Give back and help grow the game of tennis through officiating! Officials play an integral role at tournaments of all levels, from local community events to professional matches, focusing on fair play and sportsmanship. They serve as Roving Umpire, Line Umpire, Referee or Chair Umpire. Give back to the game of tennis by becoming a USTA Certified Official!
Interested in more information about officiating? Click here to learn more!
___________________________________________________________________
Steps for Becoming a Certified Official:
Officials First Account:
-
Create an Officials First account through the USTA Officiating Database. Begin by CLICKING HERE.
Be a USTA member:
- To become a member, CLICK HERE.
Complete the Introduction to Officiating, Rules and Regulations, Level 1 Roving Umpire, and Level 2 Roving Umpire courses:
Be in compliance with the USTA Safe Play Program:
- To get started, go to www.usta.com/safeplay and click on “Get Safe Play Approved”. Log into your USTA account or create an account with the same email address that the Officiating Department has on file for you. The three steps you must complete are the annual SafeSport training, review and accept the USTA Safe Play Policy, and complete the background screen application.
Submit Vision Form:
- Submit to the USTA a physician’s or optometrist’s statement attesting that the official has 20/20 vision, either corrected or uncorrected in each eye. The Vision Form can be downloaded on OfficialsFirst and then uploaded to your account once completed. Please note that the Vision Form must be dated within the past 12 months.
Shadowing / Exit Interview with Section Chairperson:
- Contact your Section Chairperson to set up two days of on-court training/shadowing. After the eight hours, you will show your knowledge of basic themes described in the training checklist. Following the successful completion of the checklist, you will be certified! USTA Certified Official will be added to your OfficialsFirst account, and you will gain access to events on OfficialsFirst.
Welcome Kit:
- Newly certified Officials will receive a welcome gift in the mail from the USTA Officiating Department. This gift includes on-court supplies, such as a tape measure, Friend at Court, stopwatch, flipping coin, pen, pocket notebook, as well as a uniform polo and hat to get them started on their officiating journey.
___________________________________________________________________
USTA Resources for Officials:
USTA South Carolina Contacts:
- Ernie James, USTA South Carolina Officials Chairperson – ejtennis-official@outlook.com
- April Gift, USTA South Carolina – gift@sctennis.com
- Amanda Morelli Glenn, USTA South Carolina – morelli@sctennis.com
___________________________________________________________________
Upcoming In-Person Workshops:
Please see the below information regarding in-person workshops for officials that are coming up in the near future in South Carolina.
- Check back here for upcoming workshops in South Carolina!
You can register for workshops in South Carolina and other states by logging into your USTA officiating account and searching for in-person workshops in the Southern section.