The line umpire "calls all shots relating to the assigned lines." Line umpires work on court as part of a team of between one and nine line umpires. Each line umpire is assigned by the chair umpire to one line or, in the case of a short-handed crew, a position in a system. For example, a line umpire on the receiver's side may have to cover the center service line then, following the serve, move to one of the sidelines. Line umpires are a requirement for professional tennis games.
The line umpire signals a ball out by making a verbal "fault" call followed by the extension of the arm shoulder high in the direction the ball was out. A ball is signaled "safe" or "good" by holding both hands together knee high in front of the body. A line umpire who is unsighted and thus unable to call a shot (usually because a player obstructs his/her view) signals this by holding his/her hands beside his/her head, the upper side pointing in the same directing as the eyes; that call is then the chair umpire's responsibility.
Read more about this topic: Official (tennis)
Famous quotes containing the word line:
“The middle years of parenthood are characterized by ambiguity. Our kids are no longer helpless, but neither are they independent. We are still active parents but we have more time now to concentrate on our personal needs. Our children’s world has expanded. It is not enclosed within a kind of magic dotted line drawn by us. Although we are still the most important adults in their lives, we are no longer the only significant adults.”
—Ruth Davidson Bell. Ourselves and Our Children, by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, ch. 3 (1978)