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"A" Time - a
nationally set motivational time standard in each age
group.
A.S.C.A. - American Swim
Coaches Association – The professional organization for swim
coaches throughout the nation certifying coaches and offering many
services for coach’s education and career
advancement.
BACK-UP BUTTON - pushed by
the timer at the end of the race to stop the timing machine in case
of a touch pad failure.
BLOCK - starting platform
where swimmers begin their races.
- meet for swimmers who have not
achieved an "A" time.
BULKHEAD - a wall constructed
to divide a pool into different courses, such as a 50-meter pool
into different courses, such as a 50-meter pool into a 25-yard or
25-meter pool.
CHECK IN - giving name and
event # to officials at the clerk of course upon arrival at a swim
meet usually handled by the coaches.
CIRCLE SWIMMING - arranges
the swimmers so they do not run into each other during practice or
meet warm-ups. Swimmers stay to the right of the lane on the
bottom of the pool just like diving a
car.
CLERK OF COURSE – an
official responsible for placing swimmers in the proper lane and
heat for their event. Swimmer reports to clerk as soon as
event is called.
CLOSED COMPETITION – a
competition which is only “open” to members of a
particular organization or group.
CLUB - an organization which
has been accepted into membership and operates on a year round
basis.
COMPETITION - an athletic
performance by an athlete, either individually or as part of a
team.
COMPOSITE TIME - a time
achieved in a relay event by four members of an
organization.
CONFORMING TIME - qualifying
time standard that corresponds to course that will be completed in
a meet.
CONSOLATION - (Finals)
competition for the fastest of those who failed to qualify for the
finals.
COURSE - designated distance
over which the competition is conducted. Long Course -
50-meters. Short Course - 25-yards or
25-meters.
CUT - slang for qualifying
time.
DECK ENTERED MEET -
meet where all entries are accepted on the first or last day of
that meet and subsequently seeded into
events.
DECK SEEDED MEET -
meet where all entries are due prior to the first day of the meet
and swimmers must declare availability to swim prior to scratch
deadlines.
DISTANCE - term used to refer
to events over 400 meters or 500 yards.
DQ - disqualification occurs
when swimmer commits a rule infraction of some kind in strokes,
starts, or turns, i.e. two strokes underwater in
breaststroke. A disqualified swimmer is not eligible to
receive any awards, nor can the time be used as an official
time.
DRILL - practice exercise
involving a portion of part of a stroke, used to improve
technique.
DUAL COMPETITION – a
competition between two clubs.
ELECTRONIC TIMING - a timing
system designed to provide fair and accurate time to .01 seconds
for each swimmer and includes: timing machine, touch pads,
back-up buttons, and starting device.
END OR COURSE - designated
wall for racing turns and finishes.
EVENT - any race or series of
races in a given stroke and distance.
FALSE START - occurs when a
swimmer is moving prior to the starting signal and results in
disqualification.
FINAL - a single race, which
determines final places and times in an
event.
FINALIST - one who swims in a
final race.
FINALS - the concluding
session of each day of the meet in which the final race of each
event is swum.
FINISH - end of
race.
FINS/FLIPPERS - worn on the
feet during practice for speed assisted training or stroke
technique work.
FLAGS - backstroke flags
placed five yards (short course) or five meters (long course) from
the end or the pool to warn swimmers in backstroke to begin
counting strokes for a turn or finish.
HEATS - a division of an
event in which there are too many swimmers to compete at one
time.
HEAT SHEET – a program,
or document, that lists the swimmer's heat and lane assignments for
each event.
I.M. - Individual Medley -
event in which swimmer uses all four strokes, in the order:
butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and
freestyle.
INVITATIONAL – a meet
where swimmers, organizations, and clubs invited by the
host.
KICKBOARD - piece of
Styrofoam or plastic held in hands to isolate exercise on the legs
at practice.
LANE - specific area in which
the swimmer is assigned to swim.
LANE LINE - continuous
floating markers attached to line stretched form the starting end
to the turning end for purpose of separating each
lane.
LAP COUNTER - set of plastic
numbers used to keep track of laps during a distance race. A
person called a "counter" is stationed at the opposite end from the
start and lowers the numbers into the water for the swimmers to
see.
LSC - Local Swimming
Committee – an administrative division of USA Swimming with
supervisory responsibilities within certain geographic boundaries
designated by USA Swimming.
MEET - swimming
competition.
MIDDLE DISTANCE - term used
to refer to events of 200 meters or 500 yards in
length.
MIXED CLASSIFICATION - meet
in which events of Age Group and Junior, Senior, or any other
classification are offered.
NEGATIVE SPLIT - swimming the
second half of the race equal to or faster than the first
half.
OFFICIALS - present at all
competitions to implement the technical rules of swimming and
ensure that the competition is fair and
equitable.
OFFICIAL TIME - time posted
on official results- usually the time recorded by the electronic
timing system or its back-up system.
OPEN COMPETITION -
competition which any qualified club, organization or individual
may enter.
PACE CLOCK - large clock with
large second hand and smaller minute hand used to check pace or
maintain intervals at practice.
PRELIMINARY - session of the
meet in which the heats are held.
PULL BUOY - piece of
Styrofoam or plastic placed between the legs to eliminate kicking
and isolate exercising on the arms during
practice.
QUALIFYING TIME - time
required to swim in a certain event and/or competition. Term
is also known as a "cut".
RECALL STARTER - positioned
on the opposite side of the pool from the starter to watch for
swimmers in motion before the starting
signal.
REFEREE - official with
overall authority and control of a swim meet. He ensures all
procedures and rules are followed, assigns and instructs all
officials, decides all questions relating to the conduct of the
meet.
REGISTERED - enrolled as an
athlete member of USA Swimming and an
LSC.
RELAY TAKEOFF JUDGE -
official that stands beside the blocks to observe relay
exchanges.
REPORTABLE TIMES - times
achieved in conformance with applicable USA Swimming rules which
may be submitted to USA Swimming for
recognition.
SCRATCH - withdrawing from an
event during competition. Penalties may apply and proper
procedures must be followed. Coach must inform the Clerk of
Course.
SEED - distribution of
swimmers among the required number of heats/lanes according to
submitted or preliminary times.
SENIOR MEET - meet for all
swimmers regardless of age who have qualifying
times.
SESSION - any portion of a
meet distinctly separated from other portions by locale, time, or
type of competition, i.e., preliminaries and finals, morning and
evening, senior and age group, etc.
SHAVING - experienced older
swimmers may shave their body hair to achieve a physiological and
psychological advantage at major completions. Shaving is
usually done in conjunction with a
"taper".
SOUTHERN ZONE - zone which
includes South Carolina, NC, GA, AL, TN, KT, WVA, TX and
FL.
SPLIT - swimmer's
intermediate time in a race. Splits are used by coaches to
determine if the swimmer is holding the correct pace. Under
certain conditions, splits may also be used for official
times. In relays the split is the time for 1 of the 4
individuals.
SPRINT - describes events of
50 or 100 yards or meters in length. In training, sprints are
to swim as fast as possible for a short
distance.
STARTER - assumes control of
swimmers from the referee, directs them to "take your mark", and
sees that no swimmer is in motion prior to giving starting
signal.
STARTING DEVICE - beeper,
starter's pistol, or strobe light which starts the clock in timing
machine, signals the timers to start stopwatches and swimmers to
begin race.
STREAMLINE - position used to
gain maximum distance and speed during a start form the blocks or
push-off form the wall during a turn.
STROKE CYCLE - count used to
determine number of strokes taken per
length.
STROKE AND / OR TURN JUDGE -
observes stroke and/or turns from the side or end of the pool to
ensure fair and legal competition.
SUBMITTED TIMES - times filed
with an entry as having been previously
achieved.
TAPER - final preparation
phase for major competition.
TIME TRIAL –
“time-only” swim which is not a part of a regular swim
meet used to achieve qualifying
times.
TIMED FINALS - competition in
which only heats are swum and final places are determined by the
times performed in the heats.
TIMER - person who stands
behind the land at the starting end of the pool and operates a
stopwatch or a back-up
button.
TIME STANDARDS - time
standards for any event in a meet is the required cut-off time for
that event.
TIMING MACHINE - the "brain"
of the electronic timing system which starts the clock when
starting device activated, stops clock when touch pad and back-up
button are touched, records time of each swimmer in the
heat.
TOUCH PAD - large sensitive
board at the end of each lane; when touched by the swimmer sends
the time electronically to the timing
machine.
UNATTACHED - a swimmer who
competes but does not represent a club member of USA
Swimming. The swimmer competes as an individual but may not
participate in relays or contribute to competition points for the
club in a meet.
U.S.S. – the national
governing body for competitive swimming in the U.S. United States
Swimming.
WARMDOWN - low intensity
swimming used by a swimmer after a race or main practice set to rid
the body of excess lactic acid, gradually reduce heart rate and
respiration, and prepare for the next race or practice set or end
of practice.
WARMUP - low to moderate
intensity swimming used before a meet to loosen muscles, gradually
increase heart rate & respiration, and allow familiarization
with the pool. Also used to begin a practice or prepare for a
hard set.
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