General Information
After warmups, the wait begins
The following packet of information will help swimmers and parents to know more about summer swim league, how the meets are run and scored, and will help to make all of this less confusing and more fun!
- Topics
Starting Times
All evening meets shall start promptly at 6:00pm with every reasonable effort being made to complete all meets within (3) hours. Warm-ups begin at 5:30 pm. Each team will get a fifteen-minute warm-up with the home team warming up first. Please have swimmers up at the pool one hour prior to the start of a meet.
Age Group Categories
Shrimps (6 and under)
These swimmers will compete in one length of freestyle, but their results are not scored as part of the meet.
8 and under
These swimmers must be able to swim one length of the pool freestyle, and be able to demonstrate the capability of at least one other stroke.
9 and 10
Swimmers of this age should be familiar with the competitive strokes and be willing to learn from, and practice with, our experienced coaches. It is not necessary to be proficient in all strokes, or to be an expert swimmer.
These swimmers may also enter the IM – Individual Medley – one pool length of each stroke in this order: butterfly, backSTROKE, breaststroke and freestyle.
11 and 12
these swimmers have the same requirements as the 9 and 10 group, except that they must swim two full pool lengths for each event except IM, which will be 100 meters.
13 and 14
these swimmers have the same requirements as the 11 and 12 age group
15 through 18
same as above
Order of Events
Girls first in each event.
- 6 and under freestyle (no scoring)
- Medley Relay
- Freestyle
- Backstroke
- IM — Individual Medley
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Freestyle Relay
Event Distance
All GCSL meets set the Event distance based on the age of the swimmers:
10 and under
One full length of the pool — 25 meters
11 through 18
Two full lengths of the pool — 50 meters
9 through 18
Swim the IM (Individual Medley) — 100 meters
Swim Lanes
* Home Team will be in the ODD lanes
Lanes 1-3-5
* Visiting Team will be in the EVEN lanes
Lanes 2-4-6
Events Per Swimmer
Each swimmer may swim up to a maximum of 3 individual events and 2 relays for a total of five (5) events. IM’s are considered an event.
A swimmer may move up one age group in the relays only, but each relay team must have at least TWO SWIMMERS of the same proper age for that group. THERE WILL BE NO SUBSTITUTIONS IF SWIMMERS OF THAT AGE GROUP ARE AVAILABLE, meaning present at the meet.
Scoring
No points will be scored for the 6 and under freestyle events.
Individuals:
First Place — 5 points
Second Place — 3 points
Third Place — 1 point
Relays:
First Place — 10 points
Second Place — 6 points
In Case of Ties:
If there is a tie for first place in an individual event, both swimmers receive four (4) points and there will be no 2nd place. If there is a tie for second place, both swimmers receive two (2) points and there will be no third (3) place. If there is a tie for third place, both swimmers receive one-half (.5) point. (Total points for each individual event cannot exceed nine (9) points).
If there is a tie for first place in a relay event, both teams receive (8) points and there will be no 2nd place. (Total points for each relay event cannot exceed sixteen (16) points). In individual events, a swimmer may place from any heat. In timing all events, record times to the 100th’s – do not round off.
Times
All places are to be determined by the stopwatch times. There will be two (2) timers in each lane.
Disqualifications (DQ’s)
A swimmer will be disqualified if the swimmer does not do the strokes and/or turns properly.
All teams must report for scheduled meets regardless of the weather!! Meets can be postponed by mutual consent of the clubs involved. No meet can be postponed until 30 minutes after the scheduled starting time of 6:00pm. If a meet has already begun and is interrupted by thunder, a maximum 30-minute delay is allowed before the meet is called.
In order to qualify for the All-Star meet a swimmer must have swam at least three meets during the season and must have done at least 3 events in each of those meets. There are no Shrimp events at the All-Star Meet.