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Isport - Glossary of swimming Category: Sport and Leisure > Swimming Date & country: 02/12/2013, USA Words: 370

SCM
Abbreviation for Short Course Meters.

scratch
To withdraw from an event in which the swimmer is entered. There is typically a time deadline by which swimmers must scratch, if they do not want to race. If swimmers fail to show up to the blocks for an event in which they are still entered (or have not scratched), they may sometimes be barred from competing in other events in that session or that meet.

SCY
Abbreviation for Short Course Yards.

section
A group of LSCs within a USA Swimming Zone.

Sandbagger
Someone who enters a time for a race that is considerably slower than his actual time.

rotator cuff
The term for the group of tiny muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder. Swimmers frequently experience rotator cuff injuries, predominantly because of overuse.

sanction
The permit or rules which govern a competition.

sanction fee
The fee charged to obtain a sanction.

sanctioned meet
A meet approved and permitted by a governing body. USA Swimming sanctioned meets are conducted under the rules of USA Swimming and every person in attendance (from swimmers to coaches to officials) must be a member of USA Swimming.

resistance training
Training that builds strength by adding resistance. There are both land- and water-based exercises and techniques. In the water, swimmers will sometimes tow a basket or a bucket (attached by a harness and a rope) or use stretch cords to connect their harness to the blocks.

relay
A race in which four swimmers compete as a team. All the swimmers must swim an equal distance in the race. At practices, a relay simply means a multi-person race, the rules of which are limited only by the imaginations of the coach. For details on competitive events see freestyle relay and medley relay.

relay exchange
When one swimmer finishes his/her leg of the relay and the next swimmer starts.

relay leg
See leg.

region
A grouping of LSCs, similar to sections, organized to reduce the amount of travel to competition.

recovery phase
See recovery (stroke).

red zone
Term used by some coaches to describe a set that is aerobically intense. See also green zone and blue zone.

referee
The official in charge of the meet. The referee is the final authority in all disputes or other matters related to the conduct of the meet.

recovery (stroke)
The part of the arm stroke between the finish of one stroke of the arm and the set-up for the next. In freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly the recovery is the part of the arm stroke that occurs above the water. In breastroke, it is the portion of the stroke when the hands are going forward to begin the next pull.

recall rope
See false start rope.

recovery
The part of the training cycle or a workout where intensity is reduced to allow the body to repair itself. This is the critical part of a training plan where the swimmer/athlete actually becomes stronger.

race rehearsal
Mental practice of a race, from start to finish, in which the swimmer imagines every detail.

ready room
A room near competition start area where swimmers in the upcoming heat gather just before they proceed to the starting blocks. Typically used for the finals session of a prelims/finals meet. At national championship events, swimmers usually are required to report to the ready room prior to all heats, including preliminaries.

qualifying time
The time a swimmer must have achieved previously in an event in order to enter a meet. See also time standard.

pull buoy
Equipment used at practice: a piece of foam shaped like a figure-8 that is held between the legs to keep them afloat while swimmer practices arm strokes.

push off
To literally push off the wall.

QT
See qualifying time.

proof of time
An official record of a swimmer's time in an event. This is often required when swimmers are entering meets with qualifying times.

psych(e) sheet
A list of all the swimmers entered in a meet. Swimmers are listed first by event, and then within each event from fastest to slowest.

progression
See drill progression.

prelims
See preliminary heats.

pre-seeded events
Events in which swimmers know their heat and lane assignments by looking at either a posted heat sheet or the meet's program.

Pre-seniors
Practice group on USA Swimming teams for swimmers who are preparing to move up to the Senior group.

prelim/final
A meet format in which there are two sessions: one for preliminary heats and a second (usually held later in the day) for finals races. In finals, the fastest swimmers from the preliminary heats of each event will race for the final medals/places. Most often preliminary heats and finals are on the same day.

practice
A workout.

prelim
See preliminary heats.

parka
Big, fuzzy, warm jacket that extends to shins or ankles. Often swimmers will embroider their names on the front.

PB
See personal best.

Pilates
A core-strengthening type of land-based exercise.

positive check-in
USA Swimming term for when a swimmer checks-in at the beginning of a meet. At deck-seeded and pre-seeded meets, this is required or the swimmer may be scratched from the event(s) he/she is entered in.

Postal Event
USMS term for a national competition where every entrant swims in their home pool and mails their results to the event host. US Masters hosts several Postal Events every year.

pace work
To practice swimming at a particular pace.

paddle
A flat piece of plastic worn on the hands, and held in place by rubber cords that fit over the middle finger (and sometimes also the wrist). Paddles can be used to build strength and practice correct swimming technique. Too much paddle use, or frequent use of paddles that are too large can cause shoulder injuries.

pace clock
Large clock showing seconds that is located on the pool deck, typically at both ends of the pool. Swimmers use the clock to keep track of their times (and send-offs or intervals) during a workout. Some pace clocks are traditional clock faces with only minute and second hands, and others are digital clocks that cycle from 00:00 through 59:59 every hour.

pace
Swimming speed. At Masters practices pace refers to the time a swimmer needs to swim 100 meters or yards.

out-touch
To win a race by a tenth or hundredths of a second; to just barely beat a competitor to the wall.

open water
Any non-pool swimming locale, typically oceans, lakes, and rivers.

OT
USA Swimming abbreviation for official time.

OTC
Abbreviation for Olympic Training Center; there are several Olympic Training centers in the United States. Swimming camps are held at the OTC in Colorado Springs, CO.

open turn
To touch the wall with a hand, bring the feet to the wall, and immediately push off for the next lap. Used by non-competitive swimmers in place of a flip turn. Competitive swimmers use open turns when swimming consecutive laps of breastroke or butterfly, or when there is a transition between strokes (such as in the individual medley events). There is specific technique used in executing fast open turns for races.

Olympic trials
Meet at which swimmers race for spots on the Olympic team. This is a long course meet, held in the year of the Olympics Games, typically a number of weeks before the Games.

Omega
A brand of electronic, automatic timing.

On deck
Refers to the batter who is next up in the batting order. The on-deck batter stands outside the dugout to prepare for his plate appearance.

On-deck circle
The designated area

open competition
A competition that can be entered by any swimmer, club, team, or organization that qualifies.

official
Someone on deck at a meet who is in charge of enforcing the rules governing the competition. Officials at USA Swimming meets are: stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers, and referees.

official time
Race result, or swimmer's time from a race, that has been checked and validated by meet officials.

observed swim
When a swimmer's race in a non-USA-Swimming sanctioned meet is observed by USA Swimming officials for conformance with USA Swimming's rules. Similar to an observed meet, the swimmer must request that their race be observed, and the request must be approved. Swimmers may do this when they are attempting to meet a USA Swimming qualifying time or set a USA Swimming record in a non-USA-Swimming meet.

nutrition
The process of eating and assimilating food for growth; the study of food and diet.

nylon
A swimsuit material.

observed meet
USA Swimming term for when enough USA Swimming officials are present at a meet that is not being run under USA Swimming sanction (rules) to ensure that swimmers' races conform to USA Swimming's technical rules. In order for a meet to be observed, approval of such a request must be obtained in advance.

NGB
Acronym for National Governing Body.

no time
See NT.

novelty meet
USA Swimming term for a meet that offers shortened sessions or limited events, and does not fit into one of their established meet categories.

novice
Another word for beginner.

NRT
Abbreviation for national reportable time.

NTV
Abbreviation for National Times Verification. A swimmer receives a NTV certificate when they achieve a national time, and that time is approved by the verification official at the meet where the time was recorded.

NCAA
Acronym for National Collegiate Athletic Association.

negative split
Swimming a race so that the second half of the race is faster than the first half.

neurological system training
Training designed to improve the reaction time of the neurological system; training to improve the reaction time at the site where the motor neuron tells the muscle fiber what to do. This training is characterized by super-short sprints.

natatorium
An indoor pool.

national age group time standard
USA Swimming standards for age group swimmers. Specific time standards change annually, and vary according to the event or purpose of the standard.

National Age Group Top 16
See National Age Group Recognition Program.

national reportable time
Time standards set by USA Swimming annually that are approximately based on the times of the top 25 swimmers nationwide in the previous year. Swimmers who meet the NRT can be considered for a Top 16 award.

Nationals
Nickname for a National Championship meet, an annual event at which swimmers from the host country compete to be the National Champion (or, winner) in each event.

NAIA
Acronym for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

NAGTS
Abbreviation for national age group time standards set by USA Swimming.

mile
An event in both long course and short course meets, either 1500 meters or 1650 yards. (Both events are both technically short of a mile.)

middle distance
Events that are between 200 and 400 meters/yards long.

mental skills
Skills used by athletes to get into a psychological state in which they can compete successfully. Mental skills include: goal-setting, anxiety control, creating and maintaining a positive attitude, using effective self-talk, and finding motivation.

meet program
Shows the heat and lane assignments for each swimmer participating in each event. The events are listed in the order in which they will be swum. The program is usually for sale at the meet entrance.

meet referee
Official in charge of a swimming meet. The meet referee has authority over all other officials.

meet
A swimming competition. Meets consist of events, which almost always have numerous heats each. There are many meet formats, but the most common are prelims/finals and timed finals.

meet director
The official in charge of meet administration.

lungbuster
A difficult hypoxic set that leaves your lungs aching.

Lycra
A swimsuit material.

main set
The set at practice which is the main focus of the day. The tasks of the main set will vary depending on the swimmer's or team's goals and where the swimmer or team is in their training cycle.

mark
See take your mark.

medicine ball
A soft, weighted ball about the size of a soccer ball used in dryland workouts. They come in various weights ranging from one to 20 pounds.

medley relay
A race in which four swimmers each swim one-fourth the total distance. Each swimmer swims a different stroke, and the strokes must swum in this order: backstroke, breastroke, butterfly, freestyle. Two medley relays are contested at the Olympics: 200m (or 4 x 50m) and 400m (or 4 x 100m). A shorter race (4 x 25 yards/meters) is frequently offered at other levels of competition.

long-axis
An imaginary line running down a swimmer's spine, from head to toe. Rotation around this axis is a fundamental component of freestyle and backstroke technique.

long-term goals
Goals or achievements that a swimmer hopes to realize over a longer period of time, such as one year, four years, or several seasons. Goal setting is an important part of the mental training an athlete undertakes. Achieving long-term goals requires setting and achieving short-term goals along the way.

LSC
Abbreviation for Local Swimming Committee.

long whistle
At a meet the starter will sound one long whistle as a signal to swimmers in the race to step onto the blocks. In a backstroke race, this is the signal that swimmers may jump into the water. For swimmers who are not able to dive from the blocks, the long whistle is their cue to stand next to the block with their toes over the edge of the deck.

Local Swimming Committee
USA Swimming term for a local or regional governing body. Abbreviated LSC.

long course
See long course pool.

long course meters
Refers to a pool that is 50 meters long. Abbreviated LCM.

long course pool
A pool that is 50 meters (or, in rare cases, yards) long. Summer is long course season in the United States.

long distance
Any swimming event more than 400 meters or 500 yards.

loafing
Purposely swimming slower than one is capable of.

length
Once across the pool.