Tournament planning guide

It’s always best to get your tournament endorsed 12 months in advance. 

July–August: Submit your completed expression of interest form 

September–October: Tennis SA and Tennis Australia create the line-up for the following year 

October: Tournament schedule for the following year is published on tennis.com.au 

• Decide on the event type and format that best suit your target audience 
• Choose a match and draw format 
• Choose a court surface. Some events, such as the J250s and J500s for juniors and Open Signature Series need to be played on a Grand Slam surface  
• Choose an age range if applicable  
• A UTR is used for all event acceptance and seeding purposes. UTR rating bands allow players of similar skill levels to compete against each other and the spread depends on player numbers. Tennis Australia recommends a UTR spread of no more than two full rating bands for best competition.  
  • Development: A lower UTR band is encouraged if the goal is to encourage participation   
  • High performance: A higher UTR band is recommended to attract top players if the aim is to host a high-level competition    
• Pick your dates and location  

The following mandatory details must be provided to Tennis SA and Tennis Australia: 

• Match scoring and draw format   
• Entry deadline and dates associated with your tournament  
• A final calculation of how many matches can be accommodated at your tournament  
• The total number of courts required to complete all matches. 

Now that you know exactly what is required to have your tournament endorsed, it is time to ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible.  Everything from health and safety to what needs to be in place before, during and after your Tennis Australia-endorsed event must be met.

The health, safety and security of all, including players, officials, tournament staff and spectators, are of paramount importance. 

The tournament is responsible for ensuring an adequate security plan is implemented to protect all involved.

We will work with your tournament director to make sure preparations are in place to handle emergency situations and to inform Tennis Australia should major issues or threats (e.g. health epidemic, natural disaster) arise.

Tournaments are advised to follow the local guidelines currently in place, regarding COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. 

Tennis SA, in conjunction with Tennis Australia, is committed to ensuring tennis is a safe and friendly environment for children and young people.   

Where applicable the tournament referee will be a Tennis Australia officiating member who will act as the tournament welfare officer. If there are any concerns regarding a child or adult at risk, you can speak to the tournament referee or to the Tennis Australia integrity team directly by reporting a safeguarding concern.   

For further information on safeguarding, review our safeguarding guidelines. 

All tournament directors and their respective tournament staff are required to keep an active and updated Working with Children Check relevant for the state or territory that they will be holding an endorsed tournament. Failure to do so will result in your tournament not being published on the Australian Competitive Play calendar and potential removal of any future endorsed tournaments. 

All tournament directors and their respective tournament staff are required to keep an active and updated National Police Check. Failure to do so will result in your tournament not being published on the Australian Competitive Play calendar and potential removal of any future endorsed tournaments.

No sponsorship is permitted to any entity in relation to tobacco products, e-cigarette organisations, hard liquor products, betting companies, political activity or other category deemed to be detrimental to the sport by Tennis Australia in consultation with Tennis SA. 

Casinos or national, regional or state sports lotteries are allowed as part of the above rights (with prior approval from Tennis Australia and/or Tennis SA), provided they do not offer tennis betting as part of their business activity.

Tournament directors will be provided with access to the Australian Competitive Play logos. Tournament directors are required to display the logo, which must be included on any printed materials, tournament website(s), draw sheets, advertising and promotional material on site or during broadcasts wherever the tournament logo or title is featured.  

MAs will provide any further information required. Tournament directors can find the rules detailing permitted advertising in the ITF Rules of Tennis. 

Where on-court banners are used, they should be uniform in colour and must not be painted in light colours that will interfere with player visibility.  

All backdrops and windbreaks should not use shades of white or yellow lettering.  

Tournament directors can also request logos, poster templates and other promotional items from Tennis SA. 

Tournament directors are encouraged to promote their tournaments within the local community and on social media.    

We also encourage you to share content via email to club members, past participants and our marketing team.

We recommend clips of match celebrations, key match or championship points or short player interviews. Videos must be clear, visually and audibly, no more than 60 seconds and free of embedded advertising.  

If you are using music accompaniment within videos, please ensure the music is either royalty free or you have obtained the necessary licence to use it and confirm this in the email.  

If you are sharing photos, focus on the venue or host city pre-tournament, and the winning player(s) in action/with trophy during the tournament. A maximum of 10 is sufficient ensuring photos are high-quality resolution and feature any Tennis Australia branding in the background. Provide the name of the photographer if credit is to be given.  

Below are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure you are capturing our players at their best.  

Format: If capturing on an iPhone, avoid landscape (16:9, see below) and opt for portrait (1:1 or 4:5, see below). This will allow you to resize the image without the quality compressing. For reference, we only use square (1:1) or vertical (4:5) frames. 

Natural light: Lighting is the foundation of a good photo or video, so avoid using your flash in favour of natural light. Work with the sun – avoid taking photos facing the sun directly and work with shade when appropriate. Subjects of the photo should look brighter than darker.

Viewpoint: Pick the right orientation for your subjects. If taking a portrait shot of a player or a group, ensure they are the middle of the frame. Do not use zoom, this compromises the quality.

Candid action: Social platforms are a happy place, which means real content plays well here. If taking a group shot, encourage subjects to stand close together and avoid gaps.

Backgrounds: If you can, try to use the court, nature, or a plain wall as a background rather than a fence or a carpark.

Take more than one: Don’t be afraid to take a couple of shots of the same subject. Switch up the lighting, angles or poses for more options.

We encourage you to tag @TennisAustralia (and your MA) on all channels. Please use the hashtags #AusJuniorTour and #AusCompPlay on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). This will help TA and your MA identify post for possible interactions. 

In the interests of players, officials, organisers and spectators and to ensure the tournament is run as efficiently as possible, it is recommended that the entire tournament be held at one venue only.  

During the endorsement process the tournament may be granted the use of multiple tournament venues for matches conducted early in the tournament. In such cases, all multiple tournament venues must comply with the Australian Competitive Play Regulations and Organisational Requirements, which includes provision of similar playing conditions and supplementary officials.

All tournament directors should check the artificial court lighting of all match courts before hosting a tournament, so the organiser is aware in advance if the lighting is suitable for play. 

Tournament play is allowed under lights at the discretion of the tournament director and the tournament referee. It must be communicated during the entry process either in the tournament conditions or fact sheet that it is the tournament’s intention to play matches under lights as part of the normal tournament schedule.  

Light poles should be positioned so that light is evenly distributed around the court and the poles should be positioned not to affect player safety or match play. 

The main tournament venue must have access to the internet within the main tournament office. If multiple tournament venues are used, it is recommended a temporary internet connection (e.g. portable USB modems) be available to allow for the simple transfer of data to and from the main tournament venue.

It is strongly recommended that a canteen at the main tournament venue be open throughout the day (particularly for players involved in evening matches, who may need to eat after playing) where players can buy various types of food and drink suitable for players at a reasonable price. Where practically possible any secondary venue should also have the availability of food and drink for players throughout the day. The canteen service should adhere to the following criteria:  

• Healthy and nutritious options, and  
• Professional-level hygiene and food-handling processes  

Players must be allowed to bring food on site to accommodate special dietary restrictions or other dietary needs. 

One or more people (i.e. the tournament director/s) must be the point of contact for both Tennis Australia and Tennis SA for their endorsed Australian Competitive Play tournament. 

The affiliated club/centre/association – or the tournament director if appointed – is responsible for submitting the endorsement application via the online application form. 

They will be responsible for all aspects of the organisation of the tournament, except for all matters relating to the rules of competition as stated in the Australian Competitive Play Regulations, the ITF Rules of Tennis and all on-court issues, which are the responsibility of the tournament referee.  

They must be on site throughout the whole tournament, ready to solve any problems related to the organisation of the tournament, players, officials, media, and spectators. They must be English-speaking and be fully aware of the responsibilities of their position. They are prohibited from competing in a tournament for which they are undertaking this role.

Referee 
Tennis Australia or Tennis SA will appoint and provide an appropriately certified official to act as the tournament referee, who must be available all tournament, from the qualifying until after the final has been completed, unless otherwise approved.  

The tournament director is obliged to enforce the tournament referee’s decisions on site if required, for example denial of access to the site following a default.  

The tournament referee’s name should be provided to the affiliated club/centre/association – or the tournament director if appointed – at least weeks before the tournament, so that they can be added to the tournament fact sheet. The tournament referee is the final authority for on-site issues related to the Australian Competitive Play Junior Regulations, Australian Competitive Play Open Regulations, ITF Rules of Tennis and all on-court matters.  

The tournament is responsible for paying a fee for the tournament referee, covering travel expenses, accommodation and meals (as required) for the duration of the tournament.  

Court supervisors 
Tennis Australia or Tennis SA will appoint and provide certified officials to act as court supervisors or court monitors. These officials must be available throughout the duration of the tournament, from qualifying until after the final has been completed, unless otherwise approved.  

Sports physiotherapist 
The tournament director must appoint a sports physiotherapist to be available on-site during play to provide free on-court treatment to all players accepted and competing in the tournament as per the below table. The tournament director must ensure the sports physiotherapist has appropriate qualifications and experience to treat players.

It is recommended that all reasonable off-court treatment is also provided free of charge to players. Just because the requirement is recommended or not required, this does not mean that the tournament director can’t appoint a sports physiotherapist if they wish to provide these services at their tournament.

Tournament assistants/tournament desk
There must be a tournament desk always staffed. Each tournament must provide sufficient personnel to assist the tournament director and the tournament referee with their administrative duties. Other assistants, a number of whom should ideally have previous tournament support experience and be English-speaking, must also be available to provide player support, i.e. assisting and advising players with tournament-related issues such as match times and reporting scores.  

All tournament personnel must undertake appropriate and thorough background checks. These checks must be submitted to TA or the MA during the Endorsement Application process.  

Court maintenance staff 
The club/centre/association – or the tournament director if appointed – must appoint and pay all costs for enough trained personnel responsible for the maintenance of the courts, who must always be available on site and always keep all match and practice courts to a required standard. Court services personnel should be trained and aware of local laws regarding the proper handling of biohazardous waste.  

All tournament personnel must undertake appropriate and thorough background checks. These checks must be submitted to TA or the MA during the Endorsement Application process.  

Stringer 
An experienced stringer must be available, preferably on site, throughout the tournament during the scheduled playing hours. Most players will provide their own string, therefore, a labour-only charge option must be available. It is recommended that the tournament stringer use an electric stringing machine. At a minimum, stringing service must be available beginning the day prior to the start of the tournament and continue through the last day of the tournament, including any additional days due to weather or other unavoidable circumstances. The stringing service must be on site at least one hour before the scheduled first match of the day and must be available until the completion of play for that day. 

The tournament must have medical equipment and materials available for general use or if a sports physiotherapist has been appointed.  

Some of the items the tournament must have available are:  

• Soap and water
• Towels
• Ice for treatment
• Ice bags
• Medical gloves
• Fully stocked first-aid kit – necessary items to treat athletes  
• Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)  

Ice should be available to players throughout the tournament. Ice coolers and ice bags should be available on court on hot days and to treat injuries after matches. It is recommended that ice coolers with ice bags be placed on each match court.  

Each tournament must have a spill kit, for the proper clean-up and disposal of biohazardous material on each court and hand sanitiser must be available at the tournament desk. In extreme heat conditions umbrellas, fans and ice towels are recommended on court.

Tournament directors are expected to monitor weather and if necessary, in consultation with the tournament referee, make modifications to play in cases of extreme weather conditions such as heat, lightning, or other severe weather conditions. The tournament director and tournament referee must adhere to the Extreme Weather Policy and the tournament must have access to the BOM weather recording as outlined in the Extreme Weather Policy. 

At the end of the tournament, it is mandatory that the tournament director and tournament referee complete their respective tournament reports. This information helps Tennis SA and Tennis Australia gain a better understanding of how the tournament was run, what worked well and what future improvements can be made to improve the tournament and the player experience.

All reports must be submitted within five days of the completion of the tournament.

At the completion of the tournament, all player entry fee refunds should be processed back through the Stripe payment gateway. Remember to consider any administration fee that may be eligible.

It is recommended to send out a player email at the end of the tournament, to thank players, parents, officials, sponsors, volunteers and the club/centre/association for their involvement in the tournament as well as any other major party that has played a significant part in assisting with the tournament.

This is also an opportunity to recognise tournament winners, promote future tournaments that you may be hosting or other local tournaments within your region. 

For detailed guidance on the requirements for junior and open tournament planning, visit Tournament planning support and resources.