“SWIM MEETS ARE FOR SWIMMERS” Maryland Swimming Meet Director’s Guide
This document has all of the RULES and REGULATIONS for meets that are sanctioned by Maryland swimming.
It is highly recommended that each Meet director print off and make use of the file.
· The Meet Director is the organizer and coordinator of all meet activities. As such, he or she has full responsibility for all personnel engaged to run the meet.
· Meet Director’s should not assume any other responsibilities during the meet.
· Meet Directors must be current non-athlete members of USA Swimming.
· Meet Directors must be certified as a Maryland Swimming Meet Director.
· When the warm-ups begin for each session, the Meet referee assumes complete control of the competition. The Meet Director should be available to assist the meet management team and to answer questions the Meet referee may have.
· See the Appendix for a list of the Meet Director’s major responsibilities
PLANNING Page 9
Meet Schedule
Bid Procedure
Sanctions and Approvals
Sanction or Approval Fee
Right of First Refusal
Adding a Meet to the Existing Schedule
Meet Specifications
Sanction Number
Failure to Hold a Meet
Referee Fine
Observed Meets
Requirements during an Observed Meet
Post Observed Meet Requirements
YMCA Meet Requirements
PRE-MEET PREPARATION Page 14
Meet Staff Requirements
Meet Notice
Entry Forms
Entry Guidelines
Return Check Fee
Event Limits
Entry Order
Unaccepted Entries
Swimmer Eligibility
Under-Subscription
Meet Host Fees
Meet Fees: Sanctioned, Approved, Observed
Entry Fees for Individual and Relay Events
Entry Fee Percentage
LSC Per Swimmer Surcharge
Equipment Rental Fee
Radio Rental Only Fee
Registration
False Swimmer Registration for Meet Host’s Fine
Club Affiliation
Insurance Coverage
Age Group Competition Eligibility
Age Group Competition Conduct of Meets
Age Group Competition Awards
Senior Competition Eligibility
Senior Competition Conduct of Meets
Senior Competition Awards
Championship Competition
Qualifying for Age Group or Senior Championships
Championship Competition Eligibility
Championship Meet Notices – Swim Aids
Special Events
Distance (Only) Meets
Open Water Meets
Open Water Meet Notice
US Swimming Open Water Rules
Open Water Competition Insurance
Open Water Meet Entry Fees
Post open Water Meet Procedure
Open Water Entry Forms
Open Water Time Limitations
Open Water Championship
Open Water Event Limits
Open Water Officials
Open Eater Equipment/Timing System
Open Water Venue
Open Water Safety
Meet Equipment Rental
Priority of Rentals
Equipment Care
Safety Policies and Requirements
Pre-Meet Safety Preparations
Meet Safety Director Requirements
Meet Safety Director General Responsibilities
Meet Safety Director Authority
Meet Marshals General Requirements
Meet Marshals General Responsibilities
Meet Marshals Authority
Coaches Safety Requirements
Coaches Safety General Meet Responsibilities
Meet Directors Safety Responsibilities During Competition
Accidents
Deck Access
Report of Occurrence Form
Meet Safety Committee Responsibilities
Meet Referee’s Safety Responsibilities
MEET RESPONSIBILITIES Page 33
Warm Up Guidelines
Warm Up Procedures
General Warm Up
Specific Warm Ups
Continuous Warm Up
Meet Director’s Policies
Time Limitations
Recon File
Psych Sheets
Personnel
Meet Personnel
Sales
Announcer
Awards
Clerk of Course
Computer operator
Concessions
Hospitality
Runner
Timing Equipment Operator and Timers
CONDUCT OF MEETS Page 37
Rules
Meet Length
Oversubscription Fees
Scratch Rules
Failure to Scratch Fine
USA Swimming Rules
Pre-Seeded Times Final Events
Positive Check-in Events
Prelims/Finals
Maryland Swimming Championship Meets
National Championship Format Meets
Disabled Swimmers
Computer Operations
POST MEET PROCEDURES Page 43
Maintaining Meet Documentation
Meet Related Fines
False Swimmer Registration Fine
False Swimmer Registration for Meet Host Fine
Failure to Scratch Fine
Referee Fine
Overqualified Swimmer Fine
Post Meet Financial Submission Fine
Failure to Submit
Rules and Regulations Fine
WHAT TO SUBMIT – WHEN TO SUBMIT and WHO GETS IT? Page 45
Financial Reports
TIMES Officer Submission
Webmaster Submission
Safety Chairperson Submission
Meet Referee Requirements
Maintaining Meet Documentation
Post Meet Procedures
APPENDIX Page 47
Documentation to Have on Hand at the Meet
Supplies to Have on Hand
Plan Ahead – To Do List
FORMS (Links) Page 50
Bid Form for Sanctioned Meet
Application to Host an Approved Meet
Application to Host an Observed Meet
Difference Between an APPROVED Meet and an Observed Meet
Request to Add a Meet to the Existing Schedule
Meet notice Template
Meet Safety Checklist
Report of Occurrence
Financial Report
Appeal Process for Relief of Meet Fees Payment
PLANNING
Meet Schedule
The preliminary Meet Schedule for the following year (September-August) is developed at the Spring Coaches Planning Meeting. The Technical Planning Chairperson then submits a proposed Meet Schedule to the House of Delegates. This Meet Schedule for the next year (September – August) is then approved by the House of Delegates at the Anual House of Delegates meeting. The proposed annual schedule is posted on the MSI web site prior to the House of Delegates meeting.
Bid Procedure.
Clubs who wish to host a meet must bid for the requested meet as outlined below.
The Request for Sanction is to presented at or before the Spring Coaches Planning Meeting, using the Meet Sanction Request Form.
The official bid/Meet Notice Template must be delivered to the Maryland Swimming Office on or before July 1st.
Any host team that does not have a currently certified USA Swimming Referee, admin official, starter and 2 stroke & turn officials as noted in the MSI Rules must host two officials training clinics annually.
Dual Meets, Closed Invitational or any other meet not on the Official MSI Meet Schedule may not be conducted the same weekend or within one week (before or after) an existing Maryland Swimming Scheduled Meet, that includes the same level of swimmers. But, the following exceptions may apply:
a) If the teams involved in the dual meet have historically (past 2 years) not attended the conflicting meets.
b) If the other teams involved in the dual/tri meet are out of LSC teams, assuming those out of LSC teams do not historically (past two years) attend the Maryland Swimming scheduled meet.
c) If the clubs hosting the Maryland Swimming Scheduled Meets one week prior to and one week following, give the dual meet host their consent to run their dual meet.
All meets not on the Official Schedule must be presented at the Spring Coaches Meeting for review.
All meets not on the Official Schedule must be presented and approved at the Annual House of Delegates Meeting
All meets not on the Official Schedule that are sanctioned, or approved, are subject to all financial obligations and other rules as the Maryland Swimming meets including but not limited to: the sanction fee, percentage of entry fees due to for all sanctioned MD Swimming meets where entry fees are charged, the LSC per swimmer surcharge, registration recon report, request for sanction guidelines, and minimum requirement for officials. It is the meet host’s responsibility to contact the MSI Officials chair to schedule the 2 required Officials clinic, within the calendar year.
Sanctions and Approvals
A sanction is a permit issued by an LSC to a USA Swimming group member to conduct a meet in conformance with all USA Swimming rules in which all participating swimmers are athlete members of USA Swimming, except as provided by the “open borders policy”
An approval is a permit issued by an LSC for meets conducted in conformance with USA Swimming technical rules in which both USA members and non-members may compete.
Under no circumstances can a meet host request an ‘approved’ meet status if the meet notice does not explicitly state that the technical rules contained in Part One of the current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations will be followed
Sanction or Approval Fee
Teams who host a meet in Maryland Swimming must pay a $30 Sanction, Approval or Observation Fee
Right of First Refusal
Clubs must bid annually at the Spring Coaches Meeting to maintain their right of first refusal to host a competition. Each club retaining their right of first refusal or bidding on an open date must have a representative present at the Spring Coaches Planning Meeting and at the House of Delegates meeting
Teams that are bidding for meets are required to have participation entries totaling $2,500 in Maryland sanctioned meets, throughout the year (June 1 - May 31), for each meet hosted excluding Open Water meets. For example, a team hosting 4 meets is required to have a minimum of $10,000 in entries, 3 meets - $7,500, 2 meets - $5,000 and 1 meet - $2,500. If a host team does not meet those requirements then they will lose their right of first refusal to host a meet during the next year, as follows:
$1 - $2,500 under requirement - lose 1 meet
$2,501 - $5,000 under requirement - lose 2 meets
$5,001 - $7,500 under requirement - lose 3 meets
$7,501 - $10,000 under requirement - lose 4 meets
Adding a Meet to the Existing Official Schedule
Clubs wising to host a sanctioned or approved meet which is not already on the published meet schedule must submit the Request for Adding a Meet to the Existing Schedule Form to the MSI Office (). The office will forward copies of the request form to: Technical Planning Chair, Age Group Chair, Senior Chair and Coaches Representative for approval.
Request must be addressed and meet host notified, 30 days prior to first day of start of the requested meet. If approved, a Meet Notice must be submitted, and sanction or approval number assigned, within 48 hours of notification of approval.
If the request is denied. The host club will have 30 days to file an appeal with Maryland Swimming Board of Directors/Board of Review.
Meet Specifications.
Unless approved by the Technical Planning Chairperson, specifications of the awarded meet may not be changed after approval of the meet specifications at the House of Delegates meeting. This includes, but is not limited to, age groups, time standards and dates of competition. The host team has the right to run the awarded meet as a timed finals meet or as a trials and finals meet if not specified in the awarded specifications. The host club shall determine the number of days over which the meet is held, and the events that are offered unless specified by the House of Delegates.
Sanction Number.
By July 1, a Completed Meet Notice Form or an Approved Meet Application is to be sent via email to the Maryland Swimming Office.
All meet notices must be submitted in PDF format.
Approval of the sanction or approval will depend upon the proper form of the meet notice and inspection of its contents to assure that the competition adheres to the approved type and schedule as approved by the House of Delegates and to USA Swimming and MSI rules.
The Maryland Swimming Office will issue the sanction number that must appear on all meet notices.
No sanction number will be issued for a meet without an MSI Certified Meet Director, an MSI Certified Meet Entries Director, a USA Registered Admin Official and a USA Registered Meet Safety Director. The Meet Director listed on the Meet notice, must be the actual Meet Director in position at the meet.
Meet Notices are not considered official and approved until they are posted on the MSI website by September 1. Once posted, changes may be made only to correct errors, change meet personnel or facility location. The Meet Entry Order may not be changed once the meet notice is published.
Failure to Hold a Meet
When a bid is awarded and approved by the House of Delegates, the cancellation of a meet by the host club less than 120 days before the start of the meet will result in the prohibition of that club hosting a competition for the next two (2) years. The Board of Directors may modify this ruling for just cause
Referee Fine
The host team of meets not having a referee present are subject to a $100 fine, will lose all rights to run that meet and will not be allowed to host any swim meets for a period of 2 years. In addition, all times from the said meet will be unofficial.
Observed Meets
There is a $30 Observation Meet Fee payable to Maryland Swimming before the Meet is certified as Observed.
There is no fee for times entries into SWIMS from an Observed Meet if all Requirements are met as follows
a) The qualifying observed meets shall be limited to YMCA, high school or collegiate league and conference championship meets and collegiate dual meets conducted within a swimming venue within the boundaries of Maryland Swimming.
b) The meet must have at least two properly registered and certified S&T officials who will perform the requested observations and timing adjudications to ensure they are performed in accordance with the current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations.
c) No less than 90 days prior to the start of competition, the meet host or representative is responsible for requesting the observation.
d) The observation request shall take the form of the USA Swimming/Maryland Swimming, Inc. Request for Observation. The Application can be found on the Maryland Swimming web site. It shall be submitted to the Maryland Swimming Office via email or regular mail.
The Maryland Swimming Office will:
(a) Validate the request, acquire additional information and coordinate the request with the Officials chair.
(b) Provide the approval to conduct the observations to the meet host once all issues are resolved.
(c) Courtesy notification of approval will be provided to the Officials and TIMES chairperson
(d) Submit the list of all Observed Meets to the USA Swimming National Times Chair
The Officials chair will validate the status of the named officials to ensure they are properly registered and active USA-S certified officials and communicate such to the Maryland Swimming Office.
The meet host is responsible for making every effort to acquire the competitor’s USA Swimming valid registration number and enter it accurately into the meet management software.
The meet host must ensure the competitors and coaches understand that observation requests must be made to the meet referee or observing officials coordinator no later than the start of each meet session so that the officials are notified, aware and in a position to perform the observation.
Requirements During The Observed Meet
The Meet Referee is responsible for coordinating the observing officials to ensure:
(a) All requests for observation are performed.
(b) Official times are determined in accordance with the applicable rules.
(c) Making the appropriate notes and records so that competitors who swim legally under the league or conference rules but not under USASwimming rules are discernible.
(d) Providing the meet host with the results of the observations.
A minimum of two USA Swimming-certified officials are required to perform observations so that there can be one at each end of the pool during each and every observation. An official can perform in the capacity of the meet official and observing official so long as the proper notes and information is provided to make the determination whether a competitor was legal for the meet results and observation results independently.
Observed swims are restricted to athletes who are registered members of USA Swimming and should be restricted to those swimmers who have a reasonable chance of showing improvement over a personal best time, challenging an existing record or striving to make a national championship time standard.