San Diego County Tennis Umpires
Membership: Requirements and
Becoming A Member
Membership Application
(Requires
Adobe Acrobat
Reader®)
- Member of USTA (United States Tennis Association)
- Good Physical Condition
- Enjoy Working With People
- A Robust Constitution, Enjoyment Of The Outdoors
- Satisfactory Completion of Annual Training (One Weekend Per Year)
- Satisfactory Score on Annual Certification Exam
- Work in the Field
- Good Eyesight
- Above All: You must love tennis and possess the desire to give back to the game you love!
Members of SDCTUA must first be members of the USTA. Currently USTA membership costs $25 for one year and includes a subscription to Tennis magazine along with other benefits, discounts on tennis tours, equipment, lessons, etc. Lower rates are offered for longer commitments.
A tennis officials must be in good physical condition. The physical demands of officiating include long hours, extended periods of standing and sitting at attention, walking many miles from court to court, bending, reaching, squatting, all the while maintaining a high level of alertness for hours on end.
A desire and aptitude to work with people is a must. The best official is a Friend At Court, works cooperatively with players, parents, coaches and other officials.
Tennis, especially in San Diego, is an outdoor sport. Therefore, a robust constitution that enjoys or at least tolerates the outdoors, wind, sun, heat and cold, is a must.
Umpires must attend annual certification schools, usually held on a single weekend in January or early February. Schools are hosted by the national USTA officials office and provide information on new rules and procedures for officials as well as review established regulations and guidelines.
Certification schools involve a full day 8-hour day each for basic umpire certification and another half-day each for referee and college certification. Each day in the classroom is followed by a national certification exam, with questions drawn from common on-court scenarios and problems, assembled by the national USTA officials office in New York, administered to officials across the county at the beginning of the year. Members must pass the exam at a certification level appropriate to the type of work they wish to do.
Members must perform appropriate relevant work to maintain active status in the organization as well as their USTA certification level so a written record of work must be kept by each umpire, each assignment verified by the supervising official on site and submitted to the national office according to regulations. At the least, members should work 5 days a year to continue receiving assignments. Some officials work more than 200 days per year on court so there's room at all levels but plan on spending at least a day every other month officiating..
Extremely accurate vision is a must for tennis officials who work on court. Umpires make the final decision as to where a ball lands, whether a player is standing on the service line, among other things, which requires good vision. Umpires, either naturally or through the use of corrective lenses, must possess very good eyesight. On-court officials are required to submit to an eye examination every other year to certify 20-20 vision, natural or corrected.
Above all, officiating requires a love of tennis and a desire to give back to the game. Qualified individuals, please join us!
- Attend Meetings (Odd months, 2nd Wednesdays, Balboa Tennis Club, 7 PM)
- Annual Membership Dues ($30)
San Diego Tennis Umpires meets every other month starting in the month January each year (odd months). By attending Association meetings members get access to work assignments coordinated by the Association and are kept abreast of developments in local and national officiating as well as the business of the association, and the San Diego tennis community. Meetings also offer a chance for officials, working, retired or on leave, to meet one another and enjoy the camaraderie of others who share their chosen avocation.
Membership costs $30 per year and and includes priority access to local work assignments, pays for bi-monthly meetings and production of our bi-monthly newsletter, the Newsline. All members enjoy a standing invitation to all Association training and social events.
For information about becoming a member contact our Membership Committee.