Give back and help grow the game of tennis through officiating. Officials play an integral role at tournaments at all levels from local community events to professional events by ensuring fair play and sportsmanship. They serve as a Roving Umpire, Line Umpire, Referee or Chief Umpire. Give back to the game of tennis by becoming a USTA Certified Official! Visit the USTA official website by clicking here to learn more!
Below are the steps to get certified as a USTA Official:
Create an account on OfficialsFirst (click here to access), the USTA Officiating Database.
Complete the Introduction to Officiating, Rules and Regulations, Level 1 Roving Umpire, and Level 2 Roving Umpire courses. Click here to access these courses.
Be in compliance with the USTA Safe Play Program. To get started, go to www.usta.com/safeplay (click here to access), 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.
Be a USTA member (To become a member, click here).
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.
Contact your Section Chairperson to set up two days of on-court training/shadowing. After the two days, 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.
USTA Southern Officials Committee Chairman: Donna Mille-Williams (click here for e-mail)
USTA Arkansas: Jason Lyon (click here for e-mail)
USTA Officiating Uniform: Click here for the USTA Officiating uniform guide and the link to order the uniform items.
Friend at Court: The book of rules and regulations under which tennis is played in the United States. It is recommended reading for players, parents, coaches, teachers, tournament directors, league officials and anyone who wants a finer understanding of the game. Click here to view the 2024 "Friend at Court" online or click here to purchase a copy from the USTA Store, or call our office at (501) 227-7611.
For information or questions about becoming an official, please click here.