FRIEND AT COURT 2010 - USTA.com

FAC Comment VII.K-1: The purpose of the Training-Evaluation Program is to
improve the standards of officiating by achieving consistency in procedures
and general conduct of officials. This concentration on technique is intended to
improve accuracy which dictates on-court performance. The Training-
Evaluation Program also assists in the classification of officials for certification
purposes and in selection for succeeding rounds of a tournament. National
and Sectional Trainer-Evaluators are selected to perform evaluations and a
certain amount of training is required for their selection. National
Trainer-Evaluators are a very small cadre of officials who are sent to selected
tournaments to instruct and evaluate officials in the proper and current
methods of officiating. All Sectional Associations should have Sectional
Trainer-Evaluators in their area who have fulfilled the training requirements.
6. National evaluation: An evaluation by a National Trainer-Evaluator who is
approved by the National Chairperson of Officials.
7. Sectional evaluation: An evaluation by a Sectional Trainer-Evaluator who
is approved by the Sectional Chairperson of Officials and the National
Chairperson of Officials.
8. Tournaments: USTA sanctioned or approved tournaments, ITF, ATP,
WTA, intercollegiate tournaments, high school tournaments, and
generally recognized foreign tournaments. Tournaments with more than
one event and tournaments with a qualifying, main draw, or consolation
count only as one tournament for certification purposes. The same
tournament may not be used to meet the requirements for being certified
as a Chief Umpire and Referee. A collegiate dual match may not be used
as a tournament for the purpose of certification as a Referee.
9. On-court officials: Certified officials excluding Referees and Chief
Umpires.
10. Friend at Court (FAC): The USTA Officials Handbook.
L. Certification
Certification is from January 1 to December 31. Tests and dates of schools shall
be available through the District, Sectional, and National Chairpersons of
Officials.
M. General Certification Requirements
1. Vision. Each year, each on-court official shall attest to having vision of
20/20, either corrected or uncorrected. Every even year, each on-court
official (excluding Provisional Umpires) shall submit to the USTA a
physician’s or an optometrist’s statement attesting that the official has
20/20 vision, either corrected or uncorrected.
2. Tests. Each certified official shall pass the written test for each category
in which the official is certified.
3. Schools. Each certified official shall successfully complete an approved
school for each certification category. The National Chairperson of
Officials has the right to approve all training schools. The Sectional
Chairperson may approve schools as delegated by the National
Chairperson. The USTA Officials Committee determines the school
requirements for each category, and the National Chairperson of
Officials shall approve all instructors.
158 USTA REGULATIONS VII.L. (Certification)