AGE GROUP: A set of ages that are used to group swimmers together. The CNSL age groups are: 6 and under (6&U), 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. A swimmer's age for the entire summer season (dual meets and All-City Championship Meet) is determined by their age as of June 1st. A swimmer whose birthday occurs during the summer season remains their age as of June 1st, therefore their age group does not change. For example, a swimmer whose 9th birthday is on June 1 swims in the 9-10 age group, while a swimmer whose 9th birthday is June 2 swims in the 7-8 age group.
BEST TIME: A time faster than the swimmer has swum yet this season in a meet in a specific event.
DISQUALIFICATION (DQ): These are the terms that describe whether a stroke is being performed correctly (legally) as defined by the USA Swimming and CNSL Rules and Regulations. If a swimmer is judged by a Stoke and Turn Official to be swimming illegally, that swimmer is disqualified (DQ’ed) for that event in the meet and their time and place will not be recorded. When they detect a violation of a stroke rule, the Official will raise one arm and fill out a DQ slip for that swimmer. The swimmer should ask their coach for instructions to correct the problem before swimming the same event in another meet. DQ does not mean that a swimmer cannot swim in further events or meets. Some of the more common reasons for DQ'ing include:
Freestyle: Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool; Making forward progress by means other than swimming (walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines); Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance
Backstroke: Past vertical towards the breast (rolling onto stomach) at any time except during a flip turn; Leaving the wall after a turn past vertical towards the breast; Improper flip turn (older swimmers)
Breaststroke: Incorrect kick such as a scissor kick or flutter kick; Non-simultaneous or one hand touch at turn or finish; Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick; Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn
Butterfly: Non-simultaneous or one hand touch at the turn or finish; Non-Simultaneous leg movement during kicks; Arms don't break surface during recovery (judged at the elbows); Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery
DISTANCE: Length of the race to be swum. Each length of the pool is 25 yards (or meters in the case the meet is at Swansfield). A 25 yard race is one length of the pool while a 50 yard race is 2 lengths of the pool (down and back). 10 and under swimmers swim races that are one length (25 yards or meters) for each stroke, except for the IM which is a 25 of each stroke or 100 total. Swimmers 11 and older swim two lengths (50 yards or meters) in any stroke, except for the individual medley (again a 100) and 11-12 year olds still swim a 25 butterfly. A few pools, like Swansfield, are 25 meter pools, rather than 25 yard pools. Since meters are a longer unit of measure than yards, therefore the swimmers are swimming a longer distance in a meters pool versus a yards pool, times swum in a meters pool are converted to yards (multiply by .9) by the data entry volunteers.
EVENT: This is defined by the age group, sex, distance, and stroke of the event, ex: Boys 9-10 25 yard backstroke. There are 65 total events in a meet (including the 13 relays).
FALSE START: A swimmer leaves the wall early before the buzzer has gone off signaling the start of a race.
FLAGS: Backstroke flags are placed at both ends of the pool 5 yards or meters depending on the unit length of the pool (5 yards in a 25 yard pool and 5 meters in a 25 meter pool) from the end to serve as a warning to backstroke swimmers that they are nearing the wall for a turn or finish. Timers may "catch the heads" of younger swimmers who would otherwise hit the wall.
FREE RELAY: A relay consists of 4 swimmers of the same or mixed gender (2 male and 2 female) depending on the age group – see order of events. Each swimmer swims one at a time, with a swimmer finishing their leg (distance) of the relay by touching the wall before the next swimmer can begin their leg. Once all 4 swimmers on a relay team have completed their leg of the race, the relay is finished. For 10 and under relays, each swimmer will complete a 25 to total to a 100 relay; for 11 and older relays, each swimmer will complete a 50 to total to a 200 relay. Free relay events are held at the end of each dual meet.
HEAT: When an event has more swimmers entered than available lanes, as is usually the case, there are multiple heats of the event. The fastest swimmers are assigned to the first heat. Winners of the second, third, and so forth heats will receive Heat Winner ribbons.
HEAT WINNER: This is the person who comes in first in a particular heat of an event. This does not automatically mean that the swimmer has also won the event, since there are usually multiple heats for any event. A ribbon is given to heat winners in all but the fastest heats of each event.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY (IM): A single event that is a combination of the four strokes in swimming swum by one swimmer. The swimmer will swim a 25 of each stroke in the order of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle using the proper technique and turns/touches appropriate for each stroke.
LANE: The pool is arranged into lanes by floating lane dividers so that the swimmers will not interfere with each other during a race. Some pools have 8 lanes, while others only have 6 lanes. At dual meets, the host team swimmers use the odd-numbered lanes while the visitors use the even-numbered lanes.
LINE-UP: This is generated by the coaches and places each swimmer in their individual events and relays, if applicable. This includes the event, heat, and lane numbers that the swimmers can find in the heat sheet and receive from the Clerk of Course the morning of the meet.
MASTERS RELAY: Optional relay event swum between the backstroke and breaststroke events (between event numbers 36 and 37) as an intermission in the meet – see order of events. This usually includes a short time for adults to get in the pool to cool off before the relay is swum. Relay is a 100 yard or meter event with each swimmer swimming a 25, usually freestyle. Ages of all participants should add up to 130 years or older. This is not scored and is swum for fun!
MEDLEY RELAY: A medley relay consists of 4 swimmers of mixed gender (2 male and 2 female) swimming one leg of each stroke. Each swimmer swims one at a time in the order of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle, with a swimmer finishing their leg (distance) of the relay by touching the wall before the next swimmer can begin their leg. Once all 4 swimmers on a relay team have completed their leg of the race, the relay is finished. For 9-10 relays, each swimmer will complete a 25 to total to a 100 relay; for 11 and older relays, each swimmer will complete a 50 to total to a 200 relay. Medley relays are at the beginning of a dual meet – see order of events.
NO TIME (NT): Signifies an event that the swimmer has not legally completed yet this season. This could be due to not having swum it yet or having been disqualified in past attempts.
RELAY ALTERNATES: Coaches may enter as many relay teams as they can in one heat to give more swimmers a chance to swim. Swimmers not assigned to a relay are designated as an alternate. If any relay member is not present, then the alternate takes a spot on a relay. It is important for alternates to not leave the meet without checking with Brooke Hoy, as they may be needed at the last minute.
RIBBONS: The CNSL provides ribbons for 1st - 8th places for all swimmers. 8&U swimmers will receive an 8th place ribbon for all swimmers finishing 8th place or lower. Every swimmer who swims a personal best time in an event will also receive a BEST TIME ribbon. This is what the CNSL is all about - improving your own best times! Ribbons will be distributed at practice the week after the meet.
START: This is the entry into the water (generally a dive) or the beginning of the backstroke (push off back dive) at the sound of the buzzer.
STROKE (FREE, BACK, BREAST, FLY): The five recognized swimming strokes are freestyle (free), backstroke (back), breaststroke (breast), and butterfly (fly). See Individual Medley (IM) for the event constituting all of these strokes in one race.
TURN: A motion which allows the swimmer to change directions on the wall. Each stroke has its own turn requirements, which are taught in practice. Turns are needed in the individual medleys and 50 yard distances for the older swimmers. Turns in free and back events are called flip turns; turns in breast, fly, and IM events are called open turns.
WARM UPS: Each meet begins by having a warm up period prior to the start of the events. The home team warms up first, followed by the visitors. Warm ups allow the swimmers to prepare for their races by loosening up their bodies and getting familiar with the pool.
