Becoming a line umpire
You can either be a line or chair umpire.
A line umpire is responsible for calling the lines on the court and the chair umpire is responsible for calling the score and settling any issues.
Once you are trained you can umpire at local county and regional competition and certain selected umpires get to umpire at Wimbledon!
There is an annual recruitment programme for Line Umpires and courses are scheduled accordingly.
Getting Involved
To become a line umpire you will need to attend and pass a National Recruitment Half Day and this free course provides an introduction to line umpiring.
These courses usually take place in October / November and January each year, at various venues. It will include a small amount of classroom-based work followed by some practical work on court. This course is pass/fail from your performance on the day and successful participants will then be invited to a Basic Line Umpire Course.
Basic Line Umpire Course
This free one day course provides further training on how to become a Line Umpire, building on the overview gained in the National Recruitment Half Day. The day will be a combination of classroom and on court work and again the course is a pass/fail dependent on your performance on the day.
Having successfully completed these two courses you will be invited to join the Association of British Tennis Officials (ABTO), which is free for this first stage, and you will be required to gain a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Once this is complete, you’ll be able to line umpire at tournaments.
If you are interested in becoming a line umpire please contact Officiating.Feedback@LTA.org.uk, providing your e-mail address and you will receive information on these courses, when available.
Becoming a chair umpire
Once you have gained some experience as a Line umpire, you are eligible to be invited onto a Chair Umpire Accreditation Course.
Chair Umpire Accreditation Course
This free two day course is run 2-4 times a year, and will build on your knowledge as a line umpire with an introduction to and training in chair umpiring. The course is a combination of classroom and on-court work and includes an exam at the end of the course.
Upon the successful completion of the course you will be invited to join ABTO as a full member, for a fee of £20 (for the first year, £10 thereafter). You will be able to begin umpiring at local club finals days and junior tournaments.
Next Steps
With experience, good assessments and further courses you can progress to Line and Chair at more high profile tournaments.
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