Last updated on December 15th, 2023 at 01:48 pm
For swimmer times to “count,” or be used as official times in an organization, a host must run their swim meet according to the rules of the governing body. Why would a swimmer want an “official” time? Reasons include:
- Some meets require official times for entry
- To provide more competitive seeding
- To get personal, or other, records
It is therefore important for meet hosts to follow the rules of their governing body when planning and running swim meets.
Contents for Governing Bodies and Swim Meet Hosts
Governing Body Examples
For example: In the United States, the high school meets follow National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules. Some groups, including many summer leagues, do not have a national governing body. However, each still has rules and regulations a meet host will need to follow. Any meet that produces times capable of being used to enter another meet will likely have some type of governing body, or agreed upon rules.
USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for its membership. It maintains the SWIMS database. SWIMS is the official collection place for swimmer times accepted by USA Swimming. SWIMS only accepts times achieved at a swim meet planned and conducted within the rules of USA Swimming and the Local Swim Committee (LSC.) Current USA Swimming rules and guidelines are found in the USA Swimming Rules and Regulations. A digital copy is also available online. Non-athlete members also receive a hard copy in the mail each spring.
USA Swimming Local Swim Committees
Local Swim Committees, or LSCs, are the regional governing bodies for USA Swimming. One of the LSC’s roles is to govern USA Swimming meets run within their boundaries. They commit the host to plan and run the swim meet by the rules. This is done by sanctioning or approving, all USA Swimming meets in their area. Once the sanctioning, or approval, process is complete, the LSC then assigns a number to the meet. The meet announcement and meet-related reports need to include this number. Current instructions and information about sanctioning meets, including any needed forms, are available on your local LSC website.
Summary
Meet directors and officials need to plan and run swim meets according to the rules of the governing organization. If the organization has several levels, such as national, state, and/or regional regulating bodies, get and follow the rules from each group.
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!