ITF

What is the International Tennis Federation? The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the world-wide governing body of tennis and has the following broad areas of responsibility: administering and regulating the game. organising international competitions. structuring the game. developing the game. promoting the game. The ITF Technical Commission is responsible for monitoring developments in equipment technology in order to protect the nature of the game of tennis at all levels. As custodians of the Rules of Tennis, the ITF has the sometimes difficult task of judging whether innovations in tennis equipment may bring about a benefit to those who play, or whether such developments constitute a threat to the nature of the game. In 1997, the ITF created its own Technical Centre with a laboratory and staff whose task it is to carry out testing and research into all aspects of the game, and to provide support to the ITF Technical Commission and other ITF Committees on decisions relating to technical issues. This facility is now a world-leading tennis research and testing laboratory. The mission of the ITF Technical Centre is: to protect the nature of tennis by actively preserving the skills traditionally required to play the game, and, to encourage innovation and improvements which maintain the challenge of the game and make it more exciting to play and watch.

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