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GLOSSARY OF SWIMMING TERMS

Backstroke – One of the four competitive racing strokes, basically any style of swimming on your back. Backstroke is swum as the first stroke in the Medley Relay and second stroke in the I.M. Racing distances are 50 yards/meter, 100 yards/meter, and 200 yards/meter (Teams with 8 & under divisions offer the 25 yd back)

Block – The starting platforms located behind each lane. Some pools have blocks at the deeper end of the pool, and some pools have blocks at both ends. Blocks have a variety of designs and can be permanent or removable.

Breaststroke – One of the four competitive racing strokes. Breaststroke is swum as the second stroke in the Medley Relay and the third stroke in the I.M. Racing distances are 50 yards/meter, 100 yards/meter, and 200 yards/meter. (Teams with 8 & under divisions offer the 25 yd breast)

Butterfly – One of the four competitive racing strokes. Butterfly (nicknamed FLY) is swam as the third stroke in the Medley Relay and first stroke in the I.M. Racing distances are 50 yards/meter, 100 yards/meter, and 200 yards/meter (Teamss with 8-under divisions offer the 25 yard fly).

Coach – a person who trains and teaches athletes in the sport of swimming.

Cut – Slang term for qualifying time. A time standard necessary to attend a particular meet or event.

Deck – The area around the swimming pool reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches. No one but an "authorized" USA Swimming member may be on the deck during a swim competition.

DQ or Disqualification– Occurs when an official observes a rule violation by the swimmer. A disqualified swimmer can not receive awards or use the result as an official time.

Drill – An exercise involving isolation of a portion or part of a stroke, used to improve technique.

Dual Meet – Type of meet where two teams/clubs compete against each other.

Dry Land Training – Training done out of the water. Aids and enhances swimming performance. Usually includes stretching, weight training, and/or calisthenics.

False Start – Occurs when a swimmer is moving at the starting signal. In USA Swimming, one false start will generally result in disqualification.

Final – The championship heat of an event in which the top swimmers from the preliminaries compete.

Finish– The final phase of the race: the touch at the end of the race.

Flags – Pennants strung across the pool 5 yards or meters from the end of the pool. They enable backstrokers to execute a turn more efficiently by counting their strokes from the flags to the wall.

Freestyle – One of the four competitive racing strokes. Freestyle (nicknamed Free) is swum as the fourth stroke in the Medley Relay and fourth stroke in the I.M. Racing distances are 50 yards/meter, 100 yards/meter, 200 yards/meter, 400 mtr/500, yd 800 mtr/1000 yds, 1500 mtr/1650 yds (Teams with 8-under divisions offer the 25 yd free).

Goal – A specific time achievement a swimmer sets and strives for. Can be short or long-term.

Heat Sheet – An entry sheet showing all swimmers entered into each individual event. Sometimes referred to as a "Psych Sheet" or meet program. Shows not only every swimmer in an event, but also what heat and lane they are swimming in.

I.M. – Short for individual medley, an event in which one swimmer swims equal distances of each stroke in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Long Course – A 50 meter pool. USA Swimming conducts most summer swimming in longcourse.

Meet – Competition designed to be a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, swimmers test themselves against the clock to mark improvement.

Official – A judge on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned competition who enforces rules. There are stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers, and referees.

Pace Clock – Large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute hand, used to check pace or maintain intervals in practice.

Preliminaries (Prelims)– Races in which swimmers qualify for the finals in the events.

Psych Sheet – An entry sheet showing all swimmers entered into each individual event. Sometimes referred to as a "Heat Sheet" or meet program. However, a “heat sheet” would show not only every swimmer in an event, but also what heat and lane they are swimming in.

Relay – A swimming event in which four swimmers participate as a team. Each swimmer completes an equal distance of the race. There are two types of relays: 1.) Medley relay - One swimmer swims Backstroke, one swimmer swims Breaststroke, one swimmer swims Butterfly, one swimmer swims Freestyle, in that order. Medley relays are conducted over 200 yd/mtr and 400 yd/mtr distances. 2.) Freestyle relay - Each swimmer swims freestyle. Free relays are conducted over 200 yd/mtr, 400 yd/mtr, and 800 yd/mtr distances.

Scratch – To withdraw from an event in a competition.

Short Course – A pool 25 yards or meters long.

Split – A swimmer’s intermediate time within a race. Splits are registered every 50 yards or meters and are used to determine if a swimmer is on pace. Under certain conditions, splits maybe used as official times. In a relay, the time for one of the four individuals.

Streamline – The position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push-off from the wall in which the swimmer’s body is as tight as it can be.

Timer – The volunteers sitting behind the starting blocks/finish end of pool, who are responsible for getting watch times on events and activating the backup buttons for the timing system.

Touch Pad – A large sensitive board at the end of each lane where a swimmer’s touch is registered and automatically sent to the timing system.

Warm Up – Low intensity swimming used by a swimmer prior to a main practice set or race to get muscles loose and warm and gradually increase heart rate and respiration.