Dual Meet Procedures

This section is especially designed for new Swim Team parents. There’s a lot of activity going on at a swim meet and it can be overwhelming if you don’t have an idea of what to expect. 

The Roselle Racers are members of the DuPage County Swim and Dive Conference (DSDC). There are two DSDC divisions. For seven weeks starting in mid-June, we attend two “dual” meets a week. At each meet we compete against one other DSDC team. Four of these weekly meets are Roselle-hosted home meets and four are “away” meets. There is one Wednesday night and one Saturday morning “dual” meet each week. Dual meet start times and pool locations are posted on the website. Parents should allow 3 1/2 to 4 hours for hours for each meet, not including warm-ups. Warm-ups start one hour and fifteen minutes before for the home team and forty-five minutes before for the visiting team. 

Parents run the meets. They act as judges, starters, timers, scorers, ribbon writers, record keepers, concessions workers, and anything else to successfully run a swim meet. For meets to run smoothly, the Roselle Racers need every parent to be involved, so please offer your services. 

Here is some basic terminology to help parents understand what goes on at a meet:

Eligibility - Every swimmer who attends practice will be given an opportunity to swim in a meet. A swimmer is allowed to swim in a maximum of 3 individual events and 2 relays. Although it may not be possible for every swimmer to swim the maximum number of events, he/she will swim in at least one. A swimmer must compete in 4 meets to swim in A Conference. There is currently no meet requirement to swim in B conference. 

Warm-ups - Swimmers need to be on time for warm-ups (lined up behind the blocks and ready to get in the water). Failure to do so will result in not swimming the dual meet. If a swimmer must be late for some extenuating reason, the head coach needs to receive a phone call before warm-ups. 

Absences - Please let the coaches know if you are planning a vacation during swim season or if your swimmer will not be available to swim a meet for any reason. Our coaches need this information to prepare the line-up for upcoming meets. Last minute changes and no-shows are disruptive and unfair to the coaches and other swimmers. Indeed, they may preclude an entire relay from swimming. Be a good sport and PLEASE let us know when you’ll be gone. 

Meet Line Ups - The coaches will put together a list of swimmers for every meet and post the line-up lists on the bulletin board the day of the meet. The participant list changes every week, so check the list and write your child’s swim events on your hand so you’ll be sure to be on deck for their swim. Your child will not swim every event and swimmers are not allowed to swim in more than five events per meet. The coaches determine the meet entries after considering swimmers' abilities, experience, and goals. 

Check in with the Clerk of Course - The Clerk of Course will check in all swimmers for each event. The clerk of course hands each swimmer an “event card.” The card shows the event number, lane assignment and position for relay events. After receiving the event card, swimmers proceed to the "bullpen." 

Bullpen - After swimmers check-in at the Clerk, they then should proceed to the chairs in the bullpen or waiting area where bullpen volunteers will help them get to the appropriate lane at the right time. Make sure your swimmer knows what stroke he or she will swim and that goggles are tight. 

Lane Assignments - Home teams swim in lanes 2, 4, and 6. Visiting teams swim in lanes 1, 3, and 5. The only exceptions are when events are combined to shorten the meet. 

Exhibition Heats - If a lane is available in a particular event, the coach may ask a swimmer to swim that particular event "exhibition". This means the swimmer swims strictly for a time needed by the coach and to get more experience swimming that particular stroke. Although your time and place will not be counted in the final results, you will have had an opportunity to swim for a time and improve your stroke. Exhibition heat swimmers earn exhibition ribbons. 

There can be a maximum of twenty exhibition heats during a meet. All exhibition heats are swum before the scored heat. If your child is swimming in an exhibition heat, there will be an E or EX next to his or her name on the line-up. All heats— whether exhibition or scored—are important. 

Scored Heats - Each event has one scoring heat, where the team can earn points towards winning the swim meet. Scoring heat participants can win ribbons for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place.

Events - Events are held in all competitive strokes at varying distances depending on the age group of the swimmer. The four competitive strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. In addition, a combination of the strokes swum by one swimmer is called the individual medley. There are two types of relays–four swimmers who either all swim freestyle or each person swims one of the competitive strokes in order of back, breast, fly, and free. Each swim meet has 78 events. That’s why swim meets take the time they do! An event sheet appears at the end of this handbook. Some of the less self- explanatory events include: 

Medley Relay, 8 & under 

• Swim 25 yards (1 length) for each leg of the race 

• Order of strokes: back, breast, fly, free 

• Backstroke and butterfly will leave from the block end of the pool 

• Breaststroke and freestyle will leave from the far end of the pool 

Medley Relay, 9-10 and over 

• Swim 50 yards (2 lengths) each 

• Order of strokes: back, breast, fly, free 

• All swimmers leave from the block end of the pool. 

Free Relay, 8 & under 

• Swim 25 yards (1 length) 

• 1st & 3rd swimmers leave from block end of pool •

2nd & 4th swimmers leave from far end of pool 

Free Relay, 9-10 and over 

• All swimmers swim 50 yards (2 lengths) and leave from the block end of pool

Individual Medley, 9-10 and over 

• Swim 25 yards of each stroke 

• Order of strokes: fly, back, breast, free

To the Blocks - When your event is called by the announcer, you are to go up to the diving block for your assigned lane. Please note you are not to touch the water (dip your goggles, fill your cap, splash yourself, etc.) while an event is in progress. To do so may result in a disqualification. If a swimmer is not at the block on time, he or she will miss the event; the heat will not wait for a missing swimmer. Swimmers will stand up on the block only after the starter has announced the event. 

Starter - Starts each event with a starter's pistol or beeper/strobe light. At home meets, we use an electronic starting system. 

On the blocks - Swimmers stand forward and look at the end of the pool or water. Swimmers shouldn’t look at the starter, spectators or fellow swimmers. This not only distracts the swimmer, it might cause the starter to delay the beginning of the race. 

The starter will say, “Swimmers take your mark.” - At this point, the swimmer will assume the starting position. Swimmers are not allowed to move after assuming this starting position. The gun or horn will sound, thus prompting the swimmers to start. 

False Start - If someone leaves the block early, the official will beep the electronic signal or “shoot” the starter’s pistol (cap gun). This is usually loud enough for the swimmers to hear. At this point, they are to return to their starting blocks for further instructions. 

When the race concludes - The swimmer is to immediately exit the water so the next heat or event can begin.