Swimming 101: Intro to Swimming Meets

Swimming Competition Terms 

Prelims, finals, time trials, heats, local, states, nationals—if you’re confused about all of the swim meet terminology, as well as the different competitive events, you’re not alone. There’s a lot to learn. In fact, broadcasters of the Olympics often develop a cheat sheet to help viewers understand the events and commentary.

The term “event” can mean two things in swimming. Swim meets are sometimes referred to as events, such as in the case of this article series about events in general. More commonly, however, the term “events” is used to describe the races swum. For example, the 50 freestyle is a common event.

This article outlines some swim-related jargon and examines the different types of meets so you can be better informed as both a participant and supporter of swimming competition.

Heats, Times, Courses

A heat includes a group of swimmers who race at the same time, usually eight, one in each lane. Any event may consist of several heats, depending upon the number of entries. Lane assignments are decided by seed time—a competitor’s previous time in that event. The faster swimmers get the middle lanes and the slower swimmers get the outer lanes. There’s more wave action coming from the side of the pool, which is less desirable, so swimmers with faster seed times get the advantage of the inner lanes.

You might hear the term “outside smoke” to describe a competitor in one of the outer lanes beating everyone else, even though that swimmer’s seed time predicted a finish behind the swimmers in the middle of the pool. This is an exciting phenomenon in swimming—anything can happen!

If you attend high-level age-group or college meets or watch televised meets such as the Olympics, you’ll notice that events have a preliminary race. In prelims, all swimmers who signed up for the event swim in the first round. The top swimmers then move into the final round in which the overall winner is determined. (The Olympic trials and Olympics require swimmers to go from the preliminary race to semifinals to the final heat in which a winner is determined.)

Most USMS meets do not have prelims but rather “timed final” races. In other words, if you enter an event, you only swim it once. No matter how you finish in your heat, your result is based upon how you compared to all swimmers in your age group in the event, regardless of whether they swam with you in the heat. All meets held in 25-meter (short course meters) or 50-meter (long course meters) pools have only timed final races. Meets held in 25-yard pools (short course yards meets) may be contested on a prelims/finals basis, but the vast majority of these meets are also contested as timed finals. All national championship meets, whether short course or long course, are contested as timed finals.

Meet Sanctioning

Swim meets are usually sanctioned, which means they’re approved by the governing body that oversees competition in that organization. This is to ensure that the rules of competition of the organization are followed, which in turn ensures that the results will be considered official. 

For example, USMS has a rule that two hands must touch the wall simultaneously in breaststroke turns and at the finish. Judges at a meet not sanctioned by USMS might not enforce that requirement, so your times from that meet would not be included in your official results. Also, any insurance coverage offered by a sanctioning body may not be in effect at an unsanctioned meet.

Some meets, such as the National Senior Games, aren’t sanctioned by USMS, but they are recognized, which means that although insurance coverage isn’t in effect, results will be considered official for USMS members.

If you’re interested in opportunities to swim in USMS-sanctioned or USMS-recognized meets, visit the USMS Calendar of Events. Other sanctioning bodies that offer competitions for swimmers include USA Swimming and the Y. 

Whether you want to compete, volunteer, or just be a knowledgeable observer of swimming competitions, having a working knowledge of common terms and how things are organized will increase your enjoyment of the sport. 

—ANN LOWRY 

What Are the Different Swimming Races?

If you’re about to enter a swim meet for the first time, you may be confused about all the different events. You might like short, fast swims or maybe you prefer longer swims. You can mix it up or keep it consistent. Knowing the different events will help you decide which ones are right for you. 

There are 14 individual events in the Olympics, and 18 in most USMS meets. Swimmers typically swim in more than one event, but usually not more than five or six over a two- to four-day meet. A decision on which events to swim is one you make individually based upon your comfort level or in consultation with your coach.

Sex

Events are separated into three categories: male and female for individual and relay events and mixed for relay events (two men and two women). 

Individual Event Strokes and Distances

USMS individual swimming events include the standard distances of 50, 100, and 200 yards or meters of all four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle). Freestyle also has the 500, 1000, and 1650 in yards courses and the 400, 800, and 1500 in meters courses. The individual medley is composed of all four strokes in that same order and can be swum in 100, 200, or 400 yards and meters in short course pools and 200 or 400 meters in long course pools. You may choose to compete in any events you wish in most local and regional Masters meets regardless of your speed. You’re also allowed to compete in three events at USMS’s national championships even if you don’t have national qualifying times, though some restrictions may apply.   

Relays

Relays are the most fun you can have at a swim meet! Four swimmers compete together as a team against other four-person teams, and these hotly contested events often generate the loudest cheering from both swimmers and spectators.

There are women’s relays, men’s relays, and mixed relays (which have two men and two women competing on the same teams). In a relay, all four swimmers swim the same distance. 

Relays are swum for distances of 200 yards or meters (each swimmer swims a 50), 400 yards or meters (100 each), and sometimes 800 yards or meters (200 each). 

In a freestyle relay, each swimmer swims freestyle. In a medley relay, each swimmer swims the same distance of one of the four strokes. The order is different from that of the individual medley to accommodate the backstroke start, so the backstroke leg is first, then breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle.

Selecting which events to swim in a competition can be a decision based upon fun and enjoyment or it can be strategic. Often coaches analyze the various swimmers in their club and create relays that they think will be competitive against other clubs at the meet. Whether you are competing just for fun or want to break records, the goal is to enjoy the day, find camaraderie with other swimmers, and be satisfied in your performance. 

—ANN LOWRY 

How Swimmers Can Avoid the Most Common Disqualifications

You raced the hardest you ever have. As you’re gasping for breath after your swim, you get a visit from someone in a white shirt. You check the results posted later and there, next to your name, reads “DQ.”

You got disqualified from the race because of a technical mistake in how you performed the stroke, start, turns, or finish. It means no matter how fast you swam or what place you finished, you will not be ranked.

Teri White, the USMS Officials Committee chair, and Omar de Armas Sr., director and senior referee for Southern California Swimming, share what new swimmers need to know about common mistakes that lead to these disheartening disqualifications.

Both White and de Armas emphasize that the way to avoid making technical mistakes is to use correct form for every stroke at every swim practice. Every time you come into the wall during butterfly or breaststroke, touch with two hands—every time! When you’re exhausted swimming butterfly in practice, keep both legs together in your dolphin kick. Don’t laze into a flutter kick.

It’s this repetitive correct form that develops muscle memory, which will help your body remember to do it right on race day.

Here are some common mistakes you can prevent with practice.

Butterfly

Using an alternating kick instead of dolphin kick

The most common error new swimmers get disqualified for in the butterfly is using an alternating kick instead of the dolphin kick. De Armas says that with new swimmers this mostly has to do with conditioning. Butterfly is a physically demanding stroke. White agrees, calling it “the exhaustion stroke.” As the swimmer gets tired, it’s not unusual to slip into an alternating kick because it’s easier.

Not bringing both arms out of the water during recovery

Another common disqualification for the butterfly is not getting the entire arm out of the water on the recovery phase of the stroke. All the way from the wrist to the shoulder of both arms must be above the surface of the water during the recovery.

Backstroke

Flipping onto the front before the turn

Newer swimmers sometimes turn too soon when they’re approaching the wall for a turn, then take another stroke on their front or kick without stroking to get closer to the wall. Either can result in a disqualification.

It’s imperative to take only one pull and move directly into the flip turn. In other words, de Armas says, the flip turn starts at the pull. The entire motion of the turn, which must be performed continuously, de Armas explains, is a pull, tuck, and push off the wall.

To avoid disqualification, de Armas advises that all swimmers practice their personal stroke count from the backstroke flags to the wall. This should be practiced at race speed to reinforce the correct number of strokes needed to get to the wall. Coaches should remind their swimmers to confirm their count in the race pool during a meet warm-up.

Breaststroke

Not touching the wall with both hands

The most common breaststroke disqualification, de Armas and White agree, is not touching the wall with both hands. White emphasizes that it is not just a two-hand touch, but a simultaneous two-hand touch. “Hands have to hit the wall together,” she says. Her advice is “Hit the wall hard and fast.”

Pulling past the hipline

Except during the pullout after the start and each wall, the pull cannot go past the hipline while you’re swimming breaststroke. 

Doing scissor or alternating kick

Both feet must be turned out during the kick and legs must kick simultaneously.

Freestyle

It’s difficult to get disqualified in the freestyle for stroke violations, as you may swim in any manner desired, with some exception for medleys. Just have a good start, don’t push off the bottom, and make contact with the wall at each end and you’ll likely be fine.

Starts

False start

A false start may be called when a swimmer standing on the blocks moves after the “Take your mark” command is given. “Take your mark” means getting into your starting position, whether it’s crouched, upright, holding on to the front of the block or the wall, and then holding that position.

White points out that officials at Masters meets recognize that some swimmers, because of  age or medical conditions, will not have a completely still body position, but the race is started after that pause when all the racers are as still as possible.

Early take-off

The most common start disqualification during a relay happens if you leave the blocks before your teammate has touched the wall. Race officials, White says, are trained to watch the feet of swimmers on the blocks and the relay team member coming into the wall at the same time. The swimmer coming to the wall must touch before the next swimmer leaves the blocks. You must be in position to dive and look down into the water at the same time.

White advises that swimmers practice going off the blocks before a meet. If a mobility impaired swimmer has difficulty mounting or balancing on the blocks, help can be requested, or a swimmer can choose to start from the deck or even from the water. Regardless, practice the start that works for you to avoid being disqualified before you’ve even swum a stroke.

No one wants a disqualification—especially at a big or important meet. Register for your local meet and learn from any disqualifications you receive there so at higher level meets such as Nationals, you won’t repeat that same mistake.

For a deeper dive, you can read USMS’s rule book.

—JEAN TYRELL  

Race Strategies That Work

We’ve all done it. We see other swimmers have amazing swims and we want to know their secrets to swimming fast. 

The obvious part is training and fitness and, to be honest, the physiology part is pretty scientific and there’s a ton of stuff out there on that. 

What is the X-factor then? Race strategy. It’s wildly different for everyone, and if you’re on your own or with a coach who doesn’t know you well yet, figuring out what works is really tough. 

Here are some simple ideas to help you figure out what feels best for you and gets you the best results. This is more art than science, and the guidelines are for races of 200 yards or more. (Sprints are addressed at the end.)

Popular Race Strategies

It’s really easy to look at elite performances and think, “That was a great strategy,” and that maybe you should try it yourself. But how do you know if it’s for you? 

There are a few strategies that are popular and very successful depending on who’s doing them, their fitness level, and their natural and psychological makeup.

• The Build: This is one where you cut the race into pieces. For years, coaches have talked about negative splits and being disciplined in the first part of the race. The Good: You don’t blow up in the first part of the race and have the longest race ever and suffer the rest of the way. The Bad: You may have played it too cautious and had more left at the end.   
• Top and Tail: This is a strategy where you go out fast and then settle in before bringing it home strong. The Good: You have that adrenaline rush out of the start that helps you get some separation. The Bad: You have to be disciplined to not overdo it, so when the field comes back on you a bit you can power back up the last part of the race. 
• Fly and Die: This is where you go out strong and try to hang on. The Good: You have clean water to swim in and you may have demoralized your competition. The Bad: You may have been too aggressive and the last part of the race you suffer badly and even worse, you can barely move. 

How Do You Choose?

Aside from doing a bunch of races week in and week out to figure it out (who has the time for that?), you can work on it in practice. Remember this is as much about feel as it is time on the clock. If you feel good you will be confident and test your limits. 

Here’s a great way to test what race strategy might work best for you. Mind the clock and how you feel.

Swim 6 x 225s on however much rest you want. The last 25 is always an easy swim for recovery so all of the instructions are for a 200-yard swim but can easily be adapted to longer races.

• Build: Each 50 gets progressively faster.
• Top and Tail, Part 1: First and last 25 fast; middle 150 at a comfortably fast pace.
• Top and Tail, Part 2: First and last 50 fast; middle 100 at a comfortably fast pace.
• Fly and Die: Just go out fast and try to hang on.
• Fly and Die With a Twist: First 25 fast, middle 50 fast, and last 25 fast.
• Swim Your Race: Mix up the strategies and find what works for you.

Swim Your Own Race

Whether you’re a pool swimmer, a triathlete, or an open water swimmer, this is a great exercise to work on. If you don’t find a way to swim that gets you your best results, you’re at the mercy of any competitors who know their best races inside and out. You’ll have a much better result and feel better about your race if you’re in control rather than having someone else dictate your strategy. The whole idea is to do this exercise at least once a month and, after a while, you’ll figure out what works best for you. 

For sprinters, you can probably adapt this somewhat for a 100 but the 50 is pretty tough. The shorter the race, the slimmer the margin for error. Still, strategy plays a role in those as well. In those cases, it is wise to maximize your strengths as well. Got a great start? Be aggressive and swim in clean water. Bad walls? Draft to make up for the weakness off the walls. Can’t bring it home? Aside from the physiology stuff, take your foot off the gas a touch at the beginning. 

In the end, practice how you want to race.

—SCOTT BAY