15 Surprising Rules the US Open Ball Crew Must Follow (Exclusive)

The ball is in your court!

While the US Open draws the eyes of tennis fans to watch the best athletes in the world compete, it’s hard to overlook the people who share the court with the players in the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year.

That’s right, we’re talking about the US Open ball crew — the highly-coveted, sought-after role in the prestigious tennis tournament whose duties are pivotal in the movement and flow of the game. The job is highly-selective, too, requiring an in-depth tryout process months in advance.

US Open Ball Crew Lead Neal Kitson shared with PEOPLE the rules and guidelines a ball person must follow during the tournament, while also giving an exclusive interactive look at what it takes to be in the crew… from tryouts to match day.

Kitson considers the perfect person for the job as one who meets the “core values” of a ball person: “athletic, agile, has hand-eye coordination, a great attitude and willingness to work and to be part of a team.” This is because “their most important role” is “transitioning play” throughout the match.

This year, Kitson says just under 1,500 applied to be a ball person of which 400 were selected to try out based on a six-question survey with several of them requiring tennis knowledge sprinkled throughout. After the initial whittling-down process, applicants are selected for the physical test.

Tryouts take place on the US Open grounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York — home of the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium, the iconic tennis arena that serves as the tournament’s main court. “400 people come across two days… six people to a court,” Kitson says.

The tryout stage consists of physical drills aligned with the duties the ball crew is responsible for during matches and they’re assessed based on their performance. “Your roll, how fast it is, how smooth it is, the speed and the accuracy” are among the skills Kitson says are analyzed.

Read on for rules a US Open ball person but follow, from the tryouts to the matches!

An age minimum must be met

In order to be considered for US Open ball crew, all applicants must be at least 14 years of age or older. While there’s an age minimum to apply, there is no age limit — applicants must also meet the physical requirements!

Kitson notes that applicants can come from anywhere in the world to be considered for tryouts, however, he notes that they “don’t provide housing or travel into the city.” He adds, “Predominantly, it is people from all around the country who want to come in, but they’re on their own dime to come in.”

A multi-step tryout process is required

There are multiple rounds of the US Open ball crew tryout process. The first is an online application open to anyone interested in becoming a ball person, whether you’ve had prior tennis experience or not.

The online application — which opened in April 2024 — involves a general background assessment, in addition to a six-question survey. “You were considered as long as you got more than four correct,” says Kitson, noting that four of those questions had “tennis-based answers.”

Kitson said just under 1,500 people applied online to be considered for the 2024 US Open ball crew, of which 400 were selected for tryouts held in June this year. “Then we sent out acceptances in the first week of July,” he says.

Physical tryouts are in-person across two days

The 400 applicants who were chosen to move on to the US Open ball crew tryout stage were invited to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens over the course of two days. The session spans roughly three to four hours long.

Six people were assigned to a court during the tryout sessions and put through drills that were reflective of the duties a ball person would perform during matches, like rolling and throwing the tennis balls — in addition to speed, agility and hand-eye coordination training.

“They were all evaluated based on their performance and selected based on how well they did,” Kitson explains. “We are looking for your roll, how fast it is, how smooth it is, the speed and the accuracy… things like that.”

Ball persons can return from previous years

If a person was selected to join the US Open ball crew in the past, they’re eligible to join the crew again — and they don’t have to re-tryout! “We have 222 returning from last year,” Neal points out, noting that roughly 100 new members were selected this year.

“There’s a returning list from those who performed really well, had great attitudes and such in the previous year,” he says. “Next year we’ll look to see who performed really well, who had a great attitude, who didn’t break any rules that we have as a team and I will discuss also with my leadership team to make those decisions.”

Kitson adds, “They’ll get asked to come back.”

If a ball crew member doesn’t get asked to come back, Kitson says they “can come try out again” — they just have to be “reselected” after going through the entire process from the start.

They have to attend training once selected

Congrats, you’ve been chosen to be in the US Open Ball Crew! Now, the work begins.

Those offered a position are required to attend training in the weeks leading up to the Slam. “It’s just one day, so I have three days of this because I can’t bring all 320 in — it’s also a lot to ask when people have jobs and they have summer plans,” Kitson explains.

Plus, the ball crew has to free up their schedule for the duration of the US Open so Kitson says they want to be considerate of their time. “They need to be available for four days of qualifying and 10 days of main draw.”

Kitson adds, “It’s a lot of time that they have to be available for, so I don’t want to take away from what they have to do during their time in the summer.” Also, he wants to minimize traveling for those coming from around the country.

During the training day, Kitson says the ball crew “is going through what it would look like at the Open.” He explains, “They’re going through the warmup, their role during the warmup of a match, playing games that you would see in a match and hybrid situational things just to get them ready.”

US Open ball crew must get paid

The US Open is the only Grand Slam to pay its ball people. “It’s $17 an hours,” notes Kitson.

“It’s a great summer job, honestly, for those who are in school,” he says. “This is one of the biggest sporting events in the world!”

Ball crew members aren’t working the entire duration of the day, however. “We have different shifts during the day,” Kitson points out. “Matches here start at 11:00 a.m. ET, so our first shift comes in around 10:00 a.m. and then they’re an hour and a half on court.”

Kitson notes US ball crew members also get paid for the training day, too — but there is no overtime. “We do obviously have to abide by New York state labor laws,” he makes known, “So we have to comply with those laws.”

A ball person doesn’t have to have tennis experience

Interested in becoming a ball person but haven’t played tennis in your life? Have no fear!

Kitson says “you don’t” have to have prior tennis-playing experience to be considered for the US Open ball crew, though they do “encourage anyone who’s interested in tennis” to apply. “This is a great entryway into the game!”

Tennis aside, high school athletes of all sports are often recruited to be considered. Kitson says he’s seen “track runners, some soccer players and basketball players” go for the gig.

Among the top traits Kitson’s team of recruiters are looking for when selecting ball crew members? “Fast, very good agility, high-end coordination… That’s applicable to so many different sports, so it doesn’t have to be just tennis players,” he says.

US Open ball crew must wear the official Polo uniform

US Open ball crew members must wear a uniform, specifically the official Polo uniform custom designed for the 2024 tournament. “Polo is our main sponsor for clothing,” Kitson says.

That means, the ball crew must wear the Polo shirts, shoes, hats, shorts, skirts and everything in between during the matches — even down to the socks! “Everything Polo,” he emphasizes.

Ralph Lauren returns as the official outfitter of the US Open for the 19th year since 2005. The brand has dressed 215 on-court officials including chair umpires, line crew umpires and 400 ball crew members — in addition to offering a commemorative collection of apparel and accessories for men, women and children.

This year, the Ralph Lauren ball crew Polo features blue, green, orange and yellow reflective of the New York atmosphere and and electric energy of the US Open. They were also created with the company’s commitment to sustainability in mind.

Jewelry is allowed, though Kitson says it should “look professional.” However, it’s not necessarily advised simply for the fact that it could potentially “fall off and distract you” while doing the job.

Six ball crew members must be on the court

Strategically, six ball people are assigned to a court at a time. “We have four in the back and then two at net,” Kitson says.

The role of the ball crew is essential to the tournament. In addition to ensuring the flow of the game is smooth and uninterrupted, they’re to make certain that the players’ needs are addressed throughout the match.

Ball crew must stand the entire duration of the match

Sorry, “sitting down” is not in the US Open ball crew job description! For the entire hour and a half shift, Kitson says “they’re standing.”

He explains, “They’re there to service the players, that is their job. When we have a changeover, that’s their ability to get a quick drink of water — Those who are not servicing the players or helping them play, they can get a quick sip of water.”

Ball crew must not interfere with play

Since it’s the duty of US Open ball crew members to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted game, they must “not interfere with play.” Therefore, Kitson says “they’re outside of the court and out of the way” to avoid being a “distraction” to the players.

Ball crew members “don’t want to delay the transition of play,” he points out. “You don’t want to be the reason why play is taking long to occur. There’s a serve clock in between points. You don’t want to be a distraction to the player or the officials.”

Ball crew shouldn’t interfere with TV cameras, either

In addition to the players, it’s important that ball crew members “don’t block the cameras” since the matches are televised. Kitson says “there are markings on the court” so ball people know where to stand.

The 2024 US Open will be available to watch on ESPN+ and ESPN3 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The tournament kicks off on Aug. 26 and runs through Sept. 8.

Ball crew must stand with hands behind their backs

When ball crew members aren’t running on the court to fetch the tennis balls, they’re standing upright with their hands behind their backs while they wait for their service to be of need again.

The two ball people in the back are to always have three tennis balls in their hands, too, to give to the players who are serving. Still, their hands are behind their backs while they wait to toss.

Ball crew shouldn’t start conversation with players

Since distracting the players is a no-no, that means ball crew members should avoid conversation at all costs. “Non-verbal communication is key,” Kitson says.

When it comes to communication between a ball person and a player, he says, “it’s a ball person who’s being spoken to by a player.” This is typical if they’re being asked for something, like a ball for example.

“Don’t initiate conversation,” Kitson emphasizes.

A ball person can’t sign up to work a finals match

The final rounds of the US Open are undoubtedly the most exciting part of the tournament as the fourth and final Slam of the year comes to an end. All eyes will be on the court, a highly sought-after gig for a ball person.

However, Kitson says “no one is slated to be in a final” regardless if you’ve been a ball person in the past. “It’s how you perform during the three weeks. No one is slated to be in a final.”

He explains, “When we start main draw, yes, will we start with those who have been here before? Sure, because they have the experience to back it up and they’re here because they did well — but that could all change during the event.”

“This is the biggest tennis tournament in the world, it’s a grand slam,” he continues. “Hoping to have a million spectators here — of course, anyone can succumb to the pressure.”

Therefore, Kitson says even a first-year ball crew member can have a shot at working a finals match. Likely, someone who “showed so much promise and so much ability that we want them to be rewarded for how they did.”