How old does my child have to be to swim in a gala or open meet?

Question

Accepted Answer

Swim England Regulation 410.5 sets these minimum ages for swimming, based on the swimmer's age at midnight on the day of the event (or the final day of a competition, whichever is later):

Competition	Minimum age
Events for members of one club only (club championships, time trials)	No minimum
Inter-club events with no more than eight clubs, not part of a league	8
Open events, other than regional and national competitions	9
Regional relays	9
Regional individual events	10
National relays	10
National individual events	11

Licensed open meets (Levels 1-3) also set a minimum age of 10 if ages are taken at 31 December, or 9 if ages are taken on the last day of the competition. Level 4 meets follow the Swim England regulation for that type of competition.