The following are some of the most common and important terms that go along with competitive swimming:

Anchor - The final swimmer in a relay and the point in the stroke pattern where the hand feels the most resistance and begins effective propulsive movement.

Bell Lap - The part of a freestyle distance race (400 meters or longer) when the swimmer has 2 lengths plus 5 yards to go. The starter fires a gun shot over the lane of the lead swimmer when swimmer is at the backstroke flags.

Bullpen – a staging area on or near the pool deck reserved as a gathering place for (usually young) swimmers before their swim event. By lining up children in the bullpen area according to heat and lane assignments, volunteer parents help minimize confusion and stress as the kids’ transition to the starting blocks.

Bulkhead – a barrier wall fitted near the middle of a long course pool (or any pool longer than 25 yards) to convert one side into to a short course. Serves as a cat-walk for stroke & turn officials.

Circle Swim - When there are more than two swimmers in a lane during practice, swimmers swim up on the right hand side, staying close to the lane line, and return on the other side ensuring that there is 5 seconds apart between the swimmer in front. This eliminates the risk of swimmers crashing into each other

Circle Seeding - A method of seeding swimmers when they are participating in a prelims/finals event. The fastest 18 to 24 swimmers are seeded in the last three heats, with the fastest swimmers being in the inside lanes. (I.e.) Lane 4 in the final 3 heats. See rule book for exact method for seeding depending on the lanes in the pool.

Clinic - A scheduled meeting for the purpose of instruction. (I.e.) Official’s clinic, Coaches clinic.

Cool-down - A slower, longer swim as an essential injury prevention technique, used by the swimmer after a race to rid the body of excess lactic acid

Course - Designated distance (length of pool) for swimming competition. (I.e.) Long Course = 50 meters / Short Course = 25 yards or 25 meters.

Cut - A qualifying time for a competitive event

DQ – disqualification

Drill - broken stroke to work on a specific aspect of the stroke; SWIM SLOWLY

Dry land - The exercises and various strength programs swimmers do out of the water.

False start- leaving the block early

Flutter Kick - The alternating kick used in backstroke and front crawl, usually 6 kicks per cycle

Heat - A division of an event used to cut the number of participants, when a single race to determine the winner would mean too many swimmers competing at the same time.

Heat Sheets – the pre-meet printed listings of swimmers’ heat and lane assignments and seed times in the various events at a swim meet. These sheets vary in accuracy, since the coaches submit swimmers times many weeks before the meet. Heat sheets are sold at the admissions table and are used mainly to make sure the swimmer has been properly entered in all the events they signed up for. Parents enjoy looking at the seeding’s prior to the race plus swimmers can tell the order the events will be conducted and get a rough idea how long the meet sessions will last

High Elbow - Refers to the recovery phase of the front crawl, where keeping a high elbow encourages better balance and body roll. Also refers to the pull stage of the stroke, where the elbow remains in a higher position over the hand, giving the sensation of reaching over a barrel when pulling through the water

Illegal - Doing something against the rules that is cause for disqualification.

Individual Medley - A combination of the four competitive swimming strokes swum in the following order; Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle (usually front crawl)

Interval - A specific elapsed time for swimming or rest used during swim practice.

Lap- one length of the pool

Lap Counter- The large numbered cards (or the person turning the cards) used during the freestyle events 500 yards or longer. Counting is done from the end opposite the starting end. The numbers on the cards are "odd numbers “only with the final lap being designated by a bright orange card.

Lead-off - The swimmer to execute the first leg of the relay.

Leg - The part of a relay event swam by a single team member. A single stroke in the IM.

Length - A completed lap either up or down the pool. This may be a distance of 25y or 50m depending upon the size of the pool.

Medley- a race in which all four strokes are performed

Negative Split - When the second half of the race is swum faster than the first half

Pace - The speed that corresponds with a race distance, e.g. 1:20 (1 minute 20 seconds) per 100y.

Qualifying Time (QT) - A specified time that must be achieved for the swimmer to enter a competitive event.

Relay – a race with teams consisting of four swimmers, each of whom swims a different leg

Scratch - To withdraw from an event after having declared an intention to participate. Some meets have scratch deadlines and specific scratch rules, and if not followed, swimmer can be disqualified from remaining events.

Seed - To assign a swimmer to a heat or lane according to their qualifying time.

Split - A portion of an event, shorter than the total distance, which is timed. (I.e.) A swimmer’s first 50 time is taken as the swimmer swims the 100 race. It is common to take multiple splits for the longer distances.

Split times - The times taken for each individual section of a race.

Start Position - The position taken by the swimmer at the beginning of the race. The swimmer is required to have at least one foot at the front of the starting block and remain motionless until the start signal sounds. The most common position has the swimmer bent over, knees bent and feet shoulder width apart. Some swimmers prefer a track start with one foot forward and one foot back.

Starter – The official in charge of signaling the beginning of a race and ensuring that all swimmers have a fair takeoff.

Starting Blocks – the starting platforms located behind each lane. Pools normally have blocks installed at the deeper end of the pool, and some pools have blocks at both ends. Blocks have a variety of designs and can be permanent or removable. Most have bars near the base on the water side that swimmers use during backstroke starts.

Stations - Separate portions of a dry land or weight circuit

Taper - Reducing the intensity of training just before a race so that the swimmer may be fresh and in peak condition for the event.

Touchpad – an electronically stimulated pad that hangs on the end of the pool

Turnover - The number of times a swimmer completes one cycle of a stroke during a race.

Yardage - The distance a swimmer races or swims during the totality of their practice

Swimming Events:
Eight-and-under:

• 25-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 50-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 100-yard individual medley or "IM" (25 yards of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, in that order)
• 100-yard freestyle

9-10 year olds:

• 50-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 100-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 100-yard IM, and sometimes the 200-yard IM
• 200-yard freestyle, and sometimes the 500-yard freestyle

11-12 year olds:

• 50-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 100-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 100-yard IM, 200-yard IM, and sometimes the 400-yard IM
• 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, and sometimes the 1000-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle

13 and over:

• 50-yard freestyle
• 100-yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
• 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM
• 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle, and 1650-yard freestyle