Swim Meet Officials: Jurisdiction, Placement and Protocol

Last updated on May 9th, 2023 at 10:38 am

The protocols used by officials at higher-level swim meets are sometimes confusing to new officials and those without Stroke Judge experience. This post aims to shed light on the jurisdiction, placement, and protocols used by Stroke and/or Turn Judges at swim meets.

Jurisdiction

Simply put, jurisdiction is the official power to make judgments and decisions.  In swimming, certified officials are those approved by the swim meet’s governing body to work that meet. Before a swim meet, jurisdiction is assigned. This means the official is given the authority to recommend disqualification calls that occur within his or her assigned area of the pool.

Smaller swim meets with few officials commonly use what I refer to as, “Half the Pool” jurisdiction. Officials are given authority to make calls within their assigned lane(s) on their half of the pool.  That is, from the end wall nearest him/her to the mid-point of the pool. This type of jurisdiction does not allow for Stroke Judges. Instead, the officials function as Stroke and Turn Judges — meaning, the same person fills both the Stroke Judge and the Turn Judge roles.

Additional types of jurisdiction are described in the files at the end of this post.

The meet referee determines jurisdiction for each swim meet.  It can vary from meet to meet and pool to pool.

Placement

I like to think of an official’s placement as the “real estate” within which s/he works while on deck.  It’s the place on the pool deck where the assigned stroke and/or turn official stands, walks, or sometimes sits, when on duty.

Turn, or Stroke and Turn, Judge Placement

An official assigned to the end of a pool will stand in, or near, the middle of one or more lanes. For Backstroke starts, some referees ask officials to “wrap around” and stand on the sides of the pool during the start.  This helps the official better see the swimmer’s toe placement immediately after the start. Then, they return to their regular place at the end of the lane(s) to watch the rest of the race as assigned.

Stroke Judge Placement

The referee assigns a Stroke Judge “real estate,” or the space on the pool deck to walk. This is the place where s/he walks to watch the swimmers in her/his jurisdiction. Many factors may influence the assigned “real estate” including the number of available officials, the use of “lead/lag”, and the pool configuration.

The Pool Configuration Factor

How could swimming pool configuration affect the Stroke Judge placement? It becomes very clear when on deck. Many competition pools are not completely enclosed rectangles. Those with cutouts on one or both sides or other obstacles may determine where officials can walk.  Although some may joke, I’ve never seen a stroke official who could actually walk on water. In order to give fair coverage for all swimmers, it’s important that stroke officials on both sides of the pool only cover the same amount of “real estate” when they walk.  For example, even though the stroke official on one side can walk the entire length of the pool, s/he would only walk as far as the official on the other side of the pool could walk. (Questions?  Ask your Chief Judge, Deck, or Meet Referee for clarification when you work as a Stroke Judge.)

Mirroring

It is important to note that although placement for stroke judges on both sides of the pool is equal, swimmer movement within their jurisdiction determines WHEN they walk. Sometimes, opposite Stroke Judges are at different points along the pool when walking stroke. When stroke officials are told to “mirror” each other, this is on their placement or WHERE they walk on deck.  Their movement within that space may vary from each other since they walk based on the swimmer’s movement, not the movement of the other official.

Protocol

Sometimes referred to as “The Dance of The Deck,” swim meet officials working higher level meets use specific protocols to govern how and when they stand, sit or move while on deck. Local meets may also have protocols for officials. Some protocols signal when officials have swimmers in their jurisdiction. Officials may also use specific protocols at high-profile meets to accommodate the media. The files below contain examples of swim meet protocol for officials.

Summary

To simplify, I think of:

• Jurisdiction as WHICH PART OF THE POOL an official has the authority to make calls,
• Placement as WHERE ON THE DECK the official works, and
• Protocol as WHEN and HOW the official should stand, sit or move while on deck.

General guidelines for the jurisdiction, placement, and protocol of swim meet officials are available below.  However, the meet referee has the authority to set each on a meet-by-meet basis.

Helpful Files

Linda Eaton, of Colorado Swimming, created the following files to help officials explain protocol and set jurisdiction at swim meets.

Protocol Explanation for Stroke and Turn Officials

This one-page explanation helps to make the protocol briefing more understandable for swimming officials. How? Because it ties into the “why” of things and not just what to do. Please ensure compliance with current rules before use.

Jurisdiction and Protocol For Swim Officials (LCM)

This one-page list gives general information about standard protocol and jurisdiction often used at local long course meters (LCM) swim meets. Useful for Stroke and Turn Judges, Chief Judges, and Referees.  Please ensure compliance with current rules before use.

Jurisdiction and Protocol for Swim Officials (SCY)

This one-page list gives general information about standard protocol and jurisdiction often used at local short course yards (SCY) swim meets. Useful for Stroke and Turn Judges, Chief Judges, and Referees.  Please ensure compliance with current rules before use.

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Preparing for a swim meet? Check out The Ultimate Swim Meet To-Do List. Then, get a bird’s eye view of Who does What at Swim Meets. Both include easy-to-follow links to related information. Doing a smaller, simpler meet? Host a High School or Developmental Swim Meet will help.

Need more help? See 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Officials: 20+ Ways to Get them for Swim Meets. 

Also, discover a few things you can do to Increase Safety at Swim Meets. Find ideas to implement before your meet as well as last-minute quick and easy tips!