Swim Meet Survival Guide for Newbies

Last updated on January 10th, 2023 at 03:33 pm

This Swim Meet Survival Guide helps new swimmers and swim parents quickly learn the ins and outs of meets. In addition to general information about how swim meets run, this guide also provides questions. Why? To help you learn what you don’t know that you don’t know. It even gives suggestions of who to ask in your local area.

Remember, becoming “experts” in the sport of swimming is a process for both swimmers and parents. Help yourself progress quickly by doing the following. Swimmers: Regularly attend both practice and meets. Do your best at both. Swim Parents: Support your swimmer so they can regularly attend practice and meets. Attending and volunteering at swim meets will also help you learn the ropes quicker.

For a list of things to take to a swim meet and tips for both swimmers and parents, see First Swim Meet? Tips and What to Take

Swim team leaders: Help swim families come to meets better prepared by sharing this mobile-friendly list! Or print or email the pdf file at the end of the post and share it. See below for tips and a WORD file you can customize and share with your team. Pairing this info with First Swim Meet? Tips and What to Take will give your swim families tips and a list of what to bring to a swim meet.

What Happens at Swim Meets?

Swim meets can vary greatly in how they run. Therefore, it’s important to find out how the meet you are going to will run. (See Good Questions to Ask Before a Swim Meet)

Before the Swim Meet Starts

Entries

There are many ways meet hosts handle entries. But all swimmers must be entered before the deadline to compete. (See Good Questions to Ask Before a Swim Meet)

Prepare To Help

Volunteer help is always needed at both home and away swim meets. Some teams have parents sign-up to help before the meet. Others recruit help on-site. If possible, plan to time or help in another way.

Pack Well for Meet Conditions

See What to Bring to a Swim Meet?

At the Swim Meet Venue

Arrive on Time and Get Settled

• If not told differently, arrive before the beginning of warm-ups.
• Find a place to put your stuff. Look for team members or a team banner (if used)

Connect with Your Coach and Warm-up

• Swimmers: Check in with your coach and get instructions. Come in your suit, with cap and goggles, ready to swim a warm-up before the meet starts.
• Parents: Help young swimmers with the above, if needed.

How Swim Meets Run (Generally)

• EVENTS: The meet will run each event in the order listed in the meet announcement or meet program. The Girls 50 Freestyle is an example of an event.
• HEATS: A heat is one race. Every event will run the number of heats needed for all the entered athletes to swim. An event will have one or more heats. Typically, there is one athlete per pool lane. Some heats may not fill all the lanes.
• LANES: Each pool lane has a number. Often the number is located on the block somewhere, but you may need to look around. If needed, ask. It’s important to know how the lanes are numbered. Some pools may start numbering on a different side than your practice pool.
• MEET START: Swim meets usually start within 5-15 minutes after the warm-up period ends.
  • Since the break between warm-ups at the start of the meet varies, if you are in an early event, it’s best to be ready to compete before the end of warm-ups.

Get Event, Heat, and Lane Information when available

To prevent mass confusion, promote equitable competition, and cut down the run time of the swim meet, swimmers are assigned a heat and lane in which to swim every race.

Parents: Get heat and lane information for your young swimmer(s). Some meet hosts sell paper heat sheets, others make the information available via an app. (See Good Questions to Ask Before a Swim Meet. Also, How to Find Heat and Lane Information at Swim Meets)

It helps some swimmers to write their event, heat, and lane numbers on their hand or arm with a Sharpie pen. (See example in How to Find Heat and Lane Information at Swim Meets.)

This step is sometimes saved until after swimmers finish warmups.

TIP:  If the heat and lane information is not yet available 10 minutes or less from the start time and your child is in the first or second event, check with your coach. It may be wise to position the child close to the start end of the pool.

During the Swim Meet

ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT, especially from experienced team parents and swimmers. All had their first swim meet too!

Report to Lane (or Bullpen) Ready and On-Time Before Each Race

Unless told otherwise, swimmers are responsible for getting to their events on time. They need to get to the start end of their lane ready to swim with a cap and goggles well before the previous race ends. The length of the previous race will influence when the swimmer should arrive. If the race length is 50 or less, report early. The time can go fast! Swimmers need to be at their block ready to swim after the start of the previous race (especially for race lengths of 200 or less) — many will be there well before that time.

• After the start of the race before you, it’s a good idea to check in with the timers in your lane to make sure you’re in the right lane and next heat. Don’t wait until the end of the race before you as the timers will be busy then.
•  Parents of young swimmers need to help them determine when and where they need to be.
• “BULL-PEN” NOTE: Some beginner meets with young swimmers have athletes report to a bullpen area instead of the start end of the pool. There, volunteers line them up according to heat and lane. At the appropriate time, a bullpen worker will lead the heat of swimmers to the start end of the pool and set each swimmer at the appropriate lane. At meets using this protocol, swimmers should report to the bullpen instead of the start end of the pool when directed. If not told when or where to report, ask.

Talk With Your Coach After Each Race

After swimming the race, the swimmer should report to their coach to discuss their performance and get warm down instructions. Some teams have the swimmers report to the coach before each race too.

Relax, Wait, and Be Ready

After any warm down, the swimmer returns to the seating area to await their next event. Be sure to follow the meet progress so you will be ready and at the blocks for your next event on time.

• Time to dry off, put on warm clothes, drink water, go to the bathroom, snack (if hungry), and write next event, heat, and lane information on the arm if this wasn’t finished earlier.
• Listen for event announcements.

Check-in Before Leaving

After a swimmer has completed all their individual events for the session, it’s a good idea to report to the coach or another team leader before leaving. Sometimes there are relays or other things you might not be aware of. Make sure it’s okay to leave. Some teams will have a designated parent help with this.

Results: Time

• Swimmers’ times are collected in three ways: 1) On lane timer stopwatches, 2) Electronically when a timer presses the button that attaches to a timing system cable at the end of each lane, and 3) When the swimmer hits the touchpad on the wall at the end of their race. (NOTE: Some meets may use only one or two of these methods to collect and record times.)
• The touchpad time is what usually shows on an electronic scoreboard.
• None of the times are official until processed by the admin official(s) and posted.
• DISQUALIFICATION: If a swimmer is disqualified, they will not receive an official time for that event.DQ is the abbreviation for “disqualification.” At most meets, a swimmer can be disqualified from an event if a start, stroke, turn, or finish is not properly performed according to the rules. DQ’s are a natural part of a swimmer’s development. Try not to let a DQ upset you too much. Learn from your mistake and you’ll likely swim legal next time.
• If you have questions about the DQ, do not talk to the official.  The swimmer should talk to their coach.

Results: Place

An athlete’s placement in the results is determined by their official time. All the competitors from every heat in the event will be scored together and placed according to time.

Results: Note

If you disagree with your swimmer’s official time or placement, talk to your coach.

Awards

Some swim meets offer awards to competing athletes. Below you’ll find brief descriptions of some awards that may be given at beginner swim meets. To find out more, ask. (See Good Questions to Ask Before a Swim Meet)

• HEAT WINNER AWARDS: Typically handed out on deck to the first swimmer touching the wall in a heat. (1 per heat. Often a treat or ribbon)
• EVENT AWARDS: May be awarded in a variety of ways and at different times. Given to those placed within a certain range in each event. (For example, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd, in the Girls 50 Free event.) (1 per place per event. Often a ribbon. Sometimes a medal or other award.)

Good Questions to Ask Before a Swim Meet

Ever needed help but didn’t know where to start?  Here are some good questions to ask your coach or an experienced swimmer, parent, or team leader. Ask before a swim meet if you don’t already know the answer. As you gain more experience, you’ll know better how to find the answers to your questions. Then, you can help others!

• How do we find out about swim meets?
• Are we required to attend every meet?
• How do we sign-up, up or enter a meet?
• Is there a cost? If so, how do we pay?
• What if we signed up, but then can’t or don’t go?
  • Do we need to let someone know?
• Are parents expected to help at the meet? How does that work?
• About how long do you think the meet will take?
  • Can we leave early?
• What time should we show up at the swim meet?
• What do we do once we get there?
  • Where should we sit? Do we need to bring chairs, a blanket, or shade?
  • Do I sit with my child? Are parents allowed on deck?
  • What is the expectation for warm-ups?
  • How and when will we get heat and lane information for each race?
  • Where should swimmers go to start their race? When?
    • The start-end of their lane? (Does this ever switch sides?)
    • A bullpen or other staging area?
    • To the Clerk of Course?
    • A specific coach or designated team representative?
• Are there any restrictions on who can enter the locker room or certain restrooms?
• Will there be awards? If so, what type(s) and how distributed?

Helpful Things to Know About Swim Meets

Short Course vs. Long Course

A short course pool is 25 yards or meters long. A long course pool is 50 meters long. The Olympics swim in a long course pool.

Times Related

No Time (NT)

When a swimmer has not swum or not swum an event legally in competition(i.e. Got DQ’ed), they will not have an entry time. Instead, they will be entered with an “NT” or “No Time.”

Unofficial Time vs. Official Time

A meet host can use a variety of means to collect and record a swimmer’s race time.

• When available, touchpads are a preferred method.
• Human-operated stopwatches are another widely used primary or backup timing system. Timers write the stopwatch time onto a Lane Timer Sheet. If timers are the only available timing system, there should be more than one timer on each lane.
  • Hence, one reason why parent volunteers are invaluable and greatly needed in swimming!
• Many meets also use semi-automatic timing systems. A semi-automatic timing system starts electronically with the starting signal and stops when the lane timer presses the button (also called “pickle” or “plunger”) attached to the cable that attaches to the electronic timing system.
• Why collect so many times? It’s the fairest way to place the meet. The touchpad time is the most accurate way to determine official time and place. However, sometimes the electronics fail, or a swimmer does not hit the touchpad hard enough for it to register the finish. (This often happens with younger swimmers). If the collected times are not within a certain range, an administrative official will determine the swimmer’s official time according to the rules.
• Keep in mind, that the time posted on the scoreboard at the end of a race may or may not be the swimmer’s official time. This is also true with the time a swimmer might get from the timers. Check the official results when posted to get that. A meet host will usually post official results in the same way as the heat sheets. This includes a paper report taped to a wall or posted to an app. If after checking the official results you have a question about a time or placement, the swimmer should talk with their coach.

Qualifying Time (Q-Time)

Some swim meets will have a Qualifying Time or Q-Time for entry. This means that if a swimmer’s time in an event does not meet the Q-Time, they cannot enter that event. Meet hosts can use Q-Times as a standard for either faster or slower entry times. For example, some meets require event entry times to be faster than the stated Q-Time.  Others will only accept entry times that are slower.

Make note of the meet where your times were achieved. The governing body matters of the meet matters. For example, times achieved in summer league meets will work as Q-Times for championship meets of the same league. The same is true for high school meets.  USA Swimming meet Q-Times must be achieved in USA Swimming sanctioned meets, or those observed or approved according to their rules. Thus, you cannot use times achieved at a high school swim meet cannot usually as Q-Times for USA Swimming meets and vis versa.

How to Find Heat and Lane Information at a Swim Meet

Getting swim meet event, heat, and lane information can vary from meet to meet. Some meets are paperless and distribute the information via an app or online. Some may use deck seeding. Many post paper heat sheets. It’s important to ask your coach or an experienced swimmer or parent how it will be done at the meet you’re attending.

Swim Meet Whistle Commands

As an experienced swim official, one of my favorite things to do is train new, young swimmers about the whistle commands used at swim meets. I’ve done it regularly before Prep or Practice Meets. This could also be taught by a coach or parent.

When lane timers understand the whistle commands, they can also help swimmers at the blocks.

When training younger, new swimmers at a meet, I usually dress in my official uniform and use a whistle and the starter mechanism when teaching. A parent or a coach could give the same information using a whistle or imitating the whistle patterns and the starter “beep” with their voice. Team leaders could arrange with a swim official working the meet to run this training with new swimmers before the meet starts if desired.

Teaching Swim Meet Whistle Commands

Unlike the Von Trapp children in the film, The Sound of Music, most of us aren’t used to being “spoken to” via whistle commands. So, it can be kind of disarming and scary. This is the last way we want new swimmers to feel at a swim meet!  There’s already enough new stuff that they are dealing with. One thing we can do is to help take the “mystery” out of the whistle commands by explaining why officials use them and what swimmers need to do when they hear them.

This training was originally done for a group of young swimmers on the pool deck, shortly before a swim meet by the meet referee. The information could also be shared with a young swimmer by a coach or parent. Timers also benefit from understanding whistle commands. Stationed at the end of each lane, they can assist swimmers during the meet if needed.

Introduce a Swim Official

If this is you, smile and make eye contact. (Goal: Help young swimmers feel more comfortable with swim officials and to see them as kind, helpful people.) If a parent or coach is training, describe what a swim official looks like and let the swimmers know that they are helpful. Swimmers can’t get official times without them!

Introduce Whistle

Ask: “Have any of you been to a swim meet before?” (Ask those who have to raise their hand) Say, “Sometimes it can be hard to hear instructions or the things people say there. So, officials give some important instructions using a whistle instead.” (If time, you might have them talk with each other and try to tell them something in a regular toned voice.  Then, try blowing the whistle. Ask them which one was easier to hear.)

The Swim Official Can “Talk to You” with the Whistle

Officials will “talk” to you using a whistle. This is because it’s easier for everyone to hear. It doesn’t matter if you are in lane 1, lane 5, or lane 10! You’ll be able to hear the whistle. (If working with hearing-impaired athletes, there are universally accepted arm signals to use at the start.) Just like we use different words to say different things, we can blow the whistle in different ways to tell you different things.

Swim Meet Whistle Commands

There are two-three different whistle commands that officials use in swimming to help you know what to do.
Short Whistles: A series of short whistle blasts. This means, “Get ready to swim.” You should be behind your block (or at the start end of your lane), goggles on, shoes, off, etc.”
Long Whistle: One long whistle blast. This means, “Get to where you are going to start.” 
> Forward Starts: (Freestyle, Breaststroke, Butterfly) For many, this means “Step up onto the block.” For others, it means “Step to the edge of the pool or get into the pool and have at least one hand on the wall.”
> Back Starts: (Backstroke) Step into the water. Backstroke only: 2nd Long Whistle: This tells the swimmers to come to the wall and get ready. It’s helpful to set feet and hands. You can still “stay loose.” (This 2nd long whistle does not mean “get into a “tight” starting position”)

Take Your Mark . . . Beep!

By now, most people should be quieter. The whistles have let them know what’s going on too. If not, the starter might ask them to quiet down. The next thing you’ll hear is the starter say, “Take Your Mark.”  Then, when everyone is ready, you’ll hear the starter device “Beep.”

Race!

What comes next? Dive in and swim your fastest! (If there’s space, young swimmers can act this out briefly.)

Next, I’ll repeat this series a couple of times, to help ensure learning. I try to make a game out of it and use questions. By the end, I’ll give a whistle command and then they tell me what it means. They can answer either individually or do a “shout out” as a group. (“Let’s let the coaches on the other side of the pool hear you!” “Let’s shout this out to the parents in the stands” type of thing.) Have fun with it and they will too.

What if My Swimmer Has a Disappointing Swim or Gets Disqualified?

One of the wonderful things about swimming is that there are many ways to succeed. Swimmers need to have different types of goals. Everyone always has the goal of winning. However, placement goals are the hardest to achieve because they depend on the performance of other swimmers, which you cannot control.

All swimmers should have personal performance goals, such as making a goal time, swimming a personal best time, or even completing a new event. Even with different goals, a swimmer can have a disappointing race.

Parents, try to keep your race post-mortems to a minimum.

• Your child’s coach will discuss with your child any needed improvement.
• Help your child understand that they will not always swim their best race every time and that’s ok. A good balance to shoot for is to have fun while doing their best. Their time and placement will vary (especially as they gain more experience.) Their coach can help guide them to “their best” for that day. Your love and care can keep them coming back and striving. Allow them space to feel, learn, and grow.
• Help your child focus on the next event.
• If your child is disqualified, let them know that it happens to every swimmer, even the most experienced, at some time or another. Swimmers were disqualified in the Olympics. Please do not blame the officials. The officials must judge the events according to the rules, regardless of the age or experience of the swimmer. If you have a question about the disqualification, your swimmer should talk to their coach.

Want to do a “Deep Dive” for more information about swim meets? 

• Start with team resources including their website. Ask questions to coaches, team leaders, and other experienced swimmers and parents.
• If needed, search the internet (Example Search Questions: How to survive outdoor swim meets, What to eat at after-school meets, etc.)
• When you find helpful information consider offering it to your team. Maybe they would love someone to gather and share information to help others navigate swim meets. NOTE: It’s important to work closely w/ your swimmer’s coach and within your team culture and philosophy.

Note to Swim Team Coaches and Other Leaders

Share this file and help the new swimmers and parents on your team come to meets better prepared.  The WORD file below is easy to customize for your team if desired. Pair with First Swim Meet? Tips and What to Take and get tips and a list of what to bring to a swim meet too. If modifying, you might consider combining the two files into one before sharing them with your team.

Downloadable Files

Thank Yous

Thanks to the following for providing some of the information used here.

• Utah Valley Aquatics
• Hunstville Swim Association
• SwimSwam
• SAIL:  Swim Association Invitational League
• Lake Superior Swim Club