Following a majority vote from National Association delegates at the 2024 ITF AGM in Hong Kong, the ITF Rules of Tennis will be amended to allow off-court coaching from 1 January 2025. 

Why the change? 

Trials of off-court coaching have been taking place since 2017 and, since 2023, in events operated by all international sanctioning bodies, including all four Grand Slams, the ATP and WTA tours, ITF World Tennis Tour (WTT) and ITF UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour. 

Feedback on the trials has been positive and all international sanctioning bodies supported an application to the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee for a permanent change to the Rules of Tennis, to give sanctioning bodies the ability to allow off-court coaching in their competitions.   

The Committee supported the application and believes that allowing off-court coaching will: 

• Align the approaches to coaching across the international sanctioning bodies of tennis. 

• Reduce the burden on Chair Umpires to police the current restriction on coaching. 

• Reduce subjectivity in the enforcement of the current restriction on coaching. 

• Support the development of players. 

• Make tennis fairer and, potentially, more entertaining. 

What is changing? 

Under Rule 30, ‘Coaching’ is defined as communication, advice or instruction of any kind and by any means to a player. Here is a summary of how the rule will change from 1 January 2025. 

• Coaching from an off-court location may be permitted in events played under the rules of tennis by the sanctioning body concerned. 

• In team events only, where a team captain sits on-court, the team captain may give coaching the player(s) at such times permitted by the sanctioning body concerned. 

• In all other competitions, on-court coaching is not allowed.  

• Sanctioning bodies may permit players to access approved Player Analysis Technology at times when coaching is permitted.  

How will this work? 

Subject to coaching being permitted by the sanctioning body of each event:  

• Coaching is allowed between points and at change of ends and set breaks, and at any other time (except during the playing of a point) permitted by the sanctioning body.  

• For off-court coaching and on-court coaching between points, communication may be verbal (when the coach(es) and player(s) are at the same end of the court) or by hand signals (at any time when coaching is permitted) only.  

• Off-court coaching, and on-court coaching between points, must be brief (except during breaks in play) and discreet.  

Stuart Miller, ITF Senior Executive Director, Integrity & Legal said: “This has been going on in trial form since 2017. People who have been watching the sport, particularly over the last two years, will have seen trials going on across the whole of the professional game including the ITF World Tennis Tour, ATP and WTA Tours and all Grand Slams. 

“We’ve gathered feedback from all key stakeholders including players, coaches and Chair Umpires. Players felt it was a positive development and makes tournaments more interesting for them. Coaches have said it helps player development and helps to improve the standing of their profession. Chair Umpires have said it improves their ability to focus on monitoring the game and making the right decisions, rather than whether or not a coach is coaching against the rules. So all parties have welcomed this and it’s good to see the AGM support what we think is going to be a positive change for the game of tennis.” 

Decisions on the following details are at the discretion of the sanctioning body of each event: 

• Whether coaching is permitted or not in events under its jurisdiction.  

• Whether a Chair Umpire must be in place for coaching to be permitted.  

• Whether both players must have a coach for coaching to be permitted.  

• Who/what is eligible to provide coaching (e.g. whether coaches need to be qualified and/or accredited; whether players can use approved Players Analysis Technology). 

• How many people are eligible to coach a player/team.  

• Where the coach(es) must be located when coaching.  

• Who polices the coaching rules and regulations (e.g. Chair Umpire, off-court official).  

• Whether coaching is permitted (and for which player(s) and from which location(s)) during breaks in play that are not covered by the Rules of Tennis, (for example medical time-outs, toilet breaks, change of attire breaks; when play is suspended for weather or light-related reasons; wheelchair repair; spectator medical condition).  

• Penalties for coaching in a manner and/or at a time that is not permitted. 

For more information download the ITF Rules of Tennis by searching ‘Rules of Tennis’ on Google Play for Android devices or the App Store on Apple devices.