Who has the final say: the chair umpire or the referee?

Question

Accepted Answer

It depends on whether the question is one of fact or of tennis law (2026 ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix VII): Type of question Who decides Example Fact: what actually happened Chair umpire, whose decision is final Whether a ball was in or out Tennis law: how the rules apply to the facts Chair umpire first; a player who disagrees can call the referee, whose decision is final Whether a point after an overrule is a first or second serve A player can't call the referee to court over a line call; that is a question of fact. In team events where the referee sits on court, the referee is also the final authority on questions of fact.

Type of question	Who decides	Example
Fact: what actually happened	Chair umpire, whose decision is final	Whether a ball was in or out
Tennis law: how the rules apply to the facts	Chair umpire first; a player who disagrees can call the referee, whose decision is final	Whether a point after an overrule is a first or second serve