Types of Meets

Wednesday Meets

For 5:00 p.m. start time:
Home Meets ‐ 3:45 p.m. arrival time
Away Meets ‐ 3:15 p.m. arrival time

Saturday Meets

For 9:00 a.m. start time:
Home Meets ‐ 7:45 a.m. arrival time
Away Meets ‐ 8:15 a.m. arrival time

Conference Dual Meets

Consist of two or three conference teams: home and visitors. Swimmers may enter two or three individual events (depending on host team criteria), two relays and the Individual Medley (IM). The number of IM heats will be agreed upon prior to the meet by the coaches. Relays consist of all boy or all girl members only, except for 6 & unders, which can be mixed relays with at least one member of each sex. The United States Swimming "No False Start" rule shall be followed. (In the event of a false start, the swimmers are not called back. The race continues and the swimmer who false started is disqualified.)

Non-Conference Dual Meets

Shall have the flexibility of being able to run boy/girl relays, extra heats, etc. with the approval of both coaches prior to the meet.

Invitationals

Are meets where team participation is optional. Some examples of Invitationals are the Springbrook Pentathlon and Battle of the Ages. Information for Invitational meets will be posted. The Team Schedule should be referred to for all such events.  Swimmers must pay their own splash fees at any invitational event.

Championship Meet

This meet is the culmination of the swim season. To be eligible for this meet, swimmers must have swum in at least two conference dual meets. No complimentary events or swimmers are allowed in the Conference Meet. Swimmers are strongly encouraged to swim in this meet.

County Championship Meet

This meet is for swimmers who have achieved a county qualifying time in one or more swim strokes. Qualifying for this meet means that the swimmer is one of the better swimmers in Contra Costa County! Swimmers must have participated in at least three meets with their team during the summer to enter this meet.

Swim Meet Events

Swim meets are typically in the following order of events:

  • Medley Relay ‐ Four strokes of 25 or 50 yards per swimmer (back, breast, fly, and free). All boy or all girl relay teams. Six & unders can be mixed as long as there is one member of each gender on the relay team.  
  • Individual Medley (IM) ‐ Swimmer swims one lap each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. 6 & unders do not swim this event.
  • Freestyle ‐ The stroke used in this event is usually the crawl, but a swimmer may use any stroke he/she wishes. Usually there are several heats per age group.
  • Breaststroke ‐ Usually one to two heats per age group.
  • Backstroke ‐ Usually one to two heats per age group.
  • Butterfly ‐ Usually one to two heats per age group.
  • Free Relay ‐ (Four legs of free). All boy or all girl relay teams. Six & unders can be mixed as long as there is one member of each sex on the relay team.

Event Distances

Swim events are typically swam in the following distances:
  • 6-yrs & under ‐ Swim one lap per event (25 yards)
  • 7/8 ‐ Swim one lap per event (25 yards)*
  • 9/10 ‐ Swim two laps per event (50 yards)*
  • 11/12 ‐ Swim two laps per event (50 yards)*
  • 13/14 ‐ Swim two laps per event (50 yards)*
  • 15/18 ‐ Swim four laps per event (l00 yards)*
*IM events are four laps (100 yards). IM is not swum by 6&Unders.

Meet Scoring

In order to qualify to swim at a Conference Championship Meet, the swimmer MUST have swum in a minimum of 2 conference swim meets during the swim season. There is no exception. A report prior to the meet will be run on each swimmer entered into conference reporting if they have met this qualification

Swim Meet Awards

Dual Meets

10 and under swimmers get ribbons. 6 & Unders and 7/8's receive ribbons up to 8th place. & Participation ribbons after 8th.
 

Conference Championship Meet

Individual Awards - Medals to first, second and third place swimmers for both boy/girl, age group and event. Rosette ribbons awarded to fourth through eighth place, plus rosette heat winner ribbons.
Team Awards - Trophies to first, second and third place teams, and "Most Improved Team."

Relay Starts

Leaving swimmer may start his/her dive anytime, but some part of his/her foot must still be touching the starting block when the incoming swimmer finishes.

Swim-up Rule

A swimmer may swim up only one age group. (For the Lafayette City Meet a swimmer can only swim up for relays). However, if a swimmer swims up for an individual event, he/she must swim up for all events entered. EXCEPTION: a swimmer may swim up one age group for relay events and still swim individual events in his/her normal age group. However, if a swimmer swims up for a relay, he/she cannot swim in a relay in his/her normal age group. Relay teams may have no more than two swimmers swimming up.

 

How To Interpret a Relay on a Meet Sheet

Medley Relay ‐  Read the meet sheet in this order to determine what stroke - (1) top left, (2) top right, (3) bottom left, (4) bottom right.  Back, Breast, Fly, Free.   (6&U and 7/8s - Back starts on side with timers, Breast starts away from timers, Breast starts on side with timers,  Free starts on side away from timers)

 

Free Relay - Swimmers swim in this order: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right.   (6&U and 7/8s Top Left and Bottom left start the timer side).  All swimmers swim freestyle.