Swim Meet Line-Ups (aka “Heat Sheets”)

What is a heat sheet? It is the complete line-up of swimmers for the meet. This document will be posted on the pool deck in at least one central location, often two. This will show you the events your swimmer is in, and which heat and lane they are in for each event. You will also be able to see who else is in their relay, so you can help gather the right swimmers for the relays. 

When you arrive to a meet, you should start by finding the coach who is checking in swimmers. Each swimmer has their own heat sheet with their events listed. This process both tells you what your swimmer is swimming, but it also serves as a check-in for the coaches so they know which swimmers have yet to arrive. Always get your heat sheet as soon as possible!

Here are a few details about what you might see on your heat sheet:

• Each swimmer is limited to a maximum of four events per meet -- three individual and one relay, or two individual and two relays (one medley and one freestyle relay).
• Often there is more than one heat per event; and sometimes there are exhibition heats, which are not scored and occur before the scored heats. If your child is swimming in an exhibition heat, there will be an E or X next to their name on the heat sheet. While their times don’t count towards the team score, they do count towards “Personal Bests”.
• Until your child has achieved a time for any given event, they will have an NT listed on their heat sheet. This just means No Time. once they have a valid time, their fastest time will be the time that appears on their heat sheet.
• For each of their events, swimmers need to know:
  1. Event Number and Stroke
  2. Heat 
  3. Lane 
  4. For Relays – Position and Stroke
• Every dual meet consists of 78 events. The order of these events is always the same:
  • Medley Relay
  • Individual Medley (“IM”) – Order of Strokes: Fly, Back, Breast, Free
  • Freestyle 
  • Backstroke
  • Breaststroke
  • Butterfly
  • Free Relay
• Youngest age groups swim first; no “IM” for 8 & under. Watch the event board and listen to the announcer call the heats so your child knows when to report to the starting blocks.
• Swimmers should report to the staging area approximately five heats before their race. Feel free to wait with your young swimmers in the staging area. It is absolutely necessary that all swimmers report to the staging area prior to their race. If the swimmer is not there on time, they will miss the event—the heat will not wait for missing swimmers.