Distances

The Fair Oaks pool is 25 meters long, but other pools may be 25 yards.

Heat Sheet
This is the swim meet schedule, showing each event, when it takes place, and which lane each swimmer will race in. The home team provides it before each meet. Parents often bring a pen or highlighter to keep track of their swimmer's events.

Event
An event is a race or stroke over a specific distance (e.g., 50 Meter Freestyle). Usually, swimmers are grouped by age and gender (e.g., 9-10 Girls), but meet officials sometimes combine events to save time.

Heat
A heat is a group of swimmers in an event when there are too many to race at once. Swimmers are typically grouped by their seed times.

Relay
A relay is a team event with 4 swimmers, each swimming an equal part of the race. There are two types:

• Medley Relay: Includes all strokes (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle).
• Freestyle Relay: Everyone swims freestyle.

Leg
Each swimmer in a relay swims one leg of the event.

Entry
These are the individual and relay events that a swimmer is signed up for in a meet.

Warm-up
A planned session before a meet or practice. Swimmers typically arrive an hour before the meet starts to warm up.

Blocks
Starting platforms behind each lane. Younger swimmers may start from the edge of the pool instead of the blocks, depending on their readiness.

Backstroke Flags
The triangle flags at each end of the pool. They help backstroke swimmers know when they’re approaching the wall.

DQ (Disqualified)
A swimmer is disqualified if they break a rule during the race. Officials signal a DQ by raising one arm with an open hand above their head.

Stroke Judge
An official walking along the side of the pool during races, looking for any illegal strokes. If they see one, they may disqualify the swimmer.

Flip Turn
Used to change direction in freestyle and backstroke. Instead of stopping at the wall, swimmers do a flip to maintain speed and efficiency.

Backstroke Flip Turn
Similar to a freestyle flip turn, but done on the back. Swimmers roll onto their stomachs after passing the flags and pull their arms underwater.

Stroke Count
For backstroke swimmers, it’s the number of strokes they take after passing the flags before starting a flip turn. This helps them gauge when to turn.

Butterfly/Breaststroke Turn
For butterfly and breaststroke events 50 meters/yard or longer. The swimmer must touch the wall with both hands, then turn and push off the wall to swim the opposite direction.

Breaststroke Pullout
A skill used during the start or turn in breaststroke. Swimmers pull their arms down to their sides, push them back into streamline while doing a breaststroke kick. A butterfly kick is allowed during the pullout.

Starts
When the beep goes off, swimmers jump off the blocks, in a streamlined position, to start the race.

Backstroke Starts
Swimmers start backstroke in the water, holding the wall or blocks, with their toes underwater.

False Start
A swimmer who moves before the starting signal gets a false start and may be disqualified.

Strokes:

• Freestyle: Swam on the stomach with reaching arms and flutter kicks.
• Backstroke: Swam on the back with straight arms and flutter kicks.
• Breaststroke: Swam on the stomach with a frog kick, breathing every stroke.
• Butterfly: Swam on the stomach with both arms and legs moving together, in a dolphin-like kick.

IM (Individual Medley)
In an IM race, the swimmer swims each of the 4 strokes in this order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

IM Order

• Fly, Back, Breast, Free. For example, a 100 IM is 25 yards of each stroke in the order listed.

Medley Relay Order
For relays, the order is: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle (since you can't dive in for backstroke).

Typical Rules Broken:

Freestyle

• Pushing off the bottom or pulling on the lane line is not allowed.

Backstroke

• Rolling onto the stomach (unless for a flip turn)
• Pulling on the lane line
• Pushing off the bottom of the pool

Breaststroke

• Using a butterfly, flutter, or scissor kick
• Not getting the head above water on every stroke
• Arms going below the belly button
• Not touching the wall with both hands during turns and finishes

Butterfly

• Not using simultaneous arms
• Feet coming apart (flutter or breaststroke kick)
• Arms not coming out of the water after each pull
• Not touching the wall with both hands at the end

All Strokes

• Moving on the block before the “beep” (false start)
• Not finishing a race
• Stopping to adjust goggles (except in freestyle)
• Pushing off the bottom or pulling on the lane line
• Swimming in another swimmer’s lane

Relay

• Not getting out of the water quickly enough or leaving too early before the next swimmer reaches the wall.