Ang Shiao YingUK 30688

Tennis Assignment

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 Umpire’s and/or Chair Umpire’s decision (following a challenge) and cannot be appealed.

The Chair Umpire’s duty is also to control the match and enforce the Code of Conduct whenever required.

Duties of the Chair Umpire

Before the matchHave 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 Umpire’s 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 MatchLeave the Umpire’s 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)

LinesmenIn 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 LinesmenResponsible 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 TennisTheir 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