GLOSSARY
OF SWIM TERMS
Age Group Division of
swimmers according to age. National Age Group divisions are: 10-Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18.
Alternates In a
Prelims/Finals meet, after the finalists are decided, the next
Two
fastest swimmers are designated as alternates.
If a finalist
Cannot
participate, the alternates are called to take their place.
Anchor The final swimmer in a relay.
Approved Meet Swim meets conducted by organizations other
than USS or LSC member clubs, that have applied for
approval. If approval is granted, swimmers may use times achieved as USS
qualifying times.
Backstroke One of the four competitive racing
strokes. Backstroke is swum as the first
stroke in the Medley Relay and second stroke in the IM.
Beep Starting
sound from an electronic, computerized timing system.
Blocks The starting platforms located
behind each lane which swimmers stand to start their race.
Breaststroke One of the four competitive racing
strokes. Breastroke is swum as the second stroke in
the Medley Relay and third stroke in the IM.
Bull Pen Staging area where swimmers wait
for their event. Heat and lane
assignments are confirmed here.
Butterfly One of the four competitive racing
strokes. Butterfly (nicknamed FLY) is
swum as the third stroke in the Medley Relay and first stroke in the IM.
Cap The
latex or silicone covering worn on the head of swimmers. The team’s colors and logo adorn the caps.
Check-In Procedure required before a swimmer
can compete at a meet or event. Upon
arrival at meet, swimmers check in at table before finding their
coach/warm-ups. Sometimes called
“Positive Check in” at USS meets, swimmers must physically be at meet location
prior to warm-ups to be able to swim certain meets.
Circle Seeding A method of seeding swimmers
when they are participating in prelims/finals event. The fastest 18 – 24 swimmers are seeding in
the last three heats, with the fastest swimmers being in the inside lanes.
Course Designated distance or length of
pool for swimming competition. I.E. Long
Course = 50 or 25 meters, Short Course = 25 yards.
Deck The
area around the swimming pool, reserved for swimmers, officials, timers and
coaches. No one but authorized persons
may be on deck during a swim competition.
Deck Entries Accepting entries into swimming events on
the first day or later day of a meet.
Dehydration The abnormal
depletion of body fluids (water). The most common cause of
swimmers cramps and sick feelings.
Distance How far a swimmer swims. Short course = 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000
and 1,650 yards. Long course = 50, 100,
200, 400, 800, 1500 meters.
Disqualified A swimmers performance is not counted
because of rules infraction. A disqualification is shown by an official raising
one arm with open hand above their head.
Dive Entering
the water head first. Diving is not
allowed during warm-ups except at the designated time, in specific lanes that
are monitored by the swimmers coach.
Double-Dual Type of swim meet where three teams compete
in dual meets against each other at the same time. Separate meet scores would be kept for Team A
vs. Team B, Team A vs. Team C, and Team B vs. Team C.
Dual meet Type of swim meet where two teams
compete against each other.
Dryland The exercises and various strength
programs swimmers do out of the water.
Entry An
individual, Relay or team roster’s event list into a swim competition.
Entry Fees The dollar amount per event a swimmer
or relay is charged.
Event A race or stroke over a given
distance in a meet
False Start When a swimmer leaves the starting
block before the horn or gun. One false start will disqualify a swimmer or a
relay team, although the starter or referee may disallow the false start due to
unusual circumstances.
Fees Money
paid by swimmers for services: i.e.
registration fees, membership fees, entry fees.
FINA The
international rules making organization for the sport of swimming.
Fins Large
rubber fin type equipment for a swimmers’ feet, used in swim practice, not
competition.
Flags Pennants
that are suspended over the width of each end of the pool approx. 15 feet from
the wall.
Fund Raiser A money making endeavor by a swim team
often involving both parents and swimmers.
Free Relay Four members of a team each swim a leg
of freestyle
Freestyle One of the four competitive racing
strokes. Freestyle is swum as the fourth
stroke in the Medley Relay and the fourth stroke in the IM.
Gallery Viewing area for spectators
during swim competition.
Goggles Glasses-type
equipment worn by swimmers to keep their eyes from being irritated by the
chlorine in the water.
Gun/Bell Lap Part of a distance freestyle event (400
meters or longer) where the lead swimmer has 2 lengths remaining in the
race. Official sounds the bell to alert
the timers and other swimmers.
Heat A
division of an event when there are too many swimmers to compete at the same
time. The results are compiled by the
swimmers’ times, after all heats of the event are competed.
Heat Winner Swimmer who wins their heat within an
event. Doesn’t mean they won the race,
only their heat. Will often receive “duck” or
Heat winner ribbon.
Heat Sheet PreMeet printed listings of swimmers
seed times in the events at a swim meet.
Indicates which heat the swimmer has been placed.
Individual Medley Refers to either an
individual event where swimmer swims all four racing strokes or a relay where
four swimmers compete, each taking a different stroke. Individual event order: Butterfly, backstroke, breastroke,
freestyle. Relay event order: Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly,
freestyle.
Lane Specific
area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim.
Pools can be six, eight and sometimes ten lanes. Starting blocks are at the end of each lane.
Lap Usually
means two lengths of the pool, up and back = one lap.
Lap Counter The large numbered cards used during the
freestyle distance events.
Leg The
part of a relay event swum by a single team member.
LSC Local
Swim Committee
Meet Director The official in charge of the administration
of the meet.
NT No
Time. The abbreviation used on a heat sheet to
designate that the swimmer has not swam that event before.
Officials The certified, adult volunteers,
who operate the many facets of a swim competition. They insure the swimmers are using legal strokes.
OT Official
time.
PAB Parent
Advisory Board for the RAYS swim team
Pace Clock The large clocks with highly visible
numbers and second hands so that swimmers can read their times during warm-ups
or practices.
Pre-Seeded A meet conducted without a bullpen in
which a swimmer knows what lane and heat they are in by looking at the meet
Heat Sheet or posted meet program.
Psyche Sheet Another name for a Heat Sheet or program.
Personal Best A swimmers best time
in an individual event.
Qualifying Times Published times necessary
to enter certain meets or the times necessary to achieve a specific category of
swimmer (“A”, “AA”, etc)
Referee The Head Official at a swim meet
in charge of all the “wet side” administration and decisions. On the pool deck.
Registered Enrolled and paid as a member of USA
Swim or the LSC
Relays A swimming event in which four
swimmers participate as a relay team.
Sanction A permit issued by an LSC to a USA
Swim group member to conduct an event or meet
Scratch To withdraw from an event after
having declared an intention to participate in a race. Some meets have scratch deadlines, and if not
followed, a swimmer can be disqualified from remaining events.
Seed Assign
the swimmers heats and lanes according to their submitted or preliminary times.
Split A portion of an event,
shorter than the total distance, which is timed. I.E. A swimmers’
first 50 time is taken as the swimmer swims the 100 race.
Start The beginning of the race.
Starter The official in charge of
signaling the beginning of a race and insuring that all swimmers have a fair
takeoff.
Stroke There are four racing
strokes: Butterfly, Backstroke,
Breaststroke, Freestyle
Stroke and Turn The
official positioned at the side of the pool, walking the length of the course
as swimmers race. They monitor swimmer
compliance for
Taper The resting phase of a swimmer
at the end of the season before a championship meet.
Team Records The statistics a team keeps, listing the
fastest swimmer in the team/club history for each event in each age group, male
and female.
Timer The volunteers sitting behind
the starting blocks/finish end of the pool, who are responsible for getting
stopwatch times on events and activating the backup buttons for the timing
system.
Time Trial An event or series of events where a
swimmer may achieve or better a required time standard to qualify for certain
meets.
Touch Pad The removable plate at the end of the
pool, under the starting block, that is connected to an automatic timing
system.
Turns The action a swimmer takes at
one end of the pool to change direction at the end of a lane.
Unattached An athlete member who competes, but does
not represent a club or team (Abbreviation UNA)
USS Meet
Warm up The practice and loosing session a
swimmer does before the meet or their event is swum.
Warm Down The loosing (swimming) a swimmer does
after a race when pool space is available.
Zones The country is divided up into
4 major zones: Eastern, Southern,
Central and Western. At the end of the
long course season, in August, the Zone Administration sponsors a championship
age group meet.
Resources:
Swim suits and equipment K&B Swim
varsityswim.com
thefinals.com
swimoutlet.com
Speedo.com
Metroswim.com
NE Swim neswim.com
RAYS swim team www.raysnh.org