A glossary of those strange and wacky words we use in the sport of swimming. You may or may not find these words in the English dictionary. Relax, take your time, and soon you'll be speaking "swim slang" too.
- Age Group
- Division of swimmers by age. National divisions: 10-under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. Local leagues often use 8-under, 13-Over, etc.
- Anchor
- The final swimmer in a relay. Also a coaching term for the "high elbow"/"early vertical forearm" catch in all four strokes.
- Backstroke
- One of the four competitive strokes. Any style swum on your back. First in the Medley Relay, second in the I.M.
- Blocks
- The starting platforms behind each lane (minimum 4 ft water depth).
- Breaststroke
- One of the four strokes. Second in the Medley Relay, third in the I.M.
- Butterfly (Fly)
- One of the four strokes. Third in the Medley Relay, first in the I.M.
- Championship (City) Meet
- The meet held at the end of a season. Qualification times are usually needed to enter.
- Check-In
- The procedure before swimming in a deck-seeded meet. "positive check-in" means marking your name on the posted list.
- Clinic
- A scheduled meeting for instruction (e.g., an officials' or coaches' clinic).
- Course
- The pool length used for competition: Long Course = 50m, Short Course = 25y or 25m. (Huntington is a 20y pool.)
- Deck
- The area around the pool reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches during competition.
- Deck Seeding
- Heat and lane assignments posted after swimmers check in and scratches are determined.
- Dehydration
- Depletion of body fluids. The most common cause of swimmer cramps and sick feelings.
- Distance
- How far a swimmer swims. Short-course distances: 25y (1 length), 50y (2), 100y (4), 200y (8), 500y (20), etc.
- Disqualified (DQ)
- A performance not counted due to a rules infraction. Shown by an official raising one open hand overhead.
- Diving Well
- A separate, deeper pool with boards/platforms; may be used as a supervised warm-down area during a meet.
- Dual Meet
- A meet where two teams compete against each other.
- Dryland
- Exercises and strength programs swimmers do out of the water.
- Entry
- An individual, relay team, or club's event list for a competition.
- Event
- A race of a given stroke and distance.
- False Start
- Leaving the block before the start signal. One false start disqualifies a swimmer or relay.
- Fastest to Slowest
- A seeding method for long events: the fastest seeded swimmers go first, then the next fastest, and so on.
- Final Results
- The printed copy of the results of each race of a meet.
- Fins
- Rubber flipper-type devices worn on the feet in practice (not competition).
- Flags
- Pennants suspended ~15 ft from each wall to help backstrokers judge the wall.
- Freestyle (Free)
- One of the four strokes. Fourth in both the Medley Relay and the I.M.
- Goggles
- Glasses-type devices that keep chlorine out of swimmers' eyes.
- Heat
- A group of swimmers within an event; results are compiled by time after all heats finish.
- Heat Award
- A ribbon, coupon, or prize given to the winner of a single heat at an age-group meet.
- Heat Sheet
- The printed listing of swimmers' seed times, with heat and lane assignments.
- High Point
- An award for the swimmer scoring the most points in an age group at a meet.
- IM (Individual Medley)
- One swimmer swimming all four strokes in order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle.
- Interval
- A set elapsed time for swimming or rest used during practice.
- Invitational
- A meet a club must be invited to attend.
- Jump
- An illegal relay start. A swimmer leaves the block before their teammate touches the wall.
- Kick Board
- A flotation device used in practice.
- Lane
- The specific area a swimmer is assigned to swim in.
- Lane Lines
- Floating markers separating lanes and quieting the waves from racing swimmers.
- Lap
- One length of the course (sometimes "down and back").
- Leg
- The part of a relay swum by one team member; a single stroke in the IM.
- Long Course
- A 50-meter pool.
- Meet
- A series of events held in one program.
- NT (No Time)
- On a heat sheet, means the swimmer hasn't swum that event before.
- Officials
- The certified adult volunteers who run the many facets of a competition.
- Pace Clock
- The large clocks at the pool that let swimmers read their times during warm-ups and practice.
- Positive Check-In
- Indicating a swimmer is present and will compete, required before seeding in some meets.
- Pre-seeded
- A meet with no bullpen. Swimmers find their heat and lane from the posted program.
- Psyche Sheet
- An entry sheet listing all swimmers in each event (without heat/lane assignments).
- Pull Buoy
- A flotation device held between the legs for pulling sets in practice.
- Qualifying Times
- Published times needed to enter certain meets or reach a swimmer category.
- Referee
- The head official in charge of all "wet side" decisions at a meet.
- Relay
- A four-swimmer event. Medley relay: Back, Breast, Fly, Free, in that order. Free relay: all freestyle.
- Scratch
- To withdraw from an event after declaring you'd participate.
- Seed
- To assign swimmers to heats and lanes by their submitted times.
- Session
- A portion of a meet separated by time, locale, or age group.
- Short Course
- A 25-yard or 25-meter pool.
- Split
- A timed portion of a race shorter than the full distance (e.g., the first 50 of a 100).
- Start
- The beginning of a race. The dive used to begin it.
- Starter
- The official who signals the start and ensures a fair takeoff.
- Stroke Judge
- The official walking the pool's edge watching for illegal strokes; reports to the referee.
- Taper
- The resting phase at the end of a season before the championship meet.
- Team Records
- The fastest swims in a club's history for each age group and event.
- Timer
- The volunteers behind the blocks who record watch times and run the backup timing buttons.
- Touch Pad
- The plate at the end of the pool connected to automatic timing; a swimmer must touch it for an official time.
- Unofficial Time
- The time shown immediately after a race, before it's verified and made official.
- Warm-down
- Recovery swimming after a race when pool space is available.
- Warm-up
- The loosening-up session before a meet or event.
- Yards
- American pool-length measurement; a short-course yard pool is 25 yards (75 feet).
Source: USA Swimming.