Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/450983
33 PART B – ITF GUIDE TO TEST METHODS FOR TENNIS COURT SURFACES 1. INTRODUCTION Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces, more so perhaps than any other sport. The properties of each surface influence the style of play and affect the quality of performance. The following notes seek to outline and quantify the key properties that affect play, with the aims of: Establishing a minimum level of quality and encouraging high-quality workmanship. Improving standards, based on what is currently achievable by experienced contractors using quality materials and conventional methods at reasonable cost. Enabling comparisons between courts, giving court constructors, suppliers and end-users a common language to describe different products. Protecting contractors against unreasonable demands. This section is intended to provide a guide to tests suitable for tennis courts for end- users, tournament organisers and court proprietors, in addition to acting as a manual for test houses, suppliers and constructors. The methods described herein will be particularly applicable to surface testing in: Venues for elite-level tennis tournaments, such as the Davis Cup. National/regional tennis centres. Other tennis facilities where the standard of play demands the specification of precise playing characteristics. Research and development laboratories. The ITF has identified 'definitive' and 'predictive' methods for testing the key properties of a surface. Definitive methods are recommended for laboratory testing and on-site testing of courts for professional competition. Predictive methods provide a more economical means of on-site testing. IMPORTANT NOTE: Whilst these test methods are recommended by the ITF, they are not mandatory. This section is a revision of An Initial ITF Study on Performance Standards for Tennis Court Surfaces, published in June 1997. Further developments are anticipated, and consequently this section is supported by a web-based resource to communicate such changes. The latest version can be found at: www.itftennis.com/technical.