Helpful Vocabulary
- Stroke: The four recognized ways to swim competitively, consisting of Butterfly (Also called "Fly"), Backstroke (Also called "Back"), Breaststroke (Also called "Breast"), and Freestyle (Also called "Free"). There is also a medley of these strokes, called an "IM", in the order above.
- Dual Meet: A competition between two teams.
- Championship Meet: The final competition of the season between all teams.
- Individual Event: A race consisting of only one swimmer per lane. Their results belong only to them.
- Relay Event: A race consisting of four swimmers per lane. The results of the relay belong to the team. In the JSL, the only recognized relays are the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 200 IM Relay.(Referred to as the 200 Medley Relay)
- Exhibition Event: Denoted by an 'X' (X NT or X time). Swimmers are only allowed a certain number of events per meet. However, coaches can enter their swimmers into additional "Exhibition Events", which won't contribute to the team's score, but will count for the swimmer's personal best time.
- PR: Personal Record, or a swimmer's fastest recorded time in an event.
- DQ: A disqualification, caused by an unfair practice. A few examples of practices that can lead to a DQ are: pushing off the bottom of the pool, and finishing with one hand during Breaststroke or Butterfly.
- Heat: The group that the swimmer will be competing with. Each event will typically have multiple heats, with one swimmer or relay on each block.
- Heat Sheet: The book of information for each meet. It gives a list of each event, event number, swimmer, swimmers heat and lane, and sometimes projected times for events and heats.
- Clerk-of-Course: A series of benches or chairs that organize swimmers into their heats before they step onto the blocks. Swimmers also receive their event cards here.
- Starting End: The side of the pool with the blocks.
- Turning End: The side of the pool without the blocks.
- Ribbons: Swimmers that place down to 16th place will receive a ribbon for their accomplishment. Swimmers that place first in their heat will be awarded with a "Heat Winner" ribbon.
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