Swim Team Vocabulary
1. Age group: division of swimmers according to age as of June 1, 2019. Age groups are 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14,and 15-18.
2. Anchor: the final swimmer in a relay
3. Announcer: the person who speaks through PA system making announcements to the meet and calling swimmers to the bull pen based on event number and stroke. (they sit with the scoring table)
4. Backstroke: one of the four competitive racing strokes while swimming on your back. Backstroke is swum as the first stroke in the Medley Relay and second stroke in the IM.
5. Backstroke flags: flags above the pool on both ends. These are used for swimmers during warm ups as a mark to count strokes until at end of pool so they can use the count during the race to know when to finish or turn (if swimming a 50). *count may be different for every pool
6. Bake Sale: where baked goods and several other food items are sold. (located under pavilion) The bake sale workers deliver drinks and snacks to coaches and workers throughout meet.
7. Blocks: the starting platforms located behind each lane.
8. Breaststroke: one of the four competitive racing strokes. Breaststroke is swum as the second stroke of the Medley Relay and third stroke of the IM. It requires a 2-hand touch. (looks like a frog)
9. Bull Pen: where swimmers are called to prior to swimming to get organized into heats and lanes based on heat sheet assignments. (usually 2-3 parents work & located by pump house)
10. Butterfly: one of the competitive racing strokes. Butterfly (nicknamed Fly) is swum as the third stroke in the Medley Relay and first stroke in the IM. It requires a 2-hand touch and dolphin kick.
11. Bylaws: set of guidelines and rules used by the league and team. OVSL and MFAC have bylaws.
12. Championship meet: the meet held at the end of the season. Every swimmer from all teams will swim in this meet. (You must swim 3 meets to swim in this meet.)
13. Converted times: times converted/changed from yards to meters or meters to yards. Martins Ferry is a meter pool.
14. Deck: the area around the swimming pool reserved for swimmers, officials, workers, and coaches.
15. Deck entries: accepting entries into swimming events on the day of a meet. (They do NOT accept deck entries once a meet starts and for Championships.)
16. Distance: how far a swimmer swims. Distances are 25 meters (1 length), 50 meters (2 lengths), 100 meters (4 lengths), and 200 meters (8 lengths). Some extra meets/invitationals will have a 400 meter (16 lengths). Yard pools are shorter than meter pools. Times will be converted for those who swim in a yard pool.
17. Disqualified (DQ): a swimmer’s performance is not counted because of a rules infraction. Officials (Stroke and Turn) will fill out a document each time a swimmer is disqualified and it will be given to scorer. After the DQ is marked the document will go into the swimmer’s folder so each swimmer knows.
18. Dolphin Timing System: the electronic timing system used at meets.
19. Dry land: the exercises and various strength programs swimmers do out of the water.
20. Dual Meet: type of meet where two teams compete against each other.
21. Early take-off: when a member of the relay team leaves the block prior to the swimming member touches the wall.
22. Entry: an individual or relay event entered into a meet.
23. Entry form: form that every swimmer must fill out or email for every meet regardless if they are swimming or not. Forms can be emailed or turned into the container with red lid on inside right shed door.
24. Entry limit: each meet will have a limit of entries per swimmer.
25. Event: a race or stroke over a given distance. (OVSL has over 70 events)
26. Exhibition: when a swimmer is swimming an extra event or being assisted in the water. They did not score points or get ribbons. (Coaches will mark prior to meet.) Heat sheet will show an “X” next to time.
27. False start: when a swimmer leaves the starting block before the horn or gun. One false start will disqualify a swimmer or a relay team.
28. Fins: large rubber flipper-type devices that fit on a swimmer's feet. Used in swim practice, not competition.
29. Flip turn: used at the turning end of the pool for freestyle and backstroke where a swimmer does a flip (must touch the wall with feet). *Please check with coach on proper flip turns and about IM turns)
30. Freestyle: one of the four competitive racing strokes. Freestyle (nicknamed Free) is swum as the fourth stroke in the Medley Relay and fourth stroke of the IM
31. Goggles: glasses-type devices worn by swimmers
32. Head timer: stands at finish with two stopwatches while keeping times of the heats in case another timer has an error with his/her stopwatch. Head timer will step in and take the swimmer’s time in that lane for that heat.
33. Heat: all of the swimmers entered in the event are divided into heats, or groups of swimmers. The results for the event are compiled by the times swum, after all heats of the event are completed.
34. Heat ribbon: ribbon given to the winner of the heat. A parent will pass out heat ribbons to the winner of the heat based on the picker’s result. (*Just because a swimmer gets a heat ribbon does not mean they won the event and/or did not get disqualified.)
35. Heat sheet: like a program, the pre-meet printed listings of swimmers’ seed times in the various events at a swim meet.
36. High Point: an award given to the swimmer scoring the most points in a given age group at a swim meet/or end-of-the-year picnic. All meets do not offer high-point awards (i.e. dual meets).
37. IM (Individual Medley): a swimming event using all four of the competitive strokes on consecutive lengths of the race. The order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. Equal distances must be swum of each stroke.
38. Invitational: type of meet that requires an invitation to attend, usually more than 3 teams competing.
39. Kick board: flotation device used by swimmers during practices (used when doing kicks).
40. Lane: a specific area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim.
41. Lane lines: continuous floating markers attached to a cable stretched from the starting end to the turning end for purpose of separating each lane and quieting the waves caused by racing swimmers.
42. Lap: one length of the course. Sometimes may also mean down and back (2 lengths) of the course.
43. Lap counter: the large numbered cards (or the person turning the cards) used during freestyle events 400 meters/500 yards or longer. Counting is done from the end opposite the starting end. The numbers on the cards are “odd numbers” only with the final lap being designated by a bright orange card.
44. Leg: the part of a relay event swum by a single team member. A single stroke in the IM.
45. Long course: a 50-meter pool.
46. Medals: given out for 1st-3rd place at Invites & Championship meet
47. Meet: a series of events held in one program.
48. Meet Director: the official in charge of the administration of the meet. The person directing the “dry side” of the meet.
49. Meet Manager: the computer program that runs the meet
50. Meet Mobile: app for phones that posts results during a meet (as long as the meet has Wi-Fi) 51. Meet Referee: the head official at a swim meet in charge of all of the “wet side” administration and decisions.
52. Meters: the measurement of the length of a swimming pool that was built per specs using the metric system.
53. MFAC: abbreviation for Martins Ferry Aquatic Club
54. Mock meet: a practice meet during the beginning of the season. (no scoring or ribbons will be given)
55. NT: The abbreviation used on a heat sheet to designate that the swimmer has no time for that event.
56. OVSL: Ohio Valley Swim League, the league we are a member of during the summer
57. Parent board: members elected every 1-2 years to oversee MFAC operations, plan picnic & awards, handle purchases, help with meets, etc.
58. Parent supervisors: parents mark each swimmer with his/her events. If a swimmer does not show up, let a coach know immediately so the coach can fix relays.
59. Participation ribbons: given after dual meets to swimmers who did not get a 1st-6th place ribbon.
60. Picnic: held at the end of the season for all swimmers and immediate family.Awards will be passed out to every swimmer and we will eat and swim
61. Practice: the scheduled workouts swimmers attend
62. Practice cancellations: practice is cancelled if thunder and lightning. Cancellations will be posted on Facebook and Remind texts will be sent if you are registered to receive the texts.
63. Pickers: record the finish of each heat (one from each team). If both pickers have the same results for the finish,it overrides the times. (results will have a “J” next to time)
64. Pull buoy: a flotation device used for pulling by swimmers during practice.
65. Records: list of the fastest swimmers (since 1990) on the MFAC in every age group/event.
66. Relays: a swimming event in which four swimmers participate as 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. 2. Freestyle Relay—each swimmer swims freestyle.
67. Relay meet: a meet where ever event is a relay
68. Ribbons: ribbons are given for most meets for 1st – 6th place during dual meets and 4th-12th place at Championships. Ribbons are not given out until the following day.
69. Ribbon sticker: a parent that places the result label onto the ribbon and places ribbons in each swimmer’s folder.
70. Runner: collects the timing sheets, picker sheets, and official forms after every “odd” event is complete and returns paperwork to the scoring table.
71. Scorer: Parent, who runs the computer & timing system, must know how to use Meet Manager. Usually 2-3 parents, one watches the meet, records timing set, & Dolphin results on a monitor, one enters/checks times and picker results, and one reads the back-up times to the one entering times.
72. Scoring area: where scorer, announcer, and ribbon workers are located during a meet (no one is allowed to enter unless working). Please see a coach if a problem occurs with your swimmer and the coach will enter the scoring area. For home meets, the scoring area will be in the caged area by the pump house.
73. Set-up: help set up the meet; scoring table, sound system, lane lines, bleachers, starting system, bake sale, bullpen, etc.
74. Starter: person in charge of signaling the beginning of a race and inuring that all swimmers have a fair take off
75. Stand-up: command given by the starter or referee to release the swimmers from their starting position
76. Step-down: command given by the starter or referee to have the swimmers move off the blocks. Usually this command is a good indication everything is not right for the race to start.
77. Stop watch: used as a backup time for each lane
78. Stroke: there are 4 competitive strokes: Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and Freestyle
79. Stroke-and-turn: officials during swim meets that disqualify swimmers if violating a stroke rule. (All officials have had some type of training.)
80. Team Manager: computer program the coach uses to manage the team and to enter entries & collect results
81. Tear-down: help tear down the meet; puts all equipment back
82. Timer: volunteers standing at the starting block/finish end of the pool, that are responsible for getting watch times on events with Dolphin watches. Two timers per lane (must be different teams), each has a Dolphin watch, and one timer has the timer sheets while the other timer has a stop watch. (Record only the stop watch time because Dolphin time goes straight to the computer.)
83. Warm-up: the practice and “loosening-up” session a swimmer does before the meet begins.
84. Whistle-Protocol: series of whistles used for swimmers to exit the pool and to get on the block prior to a start/finish.
85. Yards: the measurement of length of a swimming pool that was built per specs using the American system.(shorter than a meter pool, Warren Township has a yard pool)
86. 50/50: parent that sells 50/50 tickets and collects money
