Hurley Tiger Sharks

SWIM MEET RULES & TERMINOLOGY

Basic Rules:

The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer. Trained officials observe the swimmers during each event to ensure compliance with these technical rules. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules, a disqualification (DQ) will result.

Disqualification (DQ): The swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in that event. Disqualifications may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, advancing themselves by walking on or pushing off the bottom of the pool, pulling on the lane lines, or unsportsmanlike-like conduct. Disqualifications should be treated as a learning experience, not as a punishment. Disqualifications are also a result of technical rule violations. They include but are not limited to:

• Freestyle: Walking on the bottom, Pulling on the lane line, Not touching the wall on a turn, Not completing the distance
• Backstroke: turning onto the breast, pulling on the lane line. Swimmer must stay on their back unless using a backstroke flip turn.
• Breaststroke: Touching with only one hand at the turns or finish, illegal kick such as flutter (freestyle), dolphin (butterfly), or scissor (sidestroke), arms should move at the same time, shoulders not level, taking two arm strokes or two leg kicks while the head is underwater, hands move down to the hips on the pull.
• Butterfly: Alternating movements of the arms or legs (arms move with each other, legs move with each other), pushing the arms forward under instead of over the water surface (underwater recovery), a flutter or breaststroke style of kick, touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.

Officials: Officials are present at all competitions to enforce the technical rules of swimming so the competition is fair and equitable. Officials attend clinics, pass a written test and work meets before being certified. All parents are encouraged to get involved!

Swimming Terms

Age Group Swimming: Provides fair and open competition for its younger members. It is designed to encourage maximum participation, provide an educational experience, enhance physical and mental conditioning, and develop a rich base of swimming talent. Nationally recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, and 15-18. Local meets may include events for 8 and under, and single age categories.

Block: The starting platform

Circle Swimming: Performed during practice and warm-ups by staying to the right of the black line when swimming in a lane to enable more swimmers to swim in each lane.

Cool Down: SEE WARM DOWN

DQ: Disqualified. This occurs when a swimmer has committed a stroke infraction. A disqualified swimmer is not eligible to receive awards, nor can the time be used as an official time. Trained officials observe the swimmers during each event to ensure compliance with these technical rules.

Drill: An exercise involving a portion or part of a stroke used to improve technique.

Dryland Training: Training done out of the water that aids and enhances swimming performance; usually includes stretching, calisthenics, and/or weight training.

False Start: This occurs when a swimmer is moving before the start of the race is sounded.

Finish: The final phase of the race; the touch at the end.

Flags: Backstroke flags placed 5 yards (short course) from the end of the pool. The flags enable backstrokers to execute a backstroke turn more efficiently.

Gutter: The area along the edge of the pool in which water overflows during a race and is recirculated through the filtration system.

I.M.: Slang for Individual Medley, an event in which an individual swimmer uses all four strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Meet: Competition designed to be a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, the swimmer tests himself against the clock to see how he is improving.

Officials: A judge on the pool's deck at a sanctioned competition who enforces USA Swimming rules. There are stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers, and referees.

Pace Clock: Large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute hand, used to check pace or maintain intervals in practice; may also be digital.

Relay: An event in which four swimmers compete together as a team to achieve one time.

Scratch: To withdraw from an event in the competition.

Short Course: A pool 25 yards or 25 meters in length.

Split: A time recorded from the official start to the completion of an initial distance within a longer event. Also, the time for one of the four individuals in a relay. Under certain conditions, splits may also be used as official times, for example, the lead-off swim in a relay or the lead-off portion of an event.

Sprint: describes the shorter events (50 and 100)

Streamline: The position swimmers use when starting or pushing off the walls is designed to reduce water resistance.

Taper: The final preparation phase, sometimes referred to as “rest,” occurs before major competitions for more advanced swimmers.

Warm Down (Cool Down): Low-intensity swimming used by swimmers after a race or main practice set to rid the body of excess lactic acid and to gradually reduce heart rate and respiration.

Warm Up: Low-intensity swimming is used by swimmers before a main practice set or race to get muscles loose and warm. Warm-up gradually increases heart rate and respiration and helps to prevent injury.

Watches: Stopwatches used to time swimmers during competition. When automatic timing equipment is used, watches serve as a backup method.