Thinking about becoming a USTA Official? It's a great way to contribute to the integrity of tennis while developing valuable skills like leadership, adaptability, and communication. This guide will walk you through the steps to get started!
Step 1: Create Your OfficialsFirst Account
Your first step is to create an account on OfficialsFirst, which is the central hub for all USTA Officiating activities. Once you're in, you can manage your certifications, find officiating news and tournament opportunities, and enter and track your work records all in one place.
If you ever need a hand, just click the “Help Me Out” icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to find helpful articles.
Step 2: Complete the Core Requirements
After setting up your OfficialsFirst account, you need to complete the following requirements:
Online Training
Log in to the USTA Officiating Development Hub.
Click the "Online Training" tab.
Complete the "Getting Started" learning plan, which includes:
- Introduction to Officiating
- Rules and Regulations 1-3
- Level 1 Roving Umpire
- Level 2 Roving Umpire
USTA Safe Play Program
You must complete the USTA Safe Play Program to become certified as a USTA Official. For more information, please click here.
USTA Membership
You must have a current active USTA Membership. For details on how to purchase a USTA membership, please follow this link.
Vision Form
You'll need a physician or optometrist to confirm you have 20/20 vision (corrected or uncorrected in each eye).
- The Vision Form is available on the Vision Form page in OfficialsFirst.
- Upload the completed form to your account.
- Please ensure that the form is dated within the past 12 months and is filled out completely to avoid any processing delays.
Step 3: Shadowing and Certification
Once the core requirements above are completed, we will connect you with your Section Chairperson so you can get shadowing experience in your local area. Once 8 hours of shadowing have concluded, you will be ready to demonstrate your knowledge of the basic themes described in the Training Checklist and officially join our team as a USTA certified Official!
Still have questions?
If you have any other questions about becoming a USTA official, please email us at officiating@usta.com.