February 3rd Line Clinic Information

BASIC INFORMATION

Date:  February 3, 2012

Location:  T-M Racquet Club

Time:  7:00 p.m.

Duration of clinic:  2 hours

Contact Person:  Seande Pulley (spulley12@hotmail.com) 214 896 8122

LINE UMPIRE TECHNIQUES & PROCEDURES

Be neatly dressed in your USTA uniform, unless issued another uniform by the tournament. Have your sunglasses, water bottle, etc. ready. Arrive early (perhaps 7 minutes) to your assigned court.

Service line:
 Chair should be facing straight down the service line
 Sit alertly in a comfortable position, hands resting on your knees, feet on the ground
 When the server starts to toss the ball, move your head and eyes to the line
 If the serve is good (within 18”), make your safe signal (SS) by placing your hands together, just off the knee. If you are on the same side as the chair umpire, the SS should be slanted
toward the Chair Umpire (CU). If opposite the CU, arms straight, hands together, just off the knee.
 If the serve is out, loudly call “fault” and then make your signal out (SO). Your arm should be straight from the shoulder, thumb closed against your hand.
 If you are on the same side as the CU, the SO should be straight out toward the service line.
 If opposite the Chair Umpire, the SO should be parallel to your sideline.
**** Additional duties: * have a measuring device to check net between sets


Base Line:
* prepare for ball change if needed (2 or 3 games before change)
 Chair should be angled toward the intersection of the serve line and the far sideline
 Sit alertly with good posture, hands resting on your knees, feet flat on the ground
 If the server is on the opposite end from you, you have no call to make until at least 3 hits. So watch the point develop.
 If the server is on your end, watch for footfaults, but do not “hawk” the line. Then, watch the point develop. Head movement (HM) as you “watch the point develop” is important. But, Do not track. Rather follow the ball in play (at least from service line to service line) and go to your baseline when threatened. The decision to go to the line should be made before or as the ball crosses the net, giving time to decide a focal point for looking at the line depending on the direction the ball is traveling.
 If you are on the same side as the Chair Umpire, SSs and SOs should be slanted toward the CU.
 If opposite the Chair Umpire, hand signals should be just off the knee, or straight from the shoulder.
 SS: 18”or less, hands together, just off the knee SO: shoulder high, arm straight, after a loud, crisp “out”


Long line:
 Before each point move quickly to your appropriate position depending on the crew configuration (Chr +1, Chr +3 , Chr + 5, Chr + 6, etc)
 Ready position (RP): feet roughly shoulder width, hands on knees (similar to a baseball umpire)
 At Ease: feet roughly shoulder width, hands clasped behind back
 If the server is on your end, watch server until the toss starts, then move your head and eyes to the line.
 Head movement (HM) during the point is important. Follow play, then go to the line when threatened.
 Moving from center to side line requires fast movement. Instead of using a two-hand SS, use a one-hand running safe signal (RS) to assist in quickness. Be sure to keep an eye on the action as you move.
 SS: 18’’or less, hands together, just off the knee SO: shoulder high, arm straight, after a loud,
(vertical to the ground), in the ready position crisp “out,” in the ready position
 When calling serve behind the receiver, there are 3 acceptable positions: A. on the line, in the ready position or crouched low, B. inside standing (hands on thighs) or in the ready position, C. outside standing (hands on thighs) or in the ready position. After the serve, move quickly to the normal RP.


Miscellaneous:
 Look to the chair umpire (1) on point ending shots, (2) between points, (3) and always on changeovers
 Don’t dive, flag, or embellish hand signals. Just off the knee, or shoulder high, with arm(s) straight
 “Out” calls should be crisp, prompt and loud. Long “out” calls do not necessarily sell.
 Always follow the Official’s Code of Conduct, on and off the court.
This document was originally prepared by Bob

NOTE: symbols for T/E grading of line officials can be seen as a beginning note on NUCULA