Glossary Of Terms

Term	Meaning
Aerobic Training	Training which requires plenty of oxygen. It focuses on strengthening the cardiovascular system by increasing heart and respiration rates by working the body muscles. An aerobically fit individual can work longer, more vigorously and achieve quicker recovery.
Age Group	Division of swimmers according to age, usually in one year bands but sometimes combined year bands e.g. 12/13. Girls are Age Groupers until their 14th birthday when they become Youths. Boys are Age Groupers until their 15th birthday when they become Youths.
Anaerobic Training	Training that improves the efficiency of your body’s energy producing systems that uses movements that require very little oxygen and can increase your muscular strength and tolerance for acid-base imbalances (such as the production of lactic acid) during high intensity effort e.g. quick explosive actions which last a short space of time such as sprinting.
Anchor	The point in the stroke pattern where the hand feels the most resistance and begins effective propulsive movement
Anchor:	The final swimmer in a relay. This swimmer swims the Anchor Leg.
Angle of Attack	The position or degree of angle that the hand enters the water.
ASA	The Amateur Swimming Association is the English national governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, open water and synchronised swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the laws of the sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for teachers, coaches and officials as well as its Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,600 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure.
ASA Membership Number	All Club members have to become registered with the ASA, whether they are competitive swimmers, non-competitive swimmers, volunteers, officials or Coaches. Each is allocated a lifetime lasting unique membership number. The number is quoted on all Licensed Meet Entry Forms to ensure eligibility and that results are
B-Grade Meet	Name given to type of swim meet (prior to modern Licensing regime) which precluded swimmers who had previously achieved a specified time standard in the events they might otherwise have entered, and which would not allow swimmers to win medals if they went faster than a certain time. Level 3 Licensed Meets are generally run on similar lines.
Backstroke	One of the 4 competitive racing strokes, basically any style of swimming on your back. Backstroke is swum as the first stroke in the Medley Relay and second stroke in the I. M.
BAGCATs
Beep	The starting sound from an electronic timing system.
Bilateral Breathing: (aka Alternate Breathing	) In freestyle swimming, breathing to the right side then swimming three strokes and breathing to the left side, then swimming three strokes and breathing the to right side, etc.
Blocks	The starting platforms located behind each lane. Blocks have a variety of designs and can be permanent or removable, but also incorporate a bar to allow swimmers to perform backstroke starts.
Body Position	The way your body sits in the water during swimming. Ideal body position requires that your body is as straight and long and as close the surface of the water as possible.
Body Rotation	: Refers to freestyle and backstroke swimming. Rotation of the body (body roll) through the shoulders with an essentially straight spine i.e. from the left of your body to the right side and back again. Swimming "flat" would be the sensation of swimming directly on your stomach all the time.
Breaststroke	One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Breaststroke is swum as the second stroke in the Medley Relay and the third stroke in the I.M.
British Swimming	British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association). British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Butterfly	One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Butterfly (nicknamed FLY) is swum as the third stroke in the Medley Relay and first stroke in the I.M.
Cannon	A freestyle relay usually swum as the last event at a league match often being a mixed male and female team.
Cap	The silicone or latex covering worn on the head of swimmers. The colours and team logos decorating these caps are limitless. National Caps, County Team Caps, Club Caps, plain practice caps, etc.
Carbohydrates	The main source of food energy used by athletes.
Cardless Meet:	Accepted entries to Meets are not confirmed by the issue of Cards to swimmers but by electronically produced lists. Meet organisers rely on swimmers to give positive notification of withdrawal from events by telephone or on formal withdrawal slips in order to arrange heats.
Cards	With many Clubs now using IT systems there has been a move to “Cardless” Meets but where swimmer entries are still confirmed by the issue of entry cards these are placed in boxes at the pool prior to the start of the competition session. The Meet organisers arrange the heats by reference to the submitted cards which are then returned to the swimmer who hands them to the to the time keeper behind their lane immediately prior to each swim. Cards usually list the swimmers name, ASA number, seed time, event number, event description, and the lane and heat number the swimmer will swim in. Each event has a separate card.
Catch	The point in the stroke pattern where the hand feels the most resistance and begins effective propulsive movement.
Chlorine	The chemical used by most pools to kill the bacteria in water and keep it clear and safe to swim in.
Circle Swim	Done when there are more than two swimmers in a lane. Swimmers swim up on the right side staying close to the lane line and return on the other in the same fashion. Always stay to the right of the black centre line. Each swimmer leaves 5 seconds apart so there is space between each person in the lane. This is referred to as lane etiquette, which includes other matters involving common courtesy.
CQT	County Qualifying Time. The minimum time established by the ASA Counties for entry into their County Championships in each stroke and distance.
Deadline	: The date by which Meet entries must be received by the Meet host/club. Making the Meet deadline may not guarantee acceptance into a Meet as some Meets are organised on a “first come first served” basis and are 'full' weeks before the actual entry deadline.
Deck	The area around the swimming pool reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches. No one but an 'authorised' person may be on the deck during a swim competition.
Deck Level	: a system of recirculating water in a pool where the side of the pool is at or just below the level of the water. This generates a continuous flow out of the pool and into the filtration system. This design is very successful at preventing waves rebounding off the side of the pool.
Dehydration	: The abnormal depletion of body fluids (water). The most common cause of swimmers’ cramps and sick feelings.
Development Meet	A classification of meet or competition. The purpose of a development meet is to allow all levels of swimmers to compete in a lower pressure environment.
Disqualification	A swimmers performance is not counted because of a rules infraction. The time achieved is cancelled for all ranking purposes
Dist Fr	Distance freestyle, mostly distances greater than 200 metres
Distance	How far a swimmer swims. Distances for short course are: 25 metres (1 length), 50 metres (2 lengths), 100 metres (4 lengths), 200 metres (8 lengths), 400 metres (16 lengths), 800 metres (32 lengths), 1500 metres (60 lengths). Distances for long course are: 50 metres (1 length), 100 metres (2 lengths), 200 metres (4 lengths), 400 metres (8 lengths), 800 metres (16 lengths), 1500 metres (30 lengths).
Dive	Entering the water head first at the start of the race.
Diving Pit	A separate pool or a pool set off to the side of the competition pool. This pool has deeper water and diving boards/platforms. During a meet, this area may be designated as a warm-up/swim-down pool with proper supervision.
Drag suit/drag shorts	a second loose fitting swim suit or shorts worn by swimmers in training sessions and warm-up at meets to add a certain amount of weight and resistance to the flow of the water around the swimmer.
Dropped Elbow	would be the opposite of the high elbow and ineffective for powerful propulsion through the water.
Drugs
Dry land	exercises and various strength programmes swimmers do out of the water.
Electronic Timing	Timing system operated electronically. The timing system usually has touchpads in the water, junction boxes on the pool side with hook up cables, buttons for backup timing, and a computer type console that prints out the results of each race. Some systems are linked to a scoreboard that displays swimmers time.
Entry	dealing with how the hand enters the water at the beginning of the stroke (freestyle, backstroke and butterfly).
Entry Fees	The amount per event that a swimmer or relay team is charged to compete at a Meet. This varies depending on the type of meet.
Entry Limit	Some Meets have a limit on the number of swimmers they can accept before the meet will be closed and all other entries returned. Sometimes where a Meet is oversubscribed the entrants with slower times will be scratched by the Meet Organisers to enable the Meet to run within the allowable time.
Event	A race or stroke over a given distance. An event equals 1 heat with its final, or 1 timed final.
False start	occurs when a swimmer leaves the starting block, or is moving on the block, before the starter starts the race.
False Start Rope	A recall rope across the width of the racing pool for the purpose of stopping swimmers who were not aware of a false start.
FINA	Federation Internationale de National de Amateur. The international Rules making and governing body of competitive swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming.
Finals	The final race of each event to determine the overall classification.
Finish	The final propulsive phase of the arm stroke before the hand leaves the water.
Fins	Large rubber or other material fin type devices that fit on a swimmers feet. Used in training to aid development of kick and ankle flexibility
Flags	Pennants that are suspended over the width of each end of the pool approximately 5 metres from the wall to allow backstroke swimmers to determine the end of the pool.
Four Beat Kick	4 leg movements per arm stroke in freestyle. Similarly 2 and 6 beat kicks may be used.
Freestyle	One of the 4 competitive racing strokes. Freestyle (or Free) is swum as the fourth stroke in the Medley Relay and fourth stroke in the I.M. There are no rules governing the form of the stroke.
Gallery	The viewing area for spectators during the swimming competition.
Goals	Short Medium and Long range targets set by swimmers, and agreed by the Coach
Goggles	Eyewear worn by swimmers in the pool to protect the swimmer's eyes from the effects of chorine in the water and to improve vision underwater.
Gravity wave	wave action caused by the swimmers' bodies moving through the water. Gravity waves move down and forward from the swimmer, bounce off the bottom of the pool and return to the surface in the form of turbulence.
Gun	The blank firing pistol becoming less commonly used by the starter to start the races because of increasing use of electronic timing systems.
Gutter	the area at the edges of the pool in which water overflows and is recirculated into the pool. Deep gutters catch surface waves and don't allow them to wash back into the pool and affect races. Alternatively a pool may have no gutter and be deck level
Hats	See Caps
Heat Declared Winner	An event without a final where the winner is declared from the results of a single swim by all competitors.
Heats	The first phase of an event where there are more entrants than the eventual number of finalists. All swimmers’ heat times are recorded and the fastest are announced as finalists.
High Elbow	May refer to keeping a high elbow in the recovery phase of freestyle which encourages better balance and body rotation. High elbow can refer to the pull phase of freestyle where the elbow remains in a higher position over the hand, giving the sensation of reaching over a barrel when pulling through the water.
Hypoxia Training (breath control)	Training with a decreased concentration of oxygen that causes the constriction of blood vessels which, in turn, help muscles work more efficiently with what oxygen is available.
IM	Short for individual medley, an event in which the swimmer uses all four competitive strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
Interval	The time given to complete a given distance, plus rest during training.
Interval Training	Consists of repeated bouts of moderate- to high- intensity activity separated by brief rest periods of approximately 20-40 seconds.
Juniors	16 and under at 31st December in the year of competition.
Kick	The leg movements of a swimmer.
Kick Board	A flotation device used by swimmers during training when swimming with legs only.
Lactate	see lactic acid
Lactic Acid	in the absence of oxygen, as with anaerobic training, your body will breakdown muscle sugar (glycogen) using a process that produces an acidic by-product waste called lactate acid. Your muscles may start to burn or ache as lactate acid accumulates and your body can’t keep up with removing it from your muscle stores.
Lane	The specific area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim e.g. Lane 1 or Lane 2. Pools with starting blocks at only one end: As the swimmers stand behind the blocks, lanes should be numbered from Right (lane 1) to Left (lane 6).
Lane Ropes	the dividers used to delineate the individual lanes. These are made of individual finned disks strung on a cable which rotate on the cable when hit by a wave. The rotating disks dissipate surface tension waves in a competitive pool.
Lap	Strictly means the combination of one outgoing and one return length of the pool.
Lap Counter	The large numbered cards (or the person turning the cards) used during the freestyle events 800 metres or longer to show the swimmer how many lengths are still to be completed . Counting is done at the starting end.
Late Entries	Meet entries from a club or individual that are received by the meet host after the entry deadline. These entries are usually not accepted and are returned to sender.
Leg	The part of a relay event swum by a single team member. A single stroke element of the IM.
Length	The distance across the length of the pool. Thus, 4 lengths in a 25 metre pool would be swimming across the pool 4 times, totalling 100 metres
Licensed Meets
Log Book	A record of everything that the swimmer does in connection with swimming, including goals and targets, training sessions and PBs. To be kept by the swimmer him/her self. Usually kept on paper but computer programmes enable the log to be kept electronically too.
Long Course	A 50 metre long pool. The Olympic Games as well as all major international competitions are conducted long course. (See also short course.)
Marshalling Area	The area where swimmers report to the Race Marshalls prior to their heat and await the direction to go to the blocks.
Medals Certificates or other Awards	Medals Certificates or other Awards
Medical Declaration Form
Meet	A series of events held in one programme. Also known as a Gala.
Meet Director/Promoter	The person in charge of the administration of the meet.
Metreage	The distance a swimmer races or swims in training. Total metreage can be calculated for each training session and recorded in a swimmers logbook.
Micro League	A National swimming league for teams of Club swimmers in age range 9-12 year old male and female with teams initially competing in a local qualifying league.
Nationals	Senior, Youth and Age Group meets conducted each year.
Negative split	a race strategy in the distance freestyle events in which a swimmer covers the second half of the race faster than the first half.
Novice	A beginner or someone who does not have experience.
NQT	National Qualifying Time. The minimum time established by the ASA for entry into its National Championships in each stroke and distance.
Nutrition and Diet
Officials	The certified or qualified adult volunteers who operate the many facets of a swim competition eg referee, judges, timekeepers and starters.
Open Competition	Meet Competition which any registered Club or individual may enter.
OT Official Time	: The swimmer’s confirmed event time recorded electronically usually to one hundredth of a second (.01).
Pace Clock	The large clocks with highly visible numbers and second hands, positioned at the ends or sides of a swimming pool so the swimmers can read their times during warm-ups or swim practice.
Paddle	Hand paddles or Finger paddles. Plastic devices worn on the swimmers hands during swim practice to develop good technique in entry and pull phases.
PB	: 'Personal Best' - The best time a swimmer has done so far in a particular stroke and distance. A swimmer would have separate Long Course and Short Course PB’s for each stroke and distance.
Pool	The facility in which swimming competition is conducted.
Poolside Entries	Very occasionally, where there are empty lanes in heats, the promoter of a Meet will allow swimmers to enter races literally from the poolside on the day.
Practice: Aka Training	The scheduled work-outs a swimmers attends with their swim team/club.
Pull Buoy	A flotation device used for pulling by swimmers in practice.
Qualifying Times	Published times necessary to enter certain meets. See CQT, NQT RQT etc.
Ready Room	A room on or near the pool side for the swimmers to relax before they compete in finals.
Recovery	the phase the arm stroke where the arm travels over the water.
Referee	The head official at a swim meet.
Registered	It is necessary for all swimmers to be registered as a competitive swimmer with the ASA in order to swim in Meets.
Relay exchange (Changeover	the exchange between the swimmer in the water and the next swimmer on the relay team. A perfect exchange will simultaneously have the finishing swimmer's hand on the touch pad and the sorting swimmer's feet just touching the starting block with the rest of the starting swimmer's body extended over the water.
Relays	A swimming event in which, typically,4 swimmers participate as a relay team, each swimmer swimming an equal distance of the race. There are two types of relays: 1.) Medley relay - One swimmer swims Backstroke, one swimmer swims Breaststroke, one swimmer swims Butterfly, one swimmer swims Freestyle, in that order. Medley relays are conducted over 200m and 400m distances. 2.) Freestyle relay - Each swimmer swims freestyle. Freestyle relays are generally conducted over 200m, 400m, and 800m distances.
RQT	Regional Qualifying Time. The minimum time established by the ASA Regions for entry into their Regional Championships in each stroke and distance.
S-Pull Pattern	: a method of pulling in freestyle swimming that encourages and outward and inward sweeping motion of the hand and arms rather then a straight back (point A to point B) motion. Allows for the arms to travel a greater distance through the water and results in greater distance per stroke. The "S" pull pattern also encourages better body roll.
Safety	The responsible and careful actions of those participating in a swim meet. Listen carefully to the safety announcements at galas.
Scratch	To withdraw from an event after having declared an intention to participate. This practice, unless for good reason e.g. medical that may have to be confirmed by providing evidence, should be avoided; it does not reflect well on either the swimmer or the Club and may result in imposition of a fine!.
Seed	The assignment of the swimmers to heats and lanes according to their submitted or preliminary times.
Session	Portion of meet distinctly separated from other portions by time.
Set	Swim workouts are divided up into sets of swims in a particular stroke, style, and distance, such as kick sets, pull sets, Distance sets, sprint sets, I.M. sets, etc. Sets are given in terms of the distance to be swum, calculated in metres. Therefore, a "set" of "25s" means swimming one length of the pool before resting, "50s" means two lengths, and so on. Learn to think of your swimming in terms of metres and not in terms of laps or lengths.
Shave	Prior to a major competition a swimmer will shave his or her entire body. The removal of the hair provides less resistance between skin and water and heightens a swimmer's sensations in the water. A degree of psychological advantage may also be gained.
Short Course	: A 25 metre pool
Simultaneously	A term used in the rules of butterfly and breaststroke, meaning at the same time.
Six Beat Kick	6 leg movements during 1 freestyle stroke (both arms) for racing.
Skins
Skinsuit Bodysuit Kneeskin	Terms for different styles of racing costume designed to have minimum drag in the water. While many swimmers use the traditional knitted lycra, the newest suit is woven lycra, called a "paper" suit because of its texture. There are continually new styles and fabrics put out on the market.
Speedo League	A National swimming league for teams of Club swimmers in age range 9 year to Open male and female with teams initially competing in a local qualifying league.
Split	A swimmer's intermediate time in a race. Splits are registered every 50 or 100 metres depending on the event distance and are used to determine if a swimmer is on target pace.
Start	The beginning of a race.
Starter	: The official in charge of signalling the beginning of a race and ensuring that all swimmers have a fair start.
Step-Down	The command given by the Starter or Referee to have the swimmers move off the blocks. Usually this command is a good indication everything is not right for the race to start.
Still Water	that has no current or turbulence caused by either filtration system or by swimmers.
Stroke	There are 4 competitive strokes: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle.
Stroke Judge	: The official positioned at the side of the pool, walking the length of the course as the swimmers race. The stroke judge is required to determine that each swimmer is carrying out his or her stroke within the rules, and will disqualify any who isn’t.
Submitted Time	Times used to enter swimmers in meets. These times must have been achieved by the swimmer at previous meets. For National Championships they must be achieved in specified Licensed Meets
Suit	The racing costume worn by the swimmer, in the water, during competition. These have developed form trunks to full body suits in recent years.
Swim-off	In a Heat/Semi finals/Finals type competition, a race after the scheduled event to break a tie. The only circumstance that warrants a Swim-off is to determine which swimmer makes semifinals.
Take your Marks	The command to take your starting position on the blocks (or in the water if not diving or in backstroke) before the race is started.
Taper	The resting process for a swimmer at the end of a training cycle before an important meet. In the taper period training volume and intensity is reduced to allow the body and mind a break from the rigours of intense training. This coupled with quality rest allow the body time to repair itself and to restore its energy reserves to prepare the swimmer for the demands of intense competition.
Time Trial	: An event or series of events where a swimmer may achieve or better a required qualifying time.
Timekeepers	The volunteer officials sitting behind the starting blocks/finish end of pool, who are responsible for getting watch times on events and activating the backup buttons for the timing system. They also act as lap counters on distance freestyle races
Touch Pad	The removable plate (on the end of pools) that is connected to an automatic timing system. A swimmer must properly touch the touchpad to register an official time in a race
Turnover	the number of times a swimmer's arms turn over (cycle) in a given distance or time during a race.
Two Beat Kick	used traditionally for distance events, 800m plus for training and racing.
Unofficial Time	The time displayed on a read out board or read over the intercom by the announcer immediately after the race. After the time has been checked, it will become the official time.
Vitamins and Supplements	Vitamins are the building blocks of the body. They do not supply energy, but are necessary for proper health.
Warm down	Used by the swimmer to rid the body of excess lactic acid generated during a race when pool space is available. Essential to avoid injury.
Warm up	The practice and muscle loosening session a swimmer does before the meet starts or their event is swum. Essential to avoid injury.
Watch	The hand held device used by timers and coaches for timing a swimmers races and taking splits.
Water	Dehydration is a serious consequence of swimming so it is essential that swimmers drink water often and in quantity to replace body water loss due to intense exercise in hot conditions
Web Sites	Blackburn Centurions ASC: www.blackburncenturions.co.uk British Swimming/ASA: www.britishswimming.org
Weights	The various barbells, benches, machines used by swimmers during their dryland programme.
Whistle	The sound a starter/referee makes to signal for quiet before they give the command to start the race.
Youths	Girls at age 14 and boys at age 15 are considered to be Youths.