Swimming Terms

Backstroke Flags

Pennants that are placed 5 yards out from the wall at either end of the pool. They are for
the backstroke events so that the swimmers know the wall is coming up quickly. All
athletes can learn to count their strokes flags to wall so that they do not have to change
their body position while they are swimming looking for the wall.

Bullpen

The location where the swimmers must go to be given a heat and lane assignment prior to each of their events.

Buttons

Electronic devices that are activated by a timer standing on the deck once the swimmer
touches the wall at the end of a race. These and the stop watches are used as back-up
times if the touch pad is not activated by a swimmers touch.

Heat/Lane Sheet Runner

Volunteer who collects the heat/lane sheets after completed event from the timers and takes them to the scoring table.

Circle Swim

Swimmers will learn to stay on the right of the black line when they swim back and forth during practice. During meets they will be asked to stay above the black line.

DQ Disqualification

This occurs during meets when the swimmers do something illegalrelative to their strokes, starts or turns. Typically, this is noted on the results with details on the swimmers time cards. These are good teachable moments for our swimmers.

Heat

This is the group your swimmer will compete in during a particular event.

IM Individual Medley

in competition for our league, swimmers 9 & up may compete in the 100 IM, which is 25 yards of each stroke done in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Lane

This is the location your swimmer will compete in at the pool. They will be lined up in their assigned lane prior to each event. Length 25 yards of a competitive pool Lap 50 yards of a competitive pool or two lengths

Relays

An event that has four swimmers swimming on the same team. Swimmers will swim the same distance, either a 25 or a 50 depending on their ages. There are two relays Free, and a Graduated Medley Relay where four of the five age groups are represented in the relay. Each swimmer in the relay will swim a different stroke, back, breast, fly, free in that order.

Stroke & Turn

An volunteer official who watches all strokes, starts and turns throughout the meet to make sure they are done legally. They will DQ swimmers who are not legal. Stroke Drill An exercise that isolates a particular part of the stroke that will help swimmers improve their swimming.

Touch Pads

Electronic devices at the finish end of the pool that stop the time in the lane once touched by the swimmer.

Warm-up

A period of time prior to practice and meets beginning where swimmers get in the water and work on strokes, get heart rates up, and generally get used to the pool environment.