Review Official

Review Officials are used for the highest WTA, ATP and ITF Level events.

To become a Review Official, you are required to have been a previous International Chair Umpire.

Electronic Line Calling (ELC) has evolved to have two types of systems:

1. Review ELC – where Line Umpires are present on court and the players have three unsuccessful challenges per set (except in clay, where there are no Ball Mark Inspections, players are allowed unlimited number of incorrect challenges and players erasing the mark before the image is shown are conceding the point regardless of the outcome of the image shown).

2. Live ELC – where no Line Umpires are present on court and the system makes all the calls automatically.

A Review Official shall:

• Be completely familiar with all aspects of the Rules of Tennis, particularly with the Electronic Review Procedures for each particular vendor, the appropriate Tournament Rules and Regulations and the Duties and Procedures for Officials.
• Be in the Electronic Review Booth according to the rotation system as determined by the Review Official Coordinator/Team Lead
• Be responsible for identifying each potential review ball impact. Alert system operators to a possible Challenge by announcing “STANDBY” Confirm that a Challenge has been requested or anticipate that there will be a Challenge. If there is no Challenge being requested, “Release to Television” is the announcement that confirms that the image may be released to television should they wish to show it and that no Challenge is being processed.
• Determine that the requested ball impact is available for review.
• Manage the process of playing the review or releasing it to television.
• Be responsible for monitoring the status of the system.
• In case of a system malfunction, immediately notify the Chair Umpire (so that the players can be informed that NO review is available until further notice) and the ITF Supervisor/Referee and, when the system is back working again and has been tested, immediately inform the same.
• Notify the Chair Umpire that the original call shall stand when the Review Official cannot retrieve the data to review the call.
• Inform the Chair Umpire immediately if the Review Official’s monitor is functioning properly but all available in-stadium screens are malfunctioning.
• Keep record of the number of successful and unsuccessful challenges for each player/team and be able to confirm the number of unsuccessful challenges remaining to the Chair Umpire, the ITF Supervisor/Referee or the Screen Operator at any time. Since available challenges will be displayed on the scoreboard, the Review Official is responsible for the correct number of challenges to be displayed including additional challenges in a tie-break or resetting after a set break.
• Act as the final authority on the number of unsuccessful challenges remaining for each player/team. Verify with the Chair Umpire when a player/team has one and no challenges remaining.