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

Automatic (Electronic) Timing: electrical equipment designed to measure the elapsed time between the start and finish of a race in each lane.

ASA (Amateur Swimming Association): the governing body of swimming in England.

ASA National Championships: senior and age group competitions for all swimmers who make the qualifying standard to determine the best swimmers in England. The events are open to competitors from other nations and are more commonly referred to as the British Nationals.

ASFGB (Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain): the governing body of swimming across Great Britain.

Backstroke flags: a line of small flags suspended above the pool at 5 metres distance from each wall. They enable backstroke swimmers to accurately judge the distance to the turn or finish.

Closed Competition: competition only open to those members of one group or organisation.

Consolation Final: a race for those swimmers who just failed to qualify for finals (places 9 through 16 in an eight lane pool).

Converted Time: an estimated time arrived at via a mathematical process to relate a yard time to metres or vice versa and to compare times between different pool lengths.

Disqualification (DQ): indicates the swimmer has committed some infraction of the rules. No place, points or awards will be given.

East District Championships: senior and age group competitions for all swimmers who make the qualifying standard to determine the best swimmers in the East District of Scotland.

Entry form/disk: the page(s) or computer disk upon which the team's entries for a particular meet are submitted to the meet host or designated committee.

Event: any race or series of races in a given stroke or distance.

False start: when a competitor gains an unfair advantage over a competitor by starting before it is legal to do so.

FINA (Federation Internationale Natation Amateur): the world's governing body of swimming.

Final: any single race that determines final places and times in an event.

Heats: the division of an event in which there are too many swimmers to compete at one time.

I.M. (Individual Medley): an event where all four competitive strokes are used in the order: butterfly - backstroke - breaststroke - frontcrawl.

Lane: the specific area in which a swimmer is assigned to swim, i.e., lane 1, lane 2 etc.

Lane line: continuous floating markers attached to a line stretching between each end of the pool for the purpose of separating each lane.

Lane numbers: lanes are numbered from right to left as the swimmer stands facing the course.

Leg: the part of a relay that is swum by a single team member.

LEN (League European Natation): the governing body of swimming in Europe.

Long Course: swimming conducted in 50 metre pools.

Medley relay: a relay race with each swimmer performing a different stroke in the order: backstroke - breaststroke - butterfly - frontcrawl.

Negative split: a pacing tactic whereby the athlete performs the second half of a race faster than the first half.

Open competition: a competition in which any affiliated club, organisation or individual may enter.

Pacing: an important procedure for distributing energy resources in a particular race to achieve the best overall performance.

Placing (order of finish): determined by either the automatic timing system when available or by the meet officials when manual timing is used.

Programme (Start/Heat sheet): a complete listing of all swimmers entered in the events at a competition.

Qualifying / Consideration time: the time a swimmer must perform to enter a particular meet or gain selection to a certain squad.

Recall: a signal from the starter that a legal has not occurred. The swimmers will be recalled by reactivation of the starting device. Disqualification may occur.

Recall / False start rope: a line suspended over the course used to stop the competitors in the event a false start has occurred.

SASA (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association): the governing body of swimming in Scotland.

SASA National Championships: senior and age group competitions for all swimmers who make the qualifying standard to determine the best swimmers in Scotland.

Session: any portion of a meet distinctly separated from other portions by locale, time or type, i.e., heats and finals, senior and age group.

Short Course: swimming conducted in 25 metre or 25 yard pools.

Split time: the time(s) recorded within individual sections of a race.

Starter: the official who gives the start commands to the competitors.

Starting block / Plinth: a raised platform from which competitors dive at the start of freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and individual medley races.

Stroke judge: the official who inspects competitors to determine that the stroke being used is legal.

Streamlining: the method of aligning the body so as to reduce resistance in the water.

Swim off: an additional race used to determine the finalists in the event of a tie in the heats.

Timed finals / Heat Declared Winner: competition in which only heats are swum with final placings determined by the times performed in the heats.