FAQs / Contact Us

1. In this section of the website you will be able to find information on all the different roles within officiating. Click on "Become An Official" page to start with.

2. From there, familiarize yourself with the different Officiating Roles, and the different pathways to achieve those positions.

3. Anyone interested in officiating can complete an Expression Of Interest Form so we can reach out to you when the next relevant course to you is. Please note that by registering for an expression doesn't automatically register you, people don't have to feel obligated to sit a course straight away, it allows Tennis NZ to see if new people are interested as some courses are held on a demand basis.

4. Any questions on starting in officiating please email bronwyn@tennis.kiwi

Generally at levels higher than standard Interclub competitions you can expect to start seeing officials. 

Any sanctioned event from Tier 3 and higher are required to have a certain number of officials depending on the level of tournament. For Regional events this is typically Referee and Court Supervisors. For National events, Referee and Court Supervisors are required and Chair Umpires and Line Umpires for the final round or two.

At all international level tournaments from ITF Junior events through to ATP & WTA tournaments such as ASB Classic have an international minimum standard of officials per event. The higher the event the more officials are required. For a full rundown on the tournaments coming up in New Zealand, check out the Events Calendar.  

All different personalities can be good officials. Some people are more suited to grass-root tennis and educating the new players coming through, which is an area that is very important.

All officials don't have to work their way up a pathway, each area of the pathway is crucial to the success of tennis tournaments.

A volunteer is someone who does not need any particular prerequisite qualifications to help out at a tournament for no financial remuneration. Typically these are roles such as ushers, drivers, and general helpers.

An Official at events receive a remuneration and requires qualifications. These are specific roles like Referee, Court Supervisors, Chair Umpires, Court Supervisors etc. Click here for a full list of different Officiating Roles.  

We encourage anyone who is thinking about becoming and official to fill out an Expression of Interest Form. We are looking for enthusiastic people who fit the following criteria:

• Aged 14+
• Have a passion for tennis
• Have a good general knowledge of tennis
• Share the values of Tennis New Zealand to be united, respectful, and strive for excellence

Generally you will learn all you need to know at the courses, and they have a high pass rate.

Each person and situation in this regard is unique, so please get in touch with us by sending an email to bronwyn@tennis.kiwi to discuss this further. 

It depends on many factors, like how many positions are available, how many other officials have registered etc.

For Regional events, local officials (in most cases) are given first priority to ensure the tournament can afford officials.

For National events, all officials applications are reviewed to provide officials who do not live in main areas a chance to officiate at National level events.

One important thing to note is to officiate at the highest levels, you have to have a certain amount of experience officiating at lower level tournaments. Essentially you have to get your hours up to be considered for the highest levels.

A Line Umpire qualification is an important one to have, as most tournaments do not have the technology of Electronic Line Calling (ELC).

ELC is only at ATP/WTA and high profile International Tennis Federation (ITF) events currently, so any International event such as ITF Junior Tournaments and World Tennis Tour events, Line Umpires are an important part of the event.

Also once you are at the level of International Line Umpire, you can apply to be an Umpires Assistant, assisting the more senior officials with general off court officiating.   

If a player has had a bad experience with an official, first and foremost, they need to speak to the Tournament Director. If they don't feel comfortable discussing this they can email. The first port of call is to the region/entity that is running the event.

Officials at the ASB Classic have worked their way through to this level of event. Officials have to complete a course relevant to their role and have had experience in local, national and international events.