Timer's Guide to USA Swimming Meets All Ages 2026

Under Article 102.16.3B:

• Stand directly over your lane at the finish so you can see a touch above, at or below the water surface.
• Stop the watch and push the button the instant any part of the swimmer's body touches the wall, not when the scoreboard shows a time, and not when the swimmer looks up.

Finish touches by stroke:

• Breaststroke and butterfly: two hands touch together.
• Backstroke: the swimmer touches while on the back.
• Freestyle: any part of the body.

Stop at the touch even if you think it's illegal. Judging legality is the turn judges' job, not yours.

Yes, if they're different devices. A lane timer may run one watch and one button at the same time, but not two of the same device (two watches or two buttons) (Article 102.16.3).

Only hand-held, battery-powered digital watches designed for timing may be used for manual timing (102.23.2C).

Under Article 102.16.2, the head lane timer:

• checks the swimmer (or relay team) is present and in the correct lane, heat and event
• for relays, records the swimmers' names and order before the start, and checks they swim in that order. Changes to names or order must be declared to the head lane timer before the heat starts. No changes are allowed after that (102.3.7).
• records the watch times, or that the seeded swimmer or team was absent
• assigns a timer to take relay splits or initial-distance times if the Chief Timer asks
• notes on the timing card if the swimmer delayed touching or missed the touchpad, or if there's reason to think the times may be inaccurate

The Chief Timer assigns timers to lanes and picks each lane's head lane timer (102.16.1A).

Only when the command "clear watches" is given, or when the Referee signals that the next heat is ready to start (Article 102.16.3C).

Until then:

• report your time to the head lane timer or recorder
• show your watch for inspection if asked

Keeping the time on the watch lets officials check it if there's a question about the result.

Tell your head lane timer straight away.

• The Chief Timer starts a watch on every race. That watch's time is used when a lane timer's watch fails (Article 102.16.1B).
• The head lane timer records the manual watch times and notes any reason to believe a time may be inaccurate (102.16.2).
• Only valid times are used to work out the official time. With two valid watch or button times, the two are averaged. With one, that time is used unless other information conflicts with it (102.23.4B).

Your watch and button times exist for exactly this. Under Article 102.16:

• Stop your watch and push your button when any part of the swimmer touches the wall, whether or not the pad registered.
• Lane timers report a late or missed pad touch to the head lane timer or recorder.
• Head lane timers note on the timing card if the swimmer delayed touching or missed the pad at the finish, or if there's any reason to think the button or watch times are inaccurate.

A missed or soft touch is one of the triggers for the Referee to check for a primary system malfunction (102.23.4C). If one is confirmed, the backup times for that lane are used to set the official time (102.23.4D). The Referee investigates any apparent timing malfunction (102.11.7).

With touchpads working properly, the pad time is the official time (Article 102.23.4A). Buttons and watches are backups.

With buttons or watches as the timing system (102.23.4B), using only valid times:

• All times are recorded to hundredths. Digits for thousandths are dropped, never rounded (102.23.1B).
• A primary system (pad) malfunction may have occurred if the backup differs by about 0.30 seconds or more, if the place judges have a different order, or if a missed or soft touch is reported. The backup times are then used for that lane (102.23.4C, D).
• No swimmer is required to re-swim because equipment failed to record a time (102.23.1D).

No. Under Article 102.16.3, it is not within a lane timer's jurisdiction to judge whether a swimmer's touch meets the finish rules, or whether a relay take-off infraction happened, unless the Referee has also assigned you as a turn judge or relay take-off judge.

• Disqualifications are made only by the official whose jurisdiction covers the infraction (102.21.1).
• No one may time and judge the order of finish at the same time (102.10.3).

What you should report is timing information: a late or missed touchpad touch, a watch that didn't start, or anything that makes you think a time is wrong.

Who can't time: anyone banned, currently suspended or ineligible for USA Swimming membership can't serve as a timer, marshal or computer operator, or be on deck at a USA Swimming activity in any role (Article 202.5.2).

Safe Sport: USA Swimming's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) applies to adult "participating non-members" such as timers and meet marshals. On deck, that means:

• keep any one-on-one interaction with a minor athlete observable and interruptible by another adult
• don't use a phone or other device to record in locker rooms or changing areas
• follow the deck-changing ban: athletes change only in designated changing areas

Marshals can remove anyone behaving unsafely or abusively from the venue, with the Referee's agreement (102.18).