How do relay age groups work?
Rule- Australia
- Masters Swimming Australia
- Masters swimming
- Swimming Rules
- General Rules
- Adults 18+
- 2026/27
- Swimmers
A relay team's age group is set by adding together the ages in whole years of its four members. Results are separated by sex (men, women and mixed) and then split into these combined-age groups:
- 72-99
- 100-119
- 120-159
- 160-199
- 200-239
- 240-279
- 280-319
- 320-359
- then in forty-year increments
Each swimmer's age is their age on 31 December in the year the competition starts. Clubs are responsible for the accuracy of their members' dates of birth.
At a meet, relay teams are seeded in age groups where possible, starting with the oldest age group in heat one and ending with the youngest in the last heat. The Meet Director may combine age groups in the same heat.
Sources: Masters Swimming Australia General Rules, June 2026, GR 5.2, 5.3 and 8.3.4 (https://mastersswimming.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MSA-General-Rules-June-2026.pdf) and Swimming Rules, June 2026, SW 10.4.1.1 (https://mastersswimming.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MSA-Swimming-Rules-inc-Multi-Class-Rules-June-2026-1.pdf).
Added 24 Oct 2026