I changed the job title in the subject because the press (and therefore, the public) largely refers to 'us' as "line judges" in lieu of "line umpires" (the USTA's name for this type of official).
To get hired to work at a USTA or ITF event, a certified line official has to apply via the USTA Officiating website, which lists the tournaments' locations and dates as well as their supervisors, referees and chiefs, in most cases. These are the lower level up to ATP Challenger tournaments.
As previously mentioned, the chief does the hiring and it's largely a "people business" which requires networking to get your first and then subsequent assignments until you've received a number of grades, e.g. a track record of competent performances. If you've worked enough to establish yourself as a capable official, you should get added to the list of line umpires eligible to work on the ATP and WTA tours, at which point you'll get access to the way one applies for those events.
You'll be notified via email that you've been selected for an event; this usually occurs at least 4 weeks prior to the event. If you're a busy person, you may have to block your calendar in anticipation of being selected so that you won't have to decline the assignment (declining assignments may have a negative effect on your chances of being hired for subsequent events). Your assignment will be anywhere from 1 day to the total number of days for the event.
After accepting your assignment, you should expect to receive an email from the chief at least one - though it's usually two or more - week(s) in advance of the event with information detailing the hotel and tournament site information, and (at least the) first day report time. Almost all hotel rooms are assigned for double occupancy, meaning you'll be rooming with another official of the same gender during the tournament. Sometimes there is an option for you to pay the other half of the room rate so that you can room by yourself or bring your spouse etc.. Typically, you are booked to arrive the night before the event through the night of your last worked day ... since the last day might be long and/or rain delayed, and you'll be able to return to your room to shower and sleep, e.g. before returning home the next day.
You'll be expected to report to the tournament location by the time specified, usually an hour before the matches are scheduled to start on the first day (30-45 minutes before the matches on subsequent days). There will be an orientation meeting led by the chief with an appearance by the referee and/or input from the chair umpires as well. These are frequently learning opportunities, though much of what is conveyed is the same from tournament to tournament.
Each line umpire will receive a crew sheet that details who is on each team as well as the courts and times to work throughout the day. Each crew has a chief - chosen from among the line umpires - that is responsible for assigning that day's line umpire positions on the court for each time slot; these time slots are referred to as rotations. The number of umpires per crew depends upon the level and stage of the tournament: higher level tournaments have more line umpires on court and so do the later stages of the event. The crew chief is also responsible for filling out each rotation's 'blank' evaluation sheets, which are to be handed to that court's chair umpire at the start of the rotation.
In my next post, I will describe how the evaluation system works, and some of its nuances ...
Monday, December 16, 2019
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Working as a tennis line umpire - the pay as contrasted with other tennis officiating roles
Since my first post on the subject, I've had the opportunity to work quite a bit as a line umpire on the ITF Pro Circuit, Challenger and ATP tours. I just reread my previous post from almost 17 months ago and believe that I captured the basics pretty well (even though I'd only worked 4 tournaments at that point!). Next month, I will work my 20th!
Now I thought I'd take this opportunity - largely the "off-season" - to provide some insights into what the job is like, some behind-the-scenes information, and even some cautionary information for those that want to do this type of work. I plan to do this here and in subsequent posts between now and the end of the year.
Firstly, among the three primary jobs that most tennis officials do - including junior tournament rover (and chairing), college chair and/or roving etc. - working as a line umpire is the lowest paying role on a per hour basis. Working college matches (e.g. ITA) is the highest paying position. Those in charge of setting the rates for line umpiring undoubtedly realize that the opportunity to be on the court with the top players in the game, and perhaps even appear in the background of televised matches, has real value, and hence can pay those officials less.
Working as a rover at a junior tournament is usually the first job most newly certified officials are offered. It's probably the hardest job because of the long hours per day on one's feet, having to deal with parents and immature players etc., but it does pay hourly. Therefore, after a long weekend tournament, especially if there were rain delays that made it even longer, there is some solace in that you are paid for every hour you are there. Depending upon the size and level of the tournament (and the referee that hires), you may get regular breaks, snacks and meals. Many smaller local tournament directors don't hire enough officials, nor do they provide breaks or adequate food. There are junior tournaments in most major metropolitan areas nearly every weekend of the year, including holidays.
Working college dual meets well requires a certain presence - to stand up in the pressure of the competitive environment, the appeals of players and protestations of coaches - but it's usually a short 3-4 hour day (with no breaks) for a set fee. Even the longer meets' pay calculates to an hourly rate more than twice the junior rate and one is usually paid mileage on top of it. Because it's the most lucrative of the official's roles, there's a lot of competition for the jobs available. It may take years of networking and doing a solid job to establish a season's worth of work, and the season is short (January-April).
Line umpires are paid a daily rate that translates to approximately what a junior rover is paid for 8 hours work. Of course, if there are a lot of matches to be played on a given day (usually the first 3-4 days of the tournament), the day will run more than 8 hours especially if there are rain delays. The good news is that you get regular breaks throughout the day, whether you're on court 40 minutes out of every hour or your shift is 60 minutes on, 40 minutes off etc. The food is typically good, but you usually share a hotel room with another official and receive very little if any compensation for travel expenses (except for ATP events). Although the last few days of the tournament's pay is best on an hourly basis (fewer matches, same pay per day), fewer officials (e.g. only the most experienced) are needed. You can find tournaments to work throughout the year, but few are available in December and January.
Lastly, most line umpires I've met are retired or have jobs with a lot of flexibility (own their own business, have a full-time job with lots of vacation or of the remote-from-an-office variety, or work part-time). To find work as a line umpire all but requires this as the first days of any tournament encompass weekdays. Most tennis officials with full-time employment work only junior events and/or college dual meets on weekends only.
Now I thought I'd take this opportunity - largely the "off-season" - to provide some insights into what the job is like, some behind-the-scenes information, and even some cautionary information for those that want to do this type of work. I plan to do this here and in subsequent posts between now and the end of the year.
Firstly, among the three primary jobs that most tennis officials do - including junior tournament rover (and chairing), college chair and/or roving etc. - working as a line umpire is the lowest paying role on a per hour basis. Working college matches (e.g. ITA) is the highest paying position. Those in charge of setting the rates for line umpiring undoubtedly realize that the opportunity to be on the court with the top players in the game, and perhaps even appear in the background of televised matches, has real value, and hence can pay those officials less.
Working as a rover at a junior tournament is usually the first job most newly certified officials are offered. It's probably the hardest job because of the long hours per day on one's feet, having to deal with parents and immature players etc., but it does pay hourly. Therefore, after a long weekend tournament, especially if there were rain delays that made it even longer, there is some solace in that you are paid for every hour you are there. Depending upon the size and level of the tournament (and the referee that hires), you may get regular breaks, snacks and meals. Many smaller local tournament directors don't hire enough officials, nor do they provide breaks or adequate food. There are junior tournaments in most major metropolitan areas nearly every weekend of the year, including holidays.
Working college dual meets well requires a certain presence - to stand up in the pressure of the competitive environment, the appeals of players and protestations of coaches - but it's usually a short 3-4 hour day (with no breaks) for a set fee. Even the longer meets' pay calculates to an hourly rate more than twice the junior rate and one is usually paid mileage on top of it. Because it's the most lucrative of the official's roles, there's a lot of competition for the jobs available. It may take years of networking and doing a solid job to establish a season's worth of work, and the season is short (January-April).
Line umpires are paid a daily rate that translates to approximately what a junior rover is paid for 8 hours work. Of course, if there are a lot of matches to be played on a given day (usually the first 3-4 days of the tournament), the day will run more than 8 hours especially if there are rain delays. The good news is that you get regular breaks throughout the day, whether you're on court 40 minutes out of every hour or your shift is 60 minutes on, 40 minutes off etc. The food is typically good, but you usually share a hotel room with another official and receive very little if any compensation for travel expenses (except for ATP events). Although the last few days of the tournament's pay is best on an hourly basis (fewer matches, same pay per day), fewer officials (e.g. only the most experienced) are needed. You can find tournaments to work throughout the year, but few are available in December and January.
Lastly, most line umpires I've met are retired or have jobs with a lot of flexibility (own their own business, have a full-time job with lots of vacation or of the remote-from-an-office variety, or work part-time). To find work as a line umpire all but requires this as the first days of any tournament encompass weekdays. Most tennis officials with full-time employment work only junior events and/or college dual meets on weekends only.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)