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Each family is required to sign up to volunteer for 4 half meets (or 2 full meets).

JOB DESCRIPTIONS OF PERSONNEL NEEDED FOR SWIM MEET:

Announcer: The host team will arrange for someone to act as an announcer. In addition, they shall provide him with the equipment to perform his duty. This equipment includes loudspeaker or bullhorn and order of events. Announcing for each meet must be loud enough to be understood by participants, officials, and spectators.

Example of correct commands:

• First call, event number and event description (i.e. “Event number 1, 6 & under girls free relay.  Please report to the blocks”)
• After a short interval repeats the above for the second call.
• At the end of the second call, wait for a short interval and give the final call for the event.
• The announcer should follow this procedure for all remaining events.
• Try to stay 3 events ahead of the event in the water.

At all times the announcer should know what is going on. The event number, number of heats per event etc. so the calls can be made without haste. This keeps the meet running smoothly. At all times the next event should be on the deck. Working closely and communicating with the deck manager is vitally important in this position.  The announcer should avoid talking while the starter is giving commands the swimmers.

Deck Manager: Each team will provide a deck manager. This person is in charge of the ready area and shall line up all swimmers on the deck for their event. He/she shall be provided with the heat sheet listing names of all swimmers in all events. He/she shall notify each swimmer to wait behind the starting block until the starter takes over control of the race. The visiting team shall arrange for someone to work in the ready area to assist the deck manager in identifying swimmers. These people should be strong natured. Getting the swimmers and making sure that they are in place is difficult yet critical to the smooth running of the meet. Each team is responsible for making sure that their swimmers report to the ready area from the team area in time to be checked in by the deck manager.

Starter Referee: The starter referee is provided by the league to act as an impartial third party. This person is responsible for any conflicts that may arise during the course of the meet. The starter/referee will start all races and act as a stroke and turn judge during the event. If the starter/referee decides to disqualify a swimmer during an event he/she will signal by raising his/her hand and inform the place judges of the disqualification at the end of the event. At times the referee may be late or may be unable to show up. In this case, a person shall be appointed with the consent of both teams to act as the starter referee. Atlanta is a big city and travel can be difficult. The two teams need to work out any of these potential difficulties between each other when they occur.

Place Judges: Each team shall provide a place judge. The judges must in all events and, at all times command a clear view of the race and finish line. Judges shall not serve as timers in the same race. The judges are to judge the place finishes as they see them. The judges are to write the place finish on their updated copy of the meet program.  The judge’s recorder at the end of the race will copy that order of finish on the UK Judges Placing Form.  The place judges override the times and the starter/referee overrides the place judges if there is a dispute.  In an 8 lane pool, a third finish judge will be used to cover all non-scoring places.  The first 2 judges will be responsible for all scoring places plus one place.  The third judge will be responsible for the remaining non-scoring places.  To avoid confusion it is advised that only 6 lanes swim in an 8 lane pool during the scoring heat.  The home team should provide the third place judge.

Bullpen Moms/Dads: A parent is needed for each of the age/gender assigned bullpens where our swimmers will be waiting to participate in their races. The parent will be given a line up of the swimmers in their bullpen and they will be responsible for sitting in the bullpen with the swimmers and keeping track of when each child needs to line up for their race. The bullpen parent should ensure that each swimmer knows which lane and heat they are to participate in throughout the evening. Younger aged children will need to be escorted to their lanes by the bullpen parent in advance of their specific races.

Timers: At all meets, times shall be taken on each lane. Each team shall provide two timers for each of their team’s lanes. In a five-lane pool, the home team will provide two timers for the fifth lane. One of the timers will operate the watch and the other will record the times on the lane timer worksheet, only one watch per lane is needed.  In all events, at all times, the timer must have a clear view of the race and finish line. The timer shall look at the starter’s gun and start the watch at the instant of the starting signal. The timer shall stop the watch immediately when any part of the swimmer’s body touches the solid end of the pool as defined by the USS rulebook. The second timer shall record times on the timer’s worksheet and communicate these times to the master recorder who shall record them on the score sheet. Teams using automatic timing systems for their meets should have one-timer from each team timing in each lane, instead of 2 timers from the same team.

Judges Recorder: The home team will supply a judge’s recorder.  This person will place himself/herself behind the place judges with their own copy of the UK Judges Placing Form. When the race is finished and the judges and starter/referee have ruled on the place finishes, he/she will record the places in the appropriate block on the UK Judges Placing Form. For swimmers who have been disqualified by the starter/referee the judge’s recorder will write “DQ” in the place block for that swimmer. The judge’s recorder then passes the completed UK Judges Placing Form to the master recorder.  The Judges Recorder has no say in the order of finish and should not attempt to influence the place judges.

Master Recorder: Each team will provide a Master Recorder.  The master recorder collects the UK Judges Placing Form from the Judge’s Recorder when the event is complete and all places have been recorded. The master recorder will then go to each lane and record each swimmer’s time in the Time Column of the UK Judges Placing Form as noted by the recording timer. With all places and times recorded, the master recorder will deliver the completed UK Judges Placing Form to the scoring table either directly or via the runner.  Each team can alternate this job for each race.

Runners: The home team shall provide a minimum of one runner at all times during the meet. Runners will be responsible for collecting the UK Judges Placing Sheet from the Master Recorder. Taking these promptly to the scorer’s table. This position can be eliminated if the scoring table is in close enough proximity that the master recorders can deliver the scoresheet without slowing the meet.

Computer Operator: One computer operator shall be provided by each team. They shall work together at the table provided. They will input the results from each event as reflected on the completed UK Judges Placing Form into the computer immediately after each event. A running score shall be kept at all times. Upon completion of the meet, each team shall receive a copy of the final meet results.  It is suggested that teams alternate this job every group of events:  i.e. one operator does the short free then the other operator does the long free.  The person who is not currently working on the computer should assist the computer operator by checking the input of times and places.

Ribbon Writers: Ribbon writers shall be responsible for placing the completed ribbon labels on the appropriate award and placing them into a box for the appropriate team. Ribbons should be placed in two separate boxes and given to each team at the end of the meet.