Parent's Guide to Swimming South Africa Age Group Galas 16&U 2025/26

A swimmer's age is their age on the first day of the competition.

The oldest age group at SSA age group championships is 16. Para swimmers at Level 3 swim in multi-class events with two age groups: 14&U and 15 and over.

A qualifying time (QT) is the time a swimmer must have achieved, and recorded on the SSA National Database, to enter an event at a championship.

QTs are faster at each step up. For example, in 2025-2026 a 12-year-old girl needed 35.63 for the 50 m freestyle at Level 2.

Times count only once they are on the database: swimmers must be registered with SSA and have swum the time at a competition whose results are loaded. For 2025-2026, times from 1 May 2025 counted, and the cut-off for age group competitions was 1 March 2026.

Deadlines: the qualifying cut-off for 2025-2026 age group competitions was 1 March 2026. Results from meets after that date don't count for entry unless a concession was applied for before 1 March. Requests for concessions on medical grounds (including not meeting the IM requirement) had to be received, with medical reports, by the same date. Entry fees paid for entries that don't meet the rules are forfeited.

All entries go through the provincial secretary, not directly from parents.

No. A swimmer may compete at only one of the SSA age group championships each season: Level 2 Regional, Level 3 Regional or SA National Junior Championships. They must swim at the highest level they've qualified for:

• A swimmer with a Level 3 qualifying time must swim Level 3, not Level 2.
• A swimmer with an SA National Junior qualifying time may not swim Level 3 (except the 11&U case below).
• Swimmers who age up between competitions should always swim at the higher level.
• Swimmers who have Level 2, Level 3 or SA National Junior times may not swim Level 1 (9&U swimmers are exempt), and swimmers with qualifying times for any level may not swim Level 0.

Swimming up:

• A 10&U swimmer with a Level 3 time in the 11&U age group may swim Level 3 as an 11&U, or Level 2 as a 10-year-old.
• An 11&U swimmer with an SA National Junior time in the 12&U age group may swim Junior Nationals as a 12&U, or Level 3 in their own 11&U group.

From Level 1 upwards, swimmers must have a time on the SSA National Database for every event they enter. Level 0 has no qualifying times.

At Level 0 and Level 1 all events are timed finals, and organisers give ribbons or certificates rather than medals.

At SSA age group championships:

• Each club may enter two relay teams per event.
• A swimmer may swim up into an older relay age group, but may only be entered in one age-group relay per event.
• Only swimmers entered in the competition may swim in relays.
• Relay names, in swimming order and with entry times, must be handed in on the official form before the end of the session before the one in which the relay is swum. If the form isn't handed in, the team is withdrawn.
• Names may be changed up to one hour before the session starts; after that, only with a medical certificate.

Relay age groups are wider than individual ones, for example 12&U, 13-14 and 15-16 at Level 2, Level 3 and Level 1 (where the top band is 15-19). Mixed relays are part of the programme at every level.

Caps (SSA competition rules):

• Only the official club or provincial team cap may be worn while racing.
• Swimmers may wear two caps, but both must meet the advertising rules.
• Allowed markings: one manufacturer's logo up to 20 cm² on the front, and the team or province name (code) up to 32 cm² on each side. A team sponsor's logo up to 32 cm² may replace the name on one side.

Swimsuits: SSA applies the World Aquatics rules at all national competitions. Under those rules:

• Women's suits must not cover the neck, extend past the shoulders, or go below the knee. They may be one or two pieces.
• Men's suits must be one piece and must not extend above the navel or below the knee.
• Suits must be non-transparent and on the World Aquatics List of Approved Swimwear.
• Nothing else may be worn over the body apart from the suit, cap(s) and goggles.

Logos on suits (SSA): one sponsor's logo and one manufacturer's logo, each up to 30 cm² when worn (two manufacturer's logos are allowed on a one-piece suit, one above and one below the waist, not next to each other).

The 2025-2026 SSA competition rules set these charges:

Withdrawals from finals must be made before the end of the heats session, or as the Referee announces.

At SSA championships:

• Only accredited team managers may lodge objections or complaints, or withdraw swimmers. Parents can't protest directly; speak to your club or provincial manager.
• A protest must be in writing, accompanied by R1,000, and lodged with the Referee within 30 minutes of the disqualification being published or announced.
• In a dispute, the Referee's decision is final at the meet.

Under World Aquatics rules, which SSA applies at all national competitions, a disqualified swimmer gets no time or place in the results.

At SSA inter-club and provincial championships, each club or province must supply SSA-registered, trained officials for every session. The number depends on how many swimmers it enters:

The officials' names must be sent in with the entries, and entries aren't accepted without them. If an official doesn't turn up, the club or province is fined R1,000 per missing official and its swimmers may be excluded. So parents who train and register as officials directly keep their club's swimmers in the gala.

Dress code for officials: white shirt with navy-blue trousers or skirt for finals; navy-blue shorts are allowed for heats; closed white shoes.

The oldest age group at Swimming South Africa (SSA) age group competitions is 16. After that:

• SA National Youth Championships are for swimmers aged 17 to 25 on the day of the competition. It is a club-based, three-day meet, and medals are awarded in three age groups: 17/18, 19/20 and 21-25.
• SA National Aquatic Championships (senior nationals) are open to swimmers who achieve the national qualifying times. Swimmers enter through their province, not their club. A Youth swimmer may swim both the Youth Championships and SA Nationals if they qualify for SA Nationals.
• Swimmers older than 25 who don't qualify for SA Nationals are encouraged to swim at the SA Masters Championships.