A tennis rules test can be an informal quiz for recreational or scholastic players, or a more formal examination for umpires, referees or tournament directors. The International Tennis Federation, or ITF, is the international governing body of tennis; the United States Tennis Association, or USTA, is the governing body in the United States. The USTA publishes the official rules and a publication called "Friend at Court" to cover situations that arise during unofficiated matches.
Making the Rules
The ITF sets the basic rules followed by most tennis players worldwide. In addition to setting rules to cover match play, the ITF sets rules for equipment, balls, courts, sportsmanship and other aspects of the game. Each country is governed by its national tennis authority. Depending on which league you join, you may have additional or different rules, such as those governing scholastic play. Finally, different tournaments played under the auspices of the same league may have different rules to address unique situations at that tournament site.
Written Test
A written rules test can include different situations covering match play, equipment, sportsmanship, tournament regulation and other aspects of the game. A test might ask what happens when the ball strikes a scoreboard attached to a net and goes back into play, a player breaks a string or a ball during a point, or players disagree on a line call, or the default rules for a particular tournament. The test may contain multiple-choice, true-or-false and open-answer questions.
On-Court Test
To see how potential umpires might perform during a match, they may be asked to call lines during a practice match, umpire a match as the sole official or umpire from a chair with other line judges handling other duties. To judge a candidate's potential as a line judge, umpire or referee, a certifying body will check the accuracy of an umpire's line calls, how he handles an argument with a player or how he deals with an unusual situation.
Tournament Administration
Tournament referees and directors have responsibility for an overall tournament, not just the individual matches. To become a tournament referee or director, you may need to take a test on tournament administration. Running a tournament requires knowing the rules for seeding players, making a draw, making a consolation draw, dealing with weather delays and handling other aspects of a tournament. Because sanctioned tournaments often award ranking points, each director runs his tournament according to the same rules as the others in the league.
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