GLOSSARY OF TRAINING TERMS

Aerobic Base- A swimmers fitness level built up by swimming yardage at a progressive and intensive level.

 
Drill- Technique used to focus on certain aspects of strokes.

 

Goal Set- A set of 100's, usually 10, on the fastest time a swimmer can make them.

 

Lactate Set- Set of 50's, 100's or 200's on an 8 minute send off at maximum effort.

 

Pace- The speed at which one swims.  Speed and strategy vary according to distance.

 

Pace Clock- A clock used for sendoffs. Has no hour hand.

 

Pull Buoy- Tool used to keep the legs still so that more focus may be placed on the arms.

 

Send OfF- A given amount of time to perform a swim during a set.

 

Set- A repetitive series of swims.

 

split- Any portion of a race that is timed.  Usually, all portions will be an equal distance. During individual swims, coaches take splits to gauge how well a swimmer is pacing themselves.  Splits taken during relays allow each swimmer to know their approximate time. Splits for the second, third and fourth swimmers are generally faster than their individual best times due to the relay start.

(Return to Top)

GLOSSARY OF SWIMMING TERMS

 

q1/State cut - The qualifying time in a given event for the state level.
Q2/JO CUT - The qualifying time in a given event for the Junior Olympic level.

 

Age Group Meet- All USA registered swimmers, 18 years of age and younger, who have met the qualifying time standard for a specific event(s) are eligible to participate in their age category.  A swimmers  age on the first day of competition shall govern for the entire meet.

 

Backstroke Flags- String of small flags hung across the pool 5 yards from each end.  Used by backstrokers to count their strokes to the end so they don't have to look for the wall.

 

Circle Seeding- This is the seeding system used in prelims where the final three heats of an event are arranged so that the three fastest swimmers occupy the middle or fastest lane in their heat; the next three fastest swimmers occupy the next fastest lanes, etc.

 

CLASSIFICATION OF EVENTS- A swimmers’ ability level determines his or her class of competition at USA Swimming meets.  Q1, Q2 and ABC meets are sanctioned by Michigan Swimming (MS). Each class has MS time standards for each stroke at each distance for each age group. Swimmers new to competition are classified as “C” or “No Cut” swimmers in their first meet. Thereafter, swimmers must check their meet result times against MS time standards to determine what class of competition to enter for each stroke and each distance. Quite often, a swimmer will be a “B” swimmer in one stroke at one distance, and an “A” swimmer in another stroke at another distance.

 

CLERK OF COURSE- The meet official who handles most of the administrative duties on the day of the meet such as deck entries, scratches, etc.

 

COURSE- Designated distance over which the competition is conducted.

 

CUTS- Qualifying times for specific types of championship meets.

 

DECK ENTRY – Signing up to swim on the day of the meet. A deck entry is usually not eligible for awards.

 

DECK SEEDING – A procedure for assigning swimmers to the proper lanes and heats immediately before each event in the marshaling area.

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS (DQ’S) - Stroke and turn judges watch each race. Swimmers with improper form or technique are disqualified and told why. Swimmers should not be discouraged by a DQ. Most team members have had the same experience. Pay close attention to the judge’s remarks and work hard on stroke perfection in practice. Swimmers may swim the remaining events that day and may enter the same event at the next meet.

 

DOLPHIN KICK – Kick used in butterfly.

 

EVENT- Any race or series of races in a given stroke and distance. Usually a swimmer is allowed to enter up to four individual events and one relay per day at USA Swimming meets. However, event limits are set by the host team, so check the meet information sheet to see how many events per day you are allowed.

 

FINALS – The session of a meet where qualifying rounds (prelims) were held previously to determine the finalists (usually 6-16 depending on pool size and whether or not consolation finals are conducted). Results of the finals determine the ultimate placements in a given event. Most “final” types of meets are at the championship level (i.e. State, and Nationals, USA Junior and Senior Nationals).

(Return to Top)

                                                              

Freestyle Relay- Four swimmers on each team, each swimmer swims one fourth of the distance using any desired stroke.

 

Heat- A division of an event into a series of races.  Each race is one heat.  Heats are needed when more swimmers enter a race than there are lanes available in the pool.

 

Heat Sheet- A list of swimmers entered in each event with their respective entry times.  Pre-seeded meets will also list swimmers in pre-assigned heats and lanes.  The host team of a meet prepares heat sheets and sells them to spectators for a nominal fee.

 

Individual Medley (IM)- All four of the competitive strokes are swum by one swimmer in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

 

Invitational- A sanctioned meet sponsored by a team with two or more teams invited to participate. Invitationals and USA meets are classified according to the level of competition.  An "A" meet is a high level of competition restricting competition to swimmers who have achieved "A" time standards.  A "B" meet is restricted to swimmers who have not achieved "A" time, but have achieved better than "C" times.

 

Kick Board- Training tool used to keep the arms still so that focus may be placed on the legs.

 

 

Lead Off- First swimmer on a relay team.  A time achieved by a lead off swimmer is official if there is 1)an electronic time or 2) three hand-held times.  A coach's time is not official.

 

Long Course- A type of competitive pool that measures 50 meters or 55 yards in length.  The standard size for all International competition and all World Record swims is the 50-meter course.

 

Marshaling Area- An area at the meet where swimmers report before their event to be arranged into their heat and lane assignments.

 

Medley Relay- Four swimmers on each team, each swimmer swims one fourth of the prescribed distance continuously in the following order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.

 

Meet- Series of events determining the basis of competition.

 

MI- Abbreviation for Michigan Swimming, Inc., the Michigan administrative organization for USA.

 

Negative Split- A race strategy in the distance freestyle events in which a swimmer covers the second half of the race faster than the first half.

 

Prelims- In certain meets, the qualifying rounds held for each (Preliminary Heats) event to determine the finalists.

 

Proof of Time- A requirement at some meets (usually A or above) to make certain that all swimmers entered have legally met the time standards for the meet.  Also, swimmers who place and earn points and a ribbon or medal in a USS event but don't swim fast enough that day to make the qualifying time for that event must show their proof -of -time (usually the results from a previous meet) before they will be given their award and points.  At some meets like State Championships, there are fines if you can't prove that you previously swam the qualifying time.

 

Referee- The official who has authority over all other officials at a meet.  He enforces all rules, decides all questions about conduct of the meet, and is responsible for the efficient running of the meet.

 

Region VI- One of 15 regions for USA Age Group/Junior Olympic competition encompassing Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

 

Relay- An event where four swimmers are part of a single, team oriented event.

 

Sanction- Official or authorized approval from USA Swimming to sponsor a meet.

 

Scratch- To withdraw from a race by announcing to the Clerk of Course the intention not to swim one or more races.

 

Seeding- The process by which a swimmer is assigned a certain lane and heat in an event.  Competitors are assigned to lanes based on their seed times as follows:

6 lane pool - lanes numbered 3,4,2,5,1,6 (with the fastest time in lane 3)

8 lane pool - lanes 4,5,3,6,2,7,1,8 (with the fastest time in lane 4)

(Return to Top)

Short Course- A type of competitive pool, which measures 25 yards or 25 meters.

 

split- A per lap time that coaches often record for teaching the concept of pacing.  For instance, a swimmer's time for each 25-yard leg of a 100-yard event are his or her four splits.

 

Starter- The official at a meet responsible for the proper, legal start of each race.

 

Starts- There are several variations of starts used.  Some are: Grab - Swimmer grabs front of block to pull forward.  This allows a swimmer to enter more quickly.  Track - Swimmer stands with one foot back.  For many this may mean better balance.  Swing - Swimmer swings arms to build up momentum.  Slower than a grab start but carries a swimmer out farther.  Most often used in relays.  Step up - A relay start where the swimmer steps forward while swinging their arms. Timing is more difficult than the swing start but speed is increased.

 

Strokes- There are  four official racing strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

 

Stroke Judge- A certified official who determines the legality of swimmers' strokes and disqualifies those who do not conform to the USA Swimming rules.

 

Swimmer's Log Book- In all types of competition, keeping accurate records of race results for each stroke at each distance is very important.  Though the coaching staff keeps team records and times, each swimming family should keep records of their own swimmer's times.  This is an excellent way of keeping track of your swimmer's improvement.  Logbooks may be purchased at most USA Swimming meets and sport and swim shops.

 

Taper- The resting process in training for swimming competition.

 

Timed Finals- Competition in which individual heats are swum and the final placements are determined by the times performed in all of the aggregate heats.  All swimmers are seeded from the slowest times to the fastest times.  Each heat is set up by ascending order of times (i.e., if 48 swimmers are entered in the 50 yard backstroke, the 8 slowest times would be swum in heat #I, and the 8 fastest times would be swum in heat #6).

 

Time Standards - Certain qualifying times which have been set up by the Michigan Swimming part of the USA Swimming and National USA Swimming for all events in all levels of meets to insure that all competitors are of reasonably the same ability in their respective meets.

 

Top 16- A tabulation of the top 16 times in every age group and every event of all USA Swimming competitions from the previous season.  The short course Top 16 are published in August, and the long course Top 16 are published every March.

 

Touch- The finish of the race.

 

Touch Pad- The part of an electronic timing system that rests in the water at the end of each lane. Swimmers times are automatically recorded when the swimmer touches the pad.

 

Turns- Flip - a somersault used to turn in freestyle and backstroke. Open - Grabbing the wall with one hand (free and back) or two hands (breast and fly).  Must be used in breast, fly and most IM turns.

 

Unattached- The status assigned to a swimmer when switching from one USA club to another or when not affiliated with any club.  A swimmer must be unattached for 120 days from their last competition with their previous club.  During this time, the swimmer may compete individually, but not in relays.

 

usA SwiMMING- Abbreviation for United States of America Swimming, Inc., which is the governing body for amateur swimming in the United States.  National headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

USa swimming Meet Rules- All USA competition is conducted in accordance with the rules of United States of America Swimming as set forth in Official Rules f or Competitive Swimming, a rule book published annually by USA Swimming.

 

Warm down- A slow swim used by the swimmer to rid the body of excess lactic acid generated during a race.

 

Warm-up- A set used by the swimmer before the race to get their muscles loose and ready to race.