Meets & Events | Meet Signup | Meet Guide | Meet Results

1. What to Bring to a Meet
   
2. Swimmer Check-In
   
3. Parents
   
4. Warm-Ups
   
5. General Deck Rules
   
6. How a Meet Works
   
7. Disqualification
   
8. Ribbons
   
9. Meet Events Schedule - Generic
   

WHAT TO BRING TO A MEET

Each swimmer should make sure that he or she has the proper equipment for each meet

1. Suit, goggles and at least one towel as well as a cap if desired.
2. Warm clothes for cold days and evening meets.
3. A sleeping bag for warmth and to rest on.
4. Shade structures are recommended.
5. Snacks and drinks--make them healthy!
6. A deck of cards, book or board games to occupy swimmers between events.

Please also read What to Eat for a Swim Meet

SWIMMER CHECK-IN

Each swimmer should arrive at the meets 1½ hour before starting time of home meets and1 hour before starting time of away meets. Saturday meets start at 8:30 a.m. and weekday evening meets start at 6:00 p.m.

1. Find our “team area” (each team has a designated area)
2. Each swimmer must Check-In personally with the Barracuda Check in table.
   • Parents may NOT check in their children & swimmers are NOT to leave the club after checking in
3. Check the “Events List” for last minute changes and mark your hand/arm with your event# - heat - lane
4. Find a place to keep your things in your Age Group Area 
5. Check with Age-Group Parent 
6. Stay in the “team area” except for warm-ups and swimming an event  (Always let your Age-Group parent know if you are leaving the area!!) 
7. Conduct yourself appropriately in the “team area” – no horseplay!!! 

NOTE:Any swimmer who has not checked in by the designated time will  be scratched (not allowed to swim) from the meet. 

PARENTS 

1. Parent worker should arrive at the meets approximately one (1) hour before the starting time and check-in at the “Barracuda Assignment Board”. Prepare to assume duties as required.
   • Age group parents will be needed ½ hour before the first event. 
2. Check in with your committee head and be on time when called for your job. 
3. If you are not assigned a job for a meet, please be ready to volunteer if  needed 
4. Remember: One parent of swimmers 10-years old and under should be on the Age-Group parent committee. Please check to see if you are needed before signing up to work any other job. 

NOTE: If a parent does not work his/her assigned job or find a replacement, his/her swimmer will not be allowed to swim at the next meet that he/she would have otherwise swum. 

WARM UPS 

Each team has a set period of time before each meet to warm-up. Pay attention to the coaches for warm-up times and instructions. When you are asked to “clear" the pool, do so promptly. After warm-ups, the team will have a brief meeting and then the meet will begin. 

GENERAL DECK RULES 

Throughout the meet, all swimmers and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner: 

1. No excessively loud cheering or obnoxious behavior 
2. No obstruction of the orderly conduct of the meet 
3. No bad language 
4. No clowning during races or at the “starting blocks” 
5. No rowdy behavior in the “team areas” (e.g. no chasing each other around or wrestling) 

Certain sections of the pool areas are restricted as to access. For example, there must be an alley on each side of the pool for the Stroke and Turn Judges, and there must be as much room as possible in the “Ready Bench” and Timer’s areas. Unless you are authorized to be in such areas, please keep out. 

The following are strictly prohibited in the pool area: 

1. Smoking
2. Glass containers 
3. Alcoholic beverages
4. Profanity or abusive language 
5. The Meet Referee has the authority to eject any person from the pool area who is not abiding by these rules. 
6. Swimmers are to stay in the ’team area’ and tell their Age Group Parent if  they are leaving for a snack or to go to the restroom. 

Swimmers are not allowed in the “spa” or “wading pool” during the meets. 

Swimmers are not allowed to use the Ice Machine. 

HOW A MEET WORKS 

When the meet begins, pay attention to the announcements that tell you what events are being swum.

When one of your events is called, check in with your Age Group Parent and then go to the Ready Area. Remain there until it is time to go to the blocks.

At the Ready Area: 

1. Swimmers are checked in before each event with the Clerk of the Course 
2. Lane assignments are reviewed 
3. Event Cards are given to each swimmer to take to the blocks 
4. Relay swimmers are placed in the proper order 
5. Swimmers go to the ’starting blocks’ where they will start their event 
   1. (Age group parents help younger swimmers get to the ’starting blocks’) 

At the Blocks:

1. Once at the starting blocks, the Starter is in charge from that point forward.
2. Be sure to pay attention to him/her!!
3. The Starter will give the command for the swimmers to “get on the ’blocks’, then to “take your mark”, and then he/she will fire the gun or the ’beep’ of the electric starter and the swimmers begin the race. 

After the swimmer swims the event, the swimmer should exit the pool quickly and return to the ’team area’ to await his or her next event. 

**All swimmers are expected to remain at the meet until it is over. Do not leave the meet just because you have finished swimming -- this is a team sport! 

**At the end of the meet, we need to clean up our ’team area’ and, once it is clean, we may leave the pool area. 

DISQUALIFICATION 

Each of the four strokes has rules governing the proper way that the stroke is to be done, including the start, the stroke itself, turns at the end of the lanes, and the final touch.

Coaches will instruct the swimmers on how to ’start’ and the proper techniques for each of the strokes. A written description of each stroke is contained in the USS Rules and Regulations Book (although the league may adopt slight variations for the USS rules).

Contact the Parent Directors if you want to review these rules. Swimmers who “false start” or who use illegal stroke or turn techniques will be disqualified as follows: 

1. Swimmers are allowed one (1) “false start” 
2. If the swimmer has a second “false start”, the swimmer will be disqualified and not permitted to swim that event. 
3. The officials are more lenient with stroke and turn violations with the younger swimmers. 

A swimmer who is disqualified ("DQ’d") is to be told by the coach that he or she has been "DQ’d" and why it happened. This is to be handled in a constructive and instructive manner.

RIBBONS 

Ribbons are given to every swimmer (except for DQs) based on their finish in their heat. Points for the team are only awarded for finishes in the first heat of each event. Ribbons will be placed in swimmer files in the Swim Team File Box following the meet. They may also be picked up over the weekend at the front desk or at the next practice. Swimmers and parents should not go to the scoring table during the meet for ribbons.