Terminology

Blocks: Diving blocks that the swimmers start from.

Bullpen: Area swimmers must report to promptly when their event number is announced. This is where swimmers are lined up in the proper heats and lanes.

Deck: The area immediately around the pool.  Per USA Swimming rules, parents are not permitted on the deck at any time during practices or meets.

DQ: Disqualification. A technically incorrect stroke, kick, flips turn, or false start. Examples of this are; Backstroke- toes are out of the water on a start. Freestyle- false start or missing the wall on a turn. Times do not count.

Events: The race in which the swimmer is participating..

False Start: Leaving the blocks before the sound of the starter or before swimmer touches the wall on relay

exchanges.  This leads to disqualification.

Flags: Backstroke flags. These are used by backstrokers as markers. During warm-ups they should count how many strokes it takes them from the time they see the flags till the time they reach the wall, and remember this during the race.

Free Relay: Four swimmers taker turns swimming one leg of freestyle.

Heat: One race within a single event. Most events have more than one heat. Swimmers with the fastest times are placed together in the last heat.

Heat Sheets: A listing of all swimmers by heat and lane assignments at a meet.  These may be purchased before the meet.

Lanes: The lanes that the swimmers are assigned to for a particular event. Lane numbers are designated by the swimming blocks.

Official: A person who is trained in making sure that the swimmers are completing strokes correctly and are following USA Swimming rules and regulations. It is their responsibility to DQ any swimmers who violate these rules.

Qualifying Time: Established times set by the Meet Director for entry into a particular meet.

Referee: The official who is in charge of all other officials at a meet.  The referee makes all final decisions and sees to the running of the meet.

Scoring: The times for all swimmers in all heats in a particular event are scored fastest to slowest. The fastest times places first, next fastest second and so on.

Seedtime: The time used to enter a swimmer into a meet.  This determines a swimmer’s heat and lane assignment.

Starter: The official responsible for the start of each heat and calling swimmers to the blocks.

Stroke Judge: The official that determines the legality of a swimmer’s stroke and/or their turn