickly
correct it.
e. Knowledge of the Rules of Tennis.

Duties of a
Linesmen

Duties of a Linesmen
Responsible for calling all balls on his assigned line. Under no
circumstances should he make calls concerning balls on any line other
than his own or comment on decisions that are the responsibility of
other officials.
Must take up a position that gives the best view of his assigned line.
In certain situations, for example when blocked by a player, he must
rapidly adjust his position so that his view of the line is
unobstructed.
Must give a prompt unsighted signal when he cannot make a call
because player blocks his view of the line.
Must correct an erroneous call immediately.

Calling foot faults when assigned to a base line, side line,

or centre service line.
Calling net serves when assigned as Net Umpire.
Performing any other duties that are assigned by the
Chair Umpire
Must immediately report to the Chair Umpire any Code
Violations or other infractions that are not seen or heard
by the latter, whether on-court or off-court.
Make every effort not to hinder a player while the ball is
still in play.
Will not catch balls or hold towels for players.

Will have no discussions with the players, always

referring players with questions or comments to the
Chair Umpire.
Will not converse with spectators or with other officials
while he is on court. Spectators may attempt to talk with
you, particularly at the changeover, when you are
positioned close to where they may be seated. If a
spectator does attempt to engage you in conversation,
politely indicate that you are not permitted to talk to
spectators while on court for a match. This will usually
solve the problem and the spectator is not offended by
such a response.
Make no visible or audible reaction if the Chair Umpire
overrules a call.

Will NEVER applaud players, even when he is standing

off of the court.
Will always be prompt for his assignment and will not
leave the court without the permission of the Chair
Umpire, except in the course of the normal rotation of
Line Crews and then only when he is certain that his
replacement has arrived.
Will dress uniformly as prescribed by the Tournament
Committee. Line Umpires shall not wear clothing that is
white, yellow or another light colour that may interfere
with the vision of the players.
Will conform to the Code for Officials

The Difference between a Line Umpire and a

Chair Umpire in Tennis
Their responsibilities during the tennis match.
--Line umpires have lesser, but important role
during a tennis match, making sure that balls are
in or out.
--Chair umpires have larger roles during matches
because they make sure the rules are being carried
out and that players and fans maintain proper
decorum on the court.

The End