The Basics Of Swimming

1
The Basics Of Swimming

• If you dont learn, you will drown
• By Alexandria English

2
Swimming 101

• Skills
• The five competitive swimming strokes
• Competition

3
Events
4
Starts

• Remain Motionless at the start of the race
• Positions on the blocks
• Freestyle (on block)
• Backstroke (in water)
• Relay (wait for team member to touch wall before
  jump)

5
Rules- What NOT to do

• Freestyle
• Dont walk on bottom
• pull lane lines
• Not completing distance
• Breaststroke
• An illegal kick such as flutter (freestyle)
• dolphin (butterfly)
• scissors (side stroke
• alternating movements of the arms
• touching with only one hand at the turns or
  finish.

• Backstroke
• Pulling or kicking into the wall
• Turning onto the breast before touching the wall
  with the hand at the finish of the race.
• Butterfly
• Alternating movements of the arms or legs
• pushing the arms forward under instead of over
  the water surface
• a breaststroke style of kick
• touching with only one hand at the turns or
  finish.

6
Course

• Short Course (25 yards or 25 meters)
• Long Course (50 meters)
• The international standard (as used in the
  Olympics) is 50 meters.

• World records are accomplished in 25 and 50 meter
  pools
• USA Swimming maintains records for 25 yard, 25
  meter and 50 meter pools.

7
Teams

• Swimmers have clubs, nearly half have 80 swimmers
  or less
• Some teams have over 500 swimmers.
• A team may be comprised of any number of
  swimmers, parents and coaches.

• Participants compete in different age groups and
  meets depending on achievement level their age on
  the first day of the meet.
• Recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12,
  13-14, 15-16, 17-18.

8
Officials

• Clerk of the Course Arranges the swimmers in
  their proper heats and lanes prior to a race.
• Referee Has overall authority and control of the
  competition, ensures that all the rules are
  followed instructs all officials 
• Relay Takeoff Judges Stand beside blocks to
  observe relay exchange, ensuring the feet of the
  departing swimmer have not lost contact with the
  block before the incoming swimmer touches the end
  of the pool.

• Timers Operate timing devices and record the
  time for the swimmer in their lane. 2 or 3 timers
  are needed for each lane. Turn Judges Observe
  each end of the pool ensure the turns and
  finishes comply with the rules  
• Starter Assumes control of the swimmers from the
  Referee, directs them to "take your mark," makes
  sure that no swimmer is in motion prior to giving
  the start signal.
• Stroke Judges Observe the swimmers from both
  sides of the pool, to ensure that the rules
  relating to each stroke are being followed.

9
Swim Slang

• Blocks- The starting platforms located behind
  each lane.
• Flags- Pennants that are suspended over the width
  of each end of the pool 15 feet from the wall.
• Lap Counter- numbered cards used during the
  freestyle events 500 yards or longer.
• The numbers are "odd numbers only with the final
  lap being a bright orange card.

• Cards- They list
• the swimmers name
• seed time
• event number
• event description
• the lane and heat number the swimmer will swim
  in.
• Dropped Time- When a swimmer goes faster than
  their previous time they have "dropped their
  time".
• Anchor- The final swimmer in a relay.