ITF Officiating administers the Joint Certification Programme for Officials on behalf of the ITF, ATP and WTA.
Representatives from each organisation teach at Level 3 Schools and meet at the end of each year to discuss the work rate and performance of all International Officials.
Officials who pass a Level 3 school are known as International Officials.
The Level 3 School Structure can be viewed and downloaded.
International Chair Umpires
There are three certifications for those officials who have passed a Level 3 School and are International Chair Umpires:
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Chair Umpires start as a Bronze Badge and can be promoted to Silver and then to Gold following a review of their work rate and performance in the annual review conducted by the ITF, ATP and WTA.
(Gold Badge Chair Umpire Carlos Bernardes (BRA) in action at Roland Garros)
International Referees
There are two certifications for those Referees who have passed the Level 3 School and are International Referees:
Silver
Gold
Referees start as a Silver Badge and can be promoted to Gold following a review of their work rate and performance conducted annually by the ITF, ATP and WTA.
(Gold Badge Referee Valery Lutkov (RUS) is called to court during a difficult
situation at a Davis Cup tie)
International Chief Umpires
There are two certifications for those Chief Umpires who have passed the Level 3 School and are International Chief Umpires:
Silver
Gold
Chief Umpires start as a Silver Badge and can be promoted to Gold following a review of their work rate and performance conducted annually by the ITF, ATP and WTA.
Each ITF certified official records the tournaments and matches they work each year and submits this information to the ITF.
There are minimum annual requirements for maintaining each level of certification - the higher the qualification, the more work an official is expected to do each year.
View and download the ITF Certification Structures for Level 3 Officials below.