1. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating Presented by Kath Lovell

2. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Duties of Control Desk at different types of tournaments
Duties
Equipment
People
Different ways of recording match information
Match form
Match slips
Order of Play
Booking practice
Typical day on Control at Nottingham WTA & ATP Challenger

3. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Many different types of tournaments use Control Desks
LTA Junior tournaments (grades 1, 2 & 3)
LTA Team Competitions e.g. Premier Finals
Junior ITF/Tennis Europe
ITF Wheelchair (Super Series, ITF 1 & ITF 2)
Combined Men’s and Women’s Pro Series
ATP Challengers & ITF Women’s $60K and above
ATP & WTA Tour Tournaments
Other e.g. World Deaf Championships
The role and the responsibilities of the control desk official varies at each of these tournaments

4. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Task 1: Preparing for Control Desk at different types of tournaments.
In your group discuss the needs of your allocated tournament.
What duties will you be carrying out?
What equipment do you need to bring?
What should the tournament provide?
Who will you have contact with during the tournament?

5. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Customer Service
Record keeping
Preparation & Organisation
Teamwork
Rules knowledge

6. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Possible duties include:
Providing Customer Service
Checking courts and equipment
Preparing match balls
Preparing match slips or Match form
Calling matches
Recording match start/finish times
Recording results
Locating players to ensure they are ready for matches
Liaising with Referee and players over ‘not before times’ & moving matches
Informing players time of next match
In a rain delay - recording scores, server etc. storing match balls and preparing warm up balls
Answering rule queries
Continued

7. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Possible duties continued:
Check and download acceptance lists
Preparing and sorting practice balls/used balls for matches
Booking practice
Monitoring sign-in and taking entry fees
Giving out tournament goodie bags
Preparing umpires baskets
Preparing scorecards
Preparing name boards
Entering results on TTP (or TTP extension)
Giving tournament information regarding, schedule, doubles and consolation sign-in, etc.
Liaising with media over results, practice bookings, etc.
Making tournament announcements
Taking supplies to court e.g. additional towels water, bananas, etc.

8. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Preparation
What equipment do you need to bring?
LTA/ABTO Uniform
Tape measure, stop watch
Pencils, pens, blue tac, tape, other stationery
Rulebooks
Clock
Laptop and printer
Practice sheets
Practice ball record sheets
Acceptance lists
Mobile phone
Cable ties
Tool kit

9. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
What should the tournament provide?
Desk and chair
Court equipment
Umpire bags, baskets, coolers
Scorecards and code violation sheets
Court supplies: towels, drinks, bananas
Balls for both practice and matches
First aid kit/defibrillator
Accreditation
Comms: PA Speaker system, Radios, WIFI and WIFI code
Copying facilities
Acceptance lists, sign-in sheets, draws and order of play
The CD official’s food and drinks
Telephone
Cable ties

10. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating Teamwork Who will you have contact with during the tournament?
Players
Players’ coaches & family
Referee/Supervisor
Centre staff/ground staff
Tournament Director and Tournament team
Catering
Stringer
Safe Guarding
LTA/ITF/WTA/ATP staff
Chief Umpire & Umpires
Medical team
Drivers
Ball kids
Media
Volunteers
Drug testers
Hitters
Wheelchair Repairer

14. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Task 2: Booking Practice: Your group has an Order of Play, a set of draws and a partially completed practice booking sheet. You receive additional requests. How would you handle the requests?
Robert Quiroz: 1st match needs to warm up, no one to hit with.
Kulichkova: 3rd match wants 30 mins warm up, + 1
Destinee Aiava 1st match 30 mins + 1
Barnaby Smith: 3rd match 30 minute warm up, no one to hit with
Johanna Konta 1 hour 11:30- 12:30 with Rybarikova and another hour 4-5 looking
Ashley Barty 1 hour in the morning but no one to hit with
Lucie Safarova arriving late from French Open wants 5:30-6:30 with coach
Brianna Morgan :00-13:30 and Alexa Glatch :00-13:30
Go Soeda 1 hour 15:30 with coach
Copil 12:00-13:00 Looking
Denis Kudla 1 hour 11:30-12:30 with Opelka
Dudi Sela 1 hour 13:00-14:00 with Bhambri

17. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Task 3: How many boxes of balls do we need the ground staff to bring to the desk for use on Sunday 11 June?
Match format for ATP & WTA is 3 tiebreak sets
6 balls in play, ball change for all matches 7/9
3 balls per can, 24 cans per box, 6 dozen balls per box
19 Matches on the Schedule (some to finish)
WTA players entitled to 6 new balls per day if still in tournament or 3 new if eliminated 24 MD + 16 still in Q + 32 doubles players
ATP players entitled to 3 new balls per day if still in the tournament or 3 used if eliminated 28 MD + 21 still in Q + 32 doubles

18. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Task 3: How many boxes of balls do we need the ground staff to bring to the desk for use on Sunday 11 June?
Match format for ATP & WTA is 3 tiebreak sets
6 balls in play, ball change for all matches 7/9
3 balls per can, 24 cans per box, 6 dozen balls per box
19 Matches on the Schedule (some to finish)
5 sets of new balls per match: 176 cans
WTA players entitled to 6 new balls per day if still in tournament or 3 new if eliminated 24 MD + 16 still in Q + 32 doubles players
72 players x 6 balls players x 3 balls = 480 balls or 160 cans
ATP players entitled to 3 new balls per day if still in the tournament or 3 used if eliminated 28 MD + 21 still in Q + 32 doubles
81 players x 3 = 81 cans
We will need: 417 cans, 18 boxes , 105 dozen

19. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Typical day on Control at Nottingham WTA & ATP Challenger
Arrive 8:00
Photocopy practice sheets for desk, practice court volunteer & media
Open 2 the boxes of balls for Practice 24 cans open 24 sealed
Open and put out 2 packs of water
Prepare match baskets: 10 cans new balls, 3 used balls of different wear, box of tissues, sawdust, 2 plain towels & 2 sponsor towels (singles), 4 bananas (wrapped)
Prepare coolers: 10 waters, 4 sports drink & Ice
Most players start arriving from 9:00 for balls etc. some players will not have booked
Collect Radios
Team Meeting 9:00
10:00 Announcement – Welcome to the tournament
10:30 Ball kids come to collect coolers, name boards and baskets

20. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Typical day on Control at Nottingham WTA & ATP Challenger
10:55 Prepare to call matches – agree the order with Referee(s)
11:00 Call matches
Check supplies and re order especially towels as delivery from laundry is usually about 11:00 open more boxes of balls and water keeping this supply topped up
Recording match results and times, calling matches.
Clearing up used match boxes, making up next boxes
Every 30 mins more player come for practice supplies
Dealing with queries: Gym, Physio, Transport, Laundry, prize money etc
Calls to court for additional supplies
Preparing practice sheet for following day. Number of courts, when?
Approximately 16:00 informal order of play released – Practice requests begin

21. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
Typical day on Control at Nottingham WTA & ATP Challenger
Booking practice for next day, the phone will ring within seconds of the OOP being released
Last match on around 18:00 and preparation for next day begins: ordering more balls water, towels etc.
Weather permitting play finishes around 19:30
Tidy up and type up next days Practice sheet.
Leave site approximately 1 hour after play finishes

22. Introduction to Control Desk Officiating
If you are interested in learning more about Control Desk what next?
Large LTA Junior tournaments often need Officials willing to help on Control Desk - ask at tournaments near you.
Contact LTA Officiating to see if they can set up ‘shadowing’ days
Contact Tournament Directors or Referees of Junior ITF & Tennis Europe Tournaments run independently from the LTA
Thank You - Any Questions?