Workout Terminology

WAKO Swimming

Workout Terminology

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Academic All-American Honor presented by United States Swimming to the national top 50 in each high school event based on equally "weighted" grades and swimming times.

All-American Annual honor presented by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) for the national top 30 times in each event. The next 15 times are awarded "honorable mention" status. This presentation is the more prestigious of the two "All-American" honors.

American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA)

National coaches organization that certifies coaches based on education and experience.

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Bulkhead Movable wall used to divide 50-meter pools into 25-yard pools.

Clerk Of The Course The person responsible for checking swimmers in and seeding events.

Deck The area immediately surrounding the pool. Swimmers not competing in a meet and parents not working in a meet are required by USA Swimming to stay off the deck.

Deck Entries A policy of accepting entries on the day of the meet. A late fee is usually required.

Deck Seeding A procedure of assigning swimmers to appropriate lanes and heats immediately before each event at the ready bench on the pool deck or at the beginning of the meet session.

Disqualified (DQ) A swimmer is disqualified when their performance does not adhere to the rules for the event (i.e., made improper turn or illegal stroke). The swimmer may not use a DQ time to qualify for meets.

Event All heats (races) for a particular gender/age group. For example, a heat sheet may depict five heats for Event #35, boys 8 & under 25 meter freestyle.

False Start A swimmer gets an unfair advantage by being in motion before the starting signal is given. Officials will disqualify a swimmer who executes a false start.

FINA Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur. The international governing body for all four aquatic sports: swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. USS rules are based upon FINA rules.

Finals The session during a meet following qualifying rounds conducted previously to determine the finalists (usually six or eight depending upon the number of available lanes). The finalists compete to determine the winner. Some meets will contest a second heat of finals (often referred to as the consolation heat) to determine the 7th-12th or 9th-16th place finishes.

Heat One race. The number of swimmers in a heat will vary, depending upon the number of swimmers entered in the event and the number of lanes at the pool.

Heat Sheet A listing of all swimmers by event number, heat, and lane assignment in the meet. Usually these sheets are only available at invitational and championship meets.

Junior Championships National meet for 19-year-olds and younger, held twice each year.

Late Entry See definition for Deck Entry.

Long Course A type of competition pool course that measures either 55 yards or 50 meters in length. The standard size for international meets and all world records is 50 meters.

LSC Local Swim Committee, a geographical division of USA Swimming. USA Swimming has 59 LSCs that oversee its programs. WAKO is in the Pacific Northwest LSC.

"Making Waves" Washington Aquatic Killer Orcas Swim Team monthly newsletter distributed in swimmer's mailbox.

NCAA (National Collegiate Association Of Athletics)

Governing body of all four-year collegiate athletic programs.

Preliminaries (Prelims) In certain meets, qualifying rounds are held for each event to determine the finalists.

Proof Of Time A requirement at some meets by officials to make certain that all swimmers have achieved the qualifying times necessary for meet entry.

Psych Sheet A ranking by entry or by seeding times of all swimmers entered in a particular event of a meet (usually an invitational meet).

Referee The official who has authority over all other meet officials at a meet. The referee is responsible for conduct of a meet. The referee's decisions are final.

Scratch A swimmer already entered in an event may withdraw or scratch from the event before it is seeded.

Seed Time The time that a swimmer uses to enter an invitational or championship meet. This time determines the swimmer's heat and lane for competition.

Short Course A type of competitive pool that measures 25 yards or meters in length. All high-school competition is conducted in a short course pool.

Split A per-lap time that coaches often record for teaching the concept of pace.

Starter The official at a meet responsible for giving the starting signal to each heat of swimmers.

Strobe Light Light used to signal the start of a race in conjunction with the horn start. Timers are instructed to start their watches when the light flashes to provide a more accurate time as light travels faster than the horn sound.

Stroke & Turn Judge The official who determines the legality of swimmers' strokes and turns. It is their duty to disqualify those who do not conform to the rules.

"Swimming World" A monthly magazine with articles and stories about competitive swimming as well as some regional, international, and all national meet results. Write "Swimming World" at PO Box 45497, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Time Trials Occasionally a swimmer will need to make a qualifying time in an event not offered in a meet. A Time Trial is occasionally set up and sanctioned by USA Swimming to ensure proper conduct of the swim.

Touch Pad The part of the electronic timing system that rests in the water at the end of each lane. Swimmer's times are electronically recorded to the hundredth of a second when they touch the pad.

Unattached When a swimmer changes from one USA Swimming club to another there is a 120-day period during which the swimmer must compete "Unattached", meaning they may not score points for their new team or participate in relays.

USA Swimming The governing body for amateur swimming in the United States. Responsibilities include providing the program to select our U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.

Created and maintained by Kelly Crandell.

Last updated on Thursday, September 23, 2004.

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