Your Team Needs You
Swim Officials play a key role supporting the operation of a swim meet. Without Officials, a swim meet can not take place.
What is an official? Technical officials are the people in white who are responsible for ensuring that the rules of swimming are upheld and that all swimmers have the opportunity to compete fairly in whatever events they swim. At any meet, there is a range of different officials including referee, starter, stroke and turn judges, and administrative official.
Why do we have them? Officials are present at all competitions to implement the technical and administrative rules of swimming, thus ensuring that the competition is fair and equitable for everyone. A minimum number of officials are required at each session of a meet for the swimmers’ times to be official.
Whether you’re a seasoned swimmer or new to the sport, becoming an official is open to anyone willing to learn!
How do I get started?
- Become a paid USA Swimming member (you will need a registration link from your club or the PNS office if you prefer to not attach to a club)
- Complete all fundamental checks and trainings prior to on-deck work.
- Log into the USA Swimming website
- Athlete Protection Training (APT) – Navigate to USA Swimming University, complete the “Athlete Protection Training” course. This will reflect automatically on your account upon completion.
- Background Check (BGC) – Navigate to USA Swimming University, complete the “Background Check” course. This will reflect automatically on your account upon completion
- Concussion Protocol Training (CPT) – Navigate to USA Swimming University, complete the “Concussion Protocol Training” course. Certificate of completion must be emailed to office@pns.org to be added to your account. This does not happen automatically.
- (recommended prior to on-deck work) Complete the “Foundations of Officiating” course
- Log into the USA Swimming website
- Navigate to the USA Swimming University
- Select the “Officials” filter
- Take the “Foundations of Officiating” course
- (recommended prior to on-deck work) Complete one or more of the following courses depending on what your interests are:
Note: You can start the course without completing the test at the end. You are allowed unlimited test retakes without penalty.- Stroke & Turn Judges: The stroke judge walks along the side of the pool. The stroke judge ensures compliance with the rules pertaining to the mechanics of the swim such as the arm stroke and kick. The turn judge observes the swimmers from either the start/finish end or turn end of the pool. The turn judge is responsible for judging the starts, finishes, and turns during the race. The stroke and turn positions frequently are combined into one position called stroke and turn judge.
Log into the USA Swimming website, navigate to USA Swimming University, complete the “Stroke and Turn Certification Course” (including test and survey questions at the end).
Send results to officials@pns.org for apprentice credentials to be added to your account. This does not happen automatically. - Administrative Official (AO): The administrative official is responsible for the accuracy of the swimmer’s times at the meet. They manage confirmation of official times and resolve timing Issues and manage administrative paperwork.
Log into the USA Swimming website, navigate to USA Swimming University, complete the “Administrative Official Certification Course” (including test and survey questions at the end).
Send results to officials@pns.org for apprentice credentials to be added to your account. This does not happen automatically.
- Stroke & Turn Judges: The stroke judge walks along the side of the pool. The stroke judge ensures compliance with the rules pertaining to the mechanics of the swim such as the arm stroke and kick. The turn judge observes the swimmers from either the start/finish end or turn end of the pool. The turn judge is responsible for judging the starts, finishes, and turns during the race. The stroke and turn positions frequently are combined into one position called stroke and turn judge.
- Take a screenshot and email the certificates of completion from Steps 3 and 4 to officials@pns.org
- (optional prior to on-deck work) Attend a “New Officials Orientation Forum“.
- Perform your apprentice work to attain proficiency (minimum 4 sessions)
- Find a meet to work, view the meet info, and email the meet referee ahead of time.
- Print and bring a developmental form for your position to the meet to log your progress. You will need 1 form per session.
- When you’ve attained proficiency over your 4 or more apprentice sessions (determined by completion of required items in the developmental forms) and have completed all of the above steps, email copies of your forms to officials@pns.org