# Law 28: Role of Court Officials (ITF Rules of Tennis)

Tennis · Law 28: Role of Court Officials · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/tennis/laws/law-28-role-of-court-officials/)

Who decides what: the referee on questions of tennis law, the chair umpire on questions of fact, line and net umpires on their lines, when calls may be overruled or corrected, when play is suspended, and the ball mark and electronic review procedures.

## 28.281 Role of Court Officials

The officials and their authority, overrules and corrections, suspending play, ball mark inspection and electronic review.

### Test 1: Who decides what

- The referee's decision on the law is final. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- Facts are the chair umpire's to decide. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- Players may appeal points of law, not questions of fact. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- Line umpires make every call on their line, foot faults included. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- Without a line umpire, that line is the chair umpire's. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- With no decision on the fact, the point is played again. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- In that setting the referee decides facts too. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- The question passes up to the chair, and a replay is the last resort. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- Line umpires call their lines, the chair decides facts, the referee rules on the law. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- The chair umpire in the high chair decides questions of fact. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)

### Test 2: Overrules, corrections and suspensions

- Only a clear mistake, of which the chair is sure, justifies an overrule. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 5)
- An overrule must come straight after the mistake. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 3)
- A chair umpire never overrules because a player protests. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 4)
- A line umpire corrects a realised mistake promptly, never because of a protest. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 6)
- If the wrong call was no hindrance, the hitter wins the point; if it was, the point is replayed. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 7)
- That keeps the ends right for the restart. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- The match picks up exactly where it stopped. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII)
- The question of hindrance decides between a replay and the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 7)
- Points of law go to the referee on appeal. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 1)
- Whether a ball was in or out is a fact for the chair umpire, not the referee. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII, Case 2)

### Test 3: Ball mark inspection

- Only clay keeps a readable ball mark. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- Either the shot ended the point, or the player stopped playing to ask. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- The chair umpire may ask the line umpire to point out the mark but inspects it personally. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- Without a readable mark, the call stands. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- Once the mark is identified and ruled on, the decision cannot be appealed. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- Erasing the mark gives the call away. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- Crossing the net to look at a mark falls under the Code of Conduct. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- The chair umpire inspects personally and decides for good. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- On clay the umpire is not quick to call the score when in doubt. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))
- If the mark is unreadable, the original call or overrule stands. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Ball mark inspection))

### Test 4: Electronic review

- The request must come at once: the player stops the rally and asks for the review, rather than playing the point out and asking afterwards. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- Unreasonable or untimely requests can be refused. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- If the system cannot decide, nothing changes. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- Three unsuccessful appeals per set, with one more in a tie-break. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- Each player gets one additional appeal in the tie-break. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- Only unsuccessful appeals are counted. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- Long advantage sets refresh the count at 6-6 and every 12 games after. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- One, three, and no limit. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- The system's result is the chair umpire's final, unappealable decision. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))
- The set's three are gone; only the tie-break's extra one is left. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VII (Electronic review))

Sources: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 28 with Appendix VII (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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