Swimmers must stay in the water until all swimmers in their heat have finished the race. Not only is it good sportsmanship, it allows the officials to do their job. Once the last swimmer has touched the wall, all swimmers exit the pool based upon the rules for that meet (swimmers usually remain in the water until the next heat of swimmers dives in; however this is up to the discretion and direction of the Meet Referee).

Relay Events

When the first, second and third swimmer has finished his/her length, he/she must get out of the water immediately and must stay out until all teams have finished the race. Jumping back in before all teams have finished may cause the relay team to be disqualified. If any one of the team members is disqualified because of his/her actions, the entire team is disqualified. As per individual events, the last swimmer of the relay remains in the water until all teams have finished.
 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
 

If you are new to the sport of competitive swimming it likely seems as if there is an endless stream of things to learn. And just when you think you’ve got your sea legs under you, somebody will throw out a term you’ve never heard before or have heard, but NOT in this context! Here is a basic list of words and phrases that will hopefully help make the transition from swimming novice to swimming pro considerably easier ☺.

Age Group Swimming: The program through which Swimming Natation Canada (SNC) 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 recognised age groups are 10 and under, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16 and 17/18. Local events may further break down the 10 and under age group.

Block: The starting platform.

Circle Swimming: Performed by staying to the right of the black line when swimming in a lane in order to enable maximum use of pool space.

Coach: A person who trains athletes and teaches them the sport of competitive swimming.

Code of Conduct: An agreement signed by swimmers and other team members indicating that these same swimmers and other team members will abide by certain behavioral guidelines.

Distance: The term used to refer to events that are 400 metres and longer.

Disqualification (DQ): Occurs when an official observes a stroke/rule violation by a swimmer. Disqualified swimmers cannot receive awards or claim official results.

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

Dryland Training: All training done out of the water. Aids and enhances swimming performance. Usually includes stretching, weight training and/or calisthenics and/or running.

False Start: Occurs when a swimmer is moving at the starting signal. In SNC swimming, one false start will generally result in disqualification.

Fifth Stroke: The term referring the underwater dolphin kick on starts and turns in fly, back and freestyle races.

Final: The championship heat of an event in which the top swimmers from preliminaries compete.

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

Flags: Pennants strung across the pool five yards or metres from the end of the pool. These enable backstrokers to execute a turn more efficiently by counting their strokes from the flags to the wall.

Goal: A specific time/achievement a swimmer sets and strives for. Can be short- or long-term.

Good Grub Guide: a guide created by the team on an annual/biannual basis which indicates the do’s and don’ts of eating in and around the team. These guidelines are expected to be followed by all team members and their families when at team events.

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

Heat: Events with many swimmers in the same age group may consist of multiple heats, which are the races that make up that event. Example: Sara is swimming in Event 16, Heat 3.

I.M.: Short for INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY, an event in which one swimmer swims equal distances of each stroke in the following order: butterfly; backstroke; breaststroke and freestyle.

Long Course: A 50-metre pool.

Marshalling (Area): The area by the pool used to gather swimmers together before their race.

Medley Relay (MR): A relay consisting of all four strokes. Each of the 4-member team swims one of the strokes in the following order: Back, breast, fly, free.

Meet: A swim competition designed to be a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, swimmers test themselves against the clock to mark improvement.

Middle Distance: The term used to refer to events of 200 metres to 400 metres.

Negative Split: Swimming the second half of the race faster than the first half.

Official: An individual on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned competition who enforces swimming rules. There are starters, timers, stroke and turn judges, referees and administrative officials.

Pace Clock: A 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.

Personal Best (PB): The term used for a swimmer’s fastest performance in each event.

Preliminaries (Prelims): Any race in which swimmers qualify for the finals in the events.

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

Scratch: To withdraw from an event in a competition.

Seed Time: The time used to enter a swimmer into a meet; usually the swimmer’s personal best.

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

Split: A swimmer’s intermediate time within a race. Splits are registered every 50 yards or metres and are used to determine if a swimmer is on pace. Under certain conditions, splits may be used as official times. In a relay event, a split is the time for one of the four individuals.

Streamline: The position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push-off from the wall in which the swimmer’s body is as tight as it can be. Hands are in a wrist-over-wrist position, arms squeezing ears and legs squeezed together. Muscles are all actively engaged.

Stroke: There are four strokes: freestyle; backstroke; breaststroke and butterfly. The individual medley, or I.M., is a combination of all four stroke disciplines.

Swim Nova Scotia (SNS): The governing body in Nova Scotia that oversees all physical, technical and administrative aspects of competitive swimming and other swimming-related activities.

Taper: The final preparation phase of a season. Prior to major competition, an older, more experienced swimmer will ease yardage and allow the body to recover. Often during taper, these swimmers shave their entire body to reduce resistance, aid in the dissipation of lactic acid and heighten sensation in the water.

Time Trial: A time-only swim that is not part of a regular meet event.

Touch Pad: A large sensitive board at the end of each lane where a swimmer’s touch is registered and automatically sent to the timing system.

Warm Up: Low-moderate intensity swimming used by swimmers prior to a main practice set or race to get muscles loose and warm and gradually increase heart rate and respiration.