Keep Your Eye On The Line

If you’ve ever attended a tennis match, you’ve seen more than one ball called in that you just knew was out. Or was it? And how would you like to be sitting courtside, making those calls yourself?

Well, if that interests you, you can, in fact, become an umpire or linesmen if you have the ability and skill involved. While it may look subjective, there is both a science and technique involved in making these calls.

“The trick,” explained US Open Chief Umpire Rich Kaufman, “is that you’ve got to get the initial point of impact where the ball hits the court. When you see your line threatened, you’ve got to get to the line before the ball hits. Otherwise everything looks out because everything hits, rolls and skids up. Players track balls and you see they yell and scream, but they find out that they’re wrong 8 out of 10 times. The umpires are way ahead of the players. When you are playing, your eyes are jiggling.”

In addition to knowing all of the rules and protocol, umpires must be able to give the scores in English and whatever the language is of the country the tournament is in.

“We keep score in English and the native tongue,” said Kaufman. “You have to learn the terminology in the language of the country you are in. If a player speaks to the umpire in language that the other player doesn’t speak, the umpire will answer in English, since most of the players speak English.”

Getting to the Grand Slam level involves work and dedication. At the US Open there are more than 300 chair umpires and linesmen who work the tournament. They are, of course, the upper crust of officials. Many work not only in the United States, but travel to the other Grand Slam tournaments as well. In fact, each Grand Slam features officials from all of the other federations around the world.

To become an umpire or a linesmen, the first step is to contact your USTA section, which will then forward information on how to proceed with schooling and clinics.

Martin Brown, a linesman, who has a regular job in accounting and finance, had been playing tennis for almost 15 years when he decided he wanted to try officiating. From the start, he was hooked.

“It’s great to be part of a great environment,” he said. “It’s not easy, but it’s not rocket science, but not everybody can do it. I had never officiated anything in my life. I ended up going to Umpire School and found it very interesting. People there encouraged me to go to other clinics. I had fun with it, they continued to encourage me, I liked being on court, I loved the experience and here I am.”

Brown now travels around the country as a trainer and evaluator of other umpires and linesmen, in addition to his officiating duties.

Chair umpire Dianna Kondratowtich-Pierce started officiating at the age of 15 in her native Venezuela, when her mom noticed an ad in the newspaper looking for umpires and linesmen for the upcoming Davis Cup.

Kondratowtich-Pierce loved tennis, but she had resigned herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to play competitively, and immediately fell in love with the new role. She started as a linesman and became a chair umpire after moving to the United States with her family. Since then she has traveled the world officiating at a variety of international competitions, including multiple times at all four Grand Slam events.

“It’s a great way to be in the game,” she said, "and to see all these great tennis players. And, it’s a great thing to be able to travel all over the world. You get to see other cities and meet other people and it’s really exciting."

At the earlier levels the umpires are also responsible for teaching the rules to players, helping groom them for their competitive careers. That is something Kondratowitch-Pierce also takes great enjoyment and pride in.

“We try to teach them the rules,” she said. “We’re a lot tougher with the juniors than the older players. We are there to train them.”