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Swimalberta - Swimming glossary Category: Sport and Leisure > Swimming Date & country: 02/12/2013, CA Words: 146

Admission
Certain swim meets charge for spectators to view the meets.

Alberta Coaches Council
(ACC) The professional organisation for swim coaches in Alberta.

Alternate
In a prelims/finals meet, after the finalists are decided, the next fastest swimmers other than the finalists are designated as alternates. The faster of the two being the first alternate and the next being the second.

Anchor
The final swimmer in a relay.

Backstroke
Once of the four competitive racing strokes, basically any style of swimming on your back. Backstroke is swam as the first stroke of the Medley Relay and the second stroke of the Individual Medley. This stroke is offered provincially at 50 metre, 100 metre, and 200 metre distances.

Block
The starting platform located behind each lane.

BOD
Board of Directors.

Breaststroke
One of the four competitive racing strokes. Breaststroke is swan as the second stroke in the Medley Relay and the third stroke in the Individual Medley. Offered provincially, racing distances are 50 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres.

Butterfly
One of the four competitive racing strokes. Butterfly (nicknamed fly) is swam as the third stroke in the Medley Relay and the first stroke in the Individual Medley. Offered provincially, racing distances are 50 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres.

Cap
The latex or lycra covering worn on the head of swimmers.

Car Pool
The major transportation service provided by parents of a swim club to shuttle swimmers to and from practices.

Carbohydrates
The main source of food energy used by athletes.

Championship Meet
The meet held at the end of the short and long course seasons. Qualification times are necessary to enter meets.

Check In
The procedure required before a swimmer swims an event in a deck seeded meet. Sometimes referred to as positive check in, the swimmer must mark their name on a list posted by the meet host.

Chlorine
The chemical used by most pools to kill the bacteria in water and keep it clear and safe to swim in.

Circle Seeding
A method of seeding swimmers when they are participating in a prelims/finals event. The fastest 18 to 24 swimmers are seeded in the last three heats, with the fastest swimmers being in the inside lanes.

Circle Swimming
Performed by staying to the right of the black line when swimming in a lane to enable more swimmers to swim in each lane.

Closed Competition
Swim meet which is open to a specific number of invitees.

Club
A registered swim team that is a member in good standing with Swim Alberta.

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

Code of Ethics
A Code that both swimmers and coaches are required to sign while attending Swim Alberta camps, tours, etc.

Colorado
A brand of automatic timing system.

Consolation Finals
After the fastest 8 or 10 swimmers, the next 8 or 10 swimmers in a prelims/finals meet who, after the prelims swim, qualify to return to the finals. Consolations are the second fastest heat of finals when multiple heats are held and are conducted before the championship heat.

Course
Designated distance (length of pool) for swimming competition. Long course = 50 metres, short course = 25 metres.

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

Deadline
The date meet entries must be postmarked by, to be accepted by the meet host. Making the meet deadline does not guarantee entry into a meet since many meets are full prior to the deadline.

Deck
The area around the swimming pool reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches. No one but authorised persons ma be on deck during a swim meet or practice.

Deck Entries
Accepting entries into events on the first day or later days of a meet.

Dehydration
The abnormal depletion of body fluids (water). The most common cause of swimmers cramps and sick feelings.

Distance
How far a swimmer swims.

Distance Event
Term used to refer to events over 400 metres.

Dive
Entering the water head first. Diving is not allowed during warm up except at the designated time, in specific lanes that are monitored by the swimmers coach.

DQ (Disqualified)
This occurs when a swimmer has committed an infraction of some kind (e.g. one-handed touch in breaststroke). A disqualified swimmer is not eligible to receive an award, nor will there be an official time in that event.

Drill
An exercise involving a part of a stroke, used to improve technique.

Dry-land Training
Training done out of the water that aids and enhances swimming performance; usually includes stretching, calisthenics, and/or weight training.

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

Electronic Timing
Timing system usually has touchpads in the water, junction boxes on the deck with hook up cables, button for backup timing, and a computer console that prints out the results of each race. Some timing systems are hooked up to a scoreboard that displays swimmers times.

Eligible to compete
The status of a member swimmer that means they are registered and have met all the requirements.

Entry
An individual, relay teams roster event list into a swim competition.

Entry Chair
The host clubs designated person who is responsible for receiving and making sure the entries have met the deadline, or returning entries if the meet is full.

Entry Fees
The amount per event a swimmer or relay is charged to compete.

Entry Form
Form used by the coach to enter swimmers in a competition.

Entry Limit
Each meet will have a limit of total swimmers they can accept, or a time limit they can not exceed. Once an entry limit is reached a meet will be closed and all other entries returned.

Equipment
The items necesary to operate a practice or competition.

Event
A race or stroke over a given distance. An event equals one preliminary with final or one timed final.

False Start
Occurs when a swimmer is moving at the start prior to the signal.

Fastest to Slowest
A seeding method used on the longer events at the end of a session. The fastest seeded swimmers participate in the first heats followed by the next fastest and so on. Many times these events alternate one female heat and one male heat until all swimmers have competed.

Fees
Money paid by swimmers for services such as practice fees, pool time, registration fees, etc.

FINA
The international, rules making organisation, for the sport of swimming.

Final
The championship heat of an event in which the top six or eight swimmers from the preliminaries compete for awards, depending on the number of lanes in the pool.

Final Results
The printed copy of the results of each race of a swim meet.

Finish
The final phase of the race

Fins
Large rubber fin type devices that fit on swimmers fees. Used in practice only.

Flags
Backstroke flags placed 5 metres from the end of the pool. They enable backstrokers to execute a backstroke turn more efficiently through being able to count the number of strokes into each wall.

Freestyle
One of the four competitive racing events. Freestyle is swam as the forth stroke in the Medley Relay and in the Individual Medley. Offered provincially, distances are 50 metres, 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, or 1500 metres.

Gallery
The viewing area for spectators during the swimming competition.

Goal
A specific time achievement a swimmer sets and strives for; can be short or long term.

Goggles
Glasses type devices worn by swimmers to keep their eyes from being irritated by the chlorine in the water.

Gun
A blank firing pistol that may be used by the starter to start the races.

Heat Sheet
The pre-meet printing listings of swimmers seed times in events at a competition. These sheets vary in accuracy since coaches submit swimmers times many weeks before the meet. Heat sheets are usually sold at the admissions table and are used to mainly make sure the swimmer has been properly entered in all the events they signed up for. Parents enjoy looking at the seedings prior to the race plus swimmers can tell the order the events will be conducted and get a rough idea how long the meet sessions will last.

Heats
A division of an event when there are too many swimmers to compete at the same time. The results are compiled by swimmers time swam after all heats of the event are completed.

Horn
A sounding device, sometimes used in place of a gun. Used mainly with a fully automatic timing system.

Insurance
Swim Alberta offers accident insurance coverage which is automatic when swimmers, coaches, officials are registered with Swim Alberta. Many restrictions apply so check with the office.

Invitational
Type of meet that requires a club to request an invitation to attend.

Jump
An illegal start done by the second, third, or fourth member of a relay team. The swimmer on the blocks breaks contact with the block before the swimmer in the water touches the wall.

Kick
The leg movements of a swimmer. A popular word to yell to encourage swimmers during a race.

Kick Board
A floatation device used by swimmers during a practice. A light weight object used with great accuracy by coaches.

Lane
The specific area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim. Lanes are numbered from right (lane 1) to left (Lane 6).

Lane Ropes
Continuous floating markers attached to a cable attached from the starting end to the turning end for the purpose of separating each lane and quieting waves caused by racing swimmers.

Lap
One length of the course (sometimes means down and back).

Lap Counter
A set of plastic display numbers used to keep track of laps during a distance race. The person, who counts for the swimmer, is stationed at the opposite end from the start.

Late Entries
Meet entries from a club that are received by the meet host after the entry deadline. These entries are usually returned or can be accepted at double the published entry fee.

Leg
The part of a relay event swam by a single team member or a single stroke in the IM.

Length
The extent of the competive course from end to end.

Long Course or LC
A 50 metre long pool.

Long Distance
Any freestyle event over 1500 metres, normally conducted in a natural body of water, such as a lake, river, or ocean.

Lycra
A stretch material used to make competitive swim suits and caps.

Mark
The command to take your starting position.

Marshall
The official who controls the crowd and swimmer flow at the swim meet.

Medals
Awards given to the swimmers at meets. They vary in size, design, and method of presentation.

Meet
Competition designed to be a measure of progress and a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, the swimmers test themselves against the clock to see how they are progressing.

Meet Chair
The person in charge of the administration of the meet.

Metres
The measurement of the length of a swimming pool that was built per specs using the metric system. Long course is 50 metres and short course is 25 metres.

Middle Distance
Term used to refer to events of 200 to 400 metres in length.

Negative Split
Swimming the second half of the race faster than the first half.

No Time (NT)
The abbreviation used on a heat sheet to designate that the swimmer has not swam that event before.

Novice
A beginner or someone who does not have experience.

Nutrition
The sum of the processes by which a swimmer takes in and utilises food substances.

Nylon
A material used to make swim suits.

Official
A judge on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned competition who enforces SNC rules.

Official Time
A time achieved in a race during a duly sanctioned competition.

Omega
A type of automatic timing system.

Open Competition
Competition which any qualified club or swimmer may enter.

Pace
The often pre-determined speed with which a swimmer completes each segment of a race (e.g. 25m, 50m)

Pace Clock
Large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute had, used to check pace or maintain intervals in practice (may also be digital).

Paddle
Coloured plastic devices worn on the swimmers hands during swim practices.

Pool
The facility in which swimming competitions and practices are conducted.

Positive Check In
The procedure required before a swimmer swims an event in a deck seeded or pre seeded meet. The swimmer must mark their name on a list posted by the meet host.

Practice
The scheduled workouts a swimmer attends with their club/team.

Prelim
Slang for preliminaries, also called heats