Technical Official's Guide to Swim England Licensed Meets All ages 2026

Under World Aquatics Rules 2.10 and 2.11:

Timekeeper:

• Sit where the chief timekeeper assigns you and time the swimmer in your assigned lane.
• Start your watch at the starting signal and stop it when the swimmer completes the race distance.
• If the chief timekeeper asks, record split times at intermediate distances in races longer than 100m.
• Promptly after the race, write the time on the lane card, hand it to the chief timekeeper and show your watch if asked.
• Reset your watch at the referee's short whistles for the next race.

Chief timekeeper:

• Assigns seats and lanes. Without automatic equipment there are two timekeepers per lane plus at least one reserve to step in if a watch fails.
• Times the winner of each race.
• Collects the lane cards, inspects watches if necessary, and records the official time for each lane.

When no automatic or semi-automatic equipment is used, World Aquatics Rule 11.2 applies:

• Each athlete's time is recorded to 1/100 of a second by two timekeepers.
• If the two watches differ, the official time is the average of the two. If the average runs to thousandths, the last digit is dropped, not rounded (for example, 31.24 and 31.27 average 31.255, recorded as 31.25).
• If one watch fails, the time on the working watch is the official time.
• If both watches fail, the swimmer may be offered a reswim.
• The referee decides the winner and placings from the times; swimmers with equal times are placed equal.
• Each timekeeper must be appointed or approved by the national federation and use a watch certified as accurate.

Even when automatic equipment is in use, it may be necessary to have the full complement of timekeepers as back-up unless video timing is used.

Start procedure (World Aquatics Rule 4):

• Freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley start with a dive; backstroke and medley relays start in the water.
• The referee blows a short series of whistles (swimmers get ready at the starting end), then a long whistle for swimmers to take their position on the platform. For backstroke the long whistle means enter the water, and a second long whistle means return to the starting position.
• The referee signals to the starter with an outstretched arm, held until the starting signal. Swimmers are now under the starter's control.
• On "take your marks" swimmers immediately take up a starting position (for a dive start, at least one foot in contact with the front of the platform). When all are stationary, the starter gives the starting signal.

False starts:

• A swimmer who initiates a start before the signal may be disqualified (Rule 4.4).
• If the signal has already been given, the race continues and the swimmer is disqualified at the end.
• If the disqualification is declared before the signal, the signal isn't given, the others are told "stand down please", and the start is repeated from the long whistle.
• Under Rule 2.3.6 the referee disqualifies for an early start observed and confirmed by the starter and the referee, reviewing the footage where automatic officiating equipment is available. World Aquatics' August 2026 commentary clarifies that the referee and starter are not required to concur, and the referee's decision after review is final.

Under World Aquatics Rule 2.3.7:

• If the referee personally sees a breach, the referee disqualifies the swimmer.
• If another technical official (judge of stroke, inspector of turns and so on) sees a breach, they report it verbally to the referee, who may disqualify.
• Once the referee confirms it, the reporting official completes and signs a disqualification card giving the event, lane number and infraction (World Aquatics publishes a quick-reference card with the wording and rule number for common infractions).

Each official decides within their own role independently of other officials (Rule 2.2). The referee has full control over all technical officials and decides any matter about the conduct of the meet not assigned to someone else.

General race infringements that lead to disqualification include not completing the distance, changing lanes, not touching the end of the pool at a turn, taking a step from the bottom, standing on the bottom (except in freestyle), pulling on the lane rope, obstructing another swimmer, using a pacing device, and using non-approved swimwear, devices or glue.

Freestyle (World Aquatics Rule 5):

• Any style may be swum (in a medley, any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly).
• Some part of the body must touch the wall at the end of each length and at the finish.
• Some part of the body must break the surface throughout, except during the turn and for no more than 15m after the start and each turn; the head must have broken the surface by the 15m mark.
• Swimmers may be completely submerged once the head has passed the 5m mark when reaching for the finish.

Backstroke (Rule 6):

• Start: in the water, facing the starting end, both hands on the grips. No standing in or on the gutter or curling toes over its lip. With a backstroke ledge, at least one toe of each foot must touch the wall or touchpad face.
• Swim on the back throughout, except when turning. A roll of up to (but not including) 90 degrees from horizontal is allowed; head position doesn't matter.
• Head must break the surface by the 15m mark after the start and each turn.
• Turn: the shoulders may turn past vertical to the breast, then an immediate continuous single-arm or double-arm pull may be used to start the turn. The swimmer must touch the wall and be back on the back on leaving the wall.
• Finish: touch the wall while on the back. Full submersion is allowed once the head has passed the 5m mark.

Breaststroke (World Aquatics Rule 7, in force February 2026):

• Start and turns: one arm stroke completely back to the legs is allowed underwater. A single butterfly kick is permitted at any time before the first breaststroke kick. The head must break the surface before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke. The infraction is written up as "more than one downward butterfly kick".
• Body position: on the breast from the first arm stroke after the start and each turn. No rolling onto the back at any time, except at the turn after touching the wall; the body must be on the breast from the first arm stroke after leaving the wall. World Aquatics' August 2026 commentary adds that swimmers must not kick until they have returned past the vertical to the breast after the turn.
• Stroke cycle: one arm stroke then one leg kick, in that order. All arm movements simultaneous.
• Arms: hands pushed forward together from the breast; elbows underwater except on the last stroke before a turn, during the turn and the last stroke at the finish; hands not brought back beyond the hip line except on the first stroke after the start and each turn.
• Head: must break the surface during each complete cycle.
• Legs: simultaneous, feet turned out during the propulsive part of the kick. No alternating or downward butterfly kicks except as above. Feet breaking the surface is allowed unless followed by a downward butterfly kick.
• Touch: at each turn and the finish, both hands separated and simultaneously, at, above or below the surface. An arm stroke without a kick is allowed on the last stroke before the touch.

Butterfly (World Aquatics Rule 8):

• Body on the breast from the first arm stroke after the start; no rolling onto the back except at the turn after the touch, and back on the breast on leaving the wall.
• Both arms brought forward together over the water and back together under the water.
• Leg movements simultaneous; legs need not be level but must not alternate. No breaststroke kick.
• Touch at each turn and the finish with both hands, separated and simultaneously (hands may not be stacked).
• After the start and each turn: any number of leg kicks but only one arm pull underwater, and the head must break the surface by the 15m mark. Swimmers may be fully submerged once the head has passed the 5m mark before the finish.

Medley (Rule 9):

• Individual medley order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.
• Medley relay order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle.
• In the freestyle section the swimmer must be on the breast (except when turning) and must return to the breast before any kick or stroke; backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly may not be swum as the freestyle leg.
• Each section must finish according to the rule for that stroke.

Under the World Aquatics Swimming Rules (Part Two, in force February 2026):

Turns and finishes: check that each swimmer touches the wall at every turn as their stroke requires, and report any infringement to the referee.

Distance freestyle (individual 400m, 800m and 1500m):

• Inspectors at both ends record the number of laps completed by the swimmer in their lane.
• Swimmers are shown the laps remaining using lap cards with odd numbers at the turning end (on deck or in the water).
• The inspector at the starting end gives a warning signal (whistle or bell) when the swimmer has two laps plus 5 metres to go, repeated after the turn until the swimmer reaches the 5m mark on the lane rope.

Relay takeovers: the inspector at the starting end judges whether the outgoing swimmer's feet are still in contact with the starting platform when the incoming swimmer touches the wall. Feet leaving early disqualifies the team. Other relay disqualifications include swimmers not swimming in the listed order, an exchange not starting from the platform, and a team member re-entering the water before all teams have finished.

Under Swim England Technical Rule 502, a permanently disabled swimmer is not disqualified when their disability prevents them complying with the rules of a stroke, provided they:

• have a recorded Aquatics GB Classification, or
• have a recorded World Para Swimming Classification, or
• have shown the referee a valid Certificate of Exception or Certificate of Swimming Disability before the race.

The starter must also, after consulting the swimmers or their representatives, make adequate provision for disabled swimmers to perceive the starting signal (for example a strobe). At Level 1 and 2 meets a secondary strobe must be provided if an athlete requests it when entering.