Become An Official
As a parent of a swimmer you have the opportunity to be involved with your child and their sport in various ways. One very instrumental way is by being trained, certified and working as an Official at meets your swimmer participates in. Officials are present at all competitions to implement the technical rules of swimming and to ensure that the competition is fair and equitable to everyone.
Officials attend clinics, receive training and are certified by USA Swimming. Novice officials generally start as Stroke and Turn Officials whose job it is to observe the swimmers in their assigned lanes from the time they take their first arm pull after entering the water or beginning a race through the completion of their race. Stroke and Turn Officials ensure that the strokes, turns and finishes comply with the rules applicable to each stroke. If strokes, turns or finishes are executed in a manner which is out of compliance with the rules, in the spirit of fairness they document information to disqualify a swimmer from a race.
There are many levels of officiating that require different degrees of involvement and time. Stroke and Turn Officials learn the ropes by attending clinics, using self-study materials, and working on deck under the supervision of an experienced official. Those who are interested move up the ladder to serving as a chief judge, then to refereeing and starting -- again, learning through a combination of clinics, self-study materials, and on-the-job training.
Information on the various levels of officials can be found at the Pacific Swimming website at http://www.pacswim.org/ofclevel.pdf
PASA as a team and PASC as a Club are responsible for having a quota of trained and certified officials registered with Pacific Swimming. Officials' clinics are offered at various times during the year by Pacific Swimming and/or by PASA.
For more information on officiating, visit the Pacific Swimming website's Officials' page at http://www.pacswim.org/page/member_officials.html
Getting Started as a Stroke and Turn Official
- What are the personal attributes of a good Stroke and Turn Official?
- How do I get started?
- Must I be registered with USA Swimming?
- Are there self-study materials available online?
- How many levels of officials are there and how do I progress to a higher level?
- What if I have additional questions?
1. What are the personal attributes of a good Stroke and Turn Official?
- Fairness
- Confidence
- Attention to Detail
- Good Communication Skills
- Dedication
- Focus
2. How do I get started?
Sign-up to take an Introductory Clinic. Clinics are offered by Pacific Swimming and/or PASA for novice Stroke and Turn Officials throughout the year. After attending a clinic you must complete and pass a test online. Provided you pass the test you will then shadow an experienced Stroke and Turn Official until you are deemed ready to officiate on your own as a Level 1 official.
3. Must I be registered with USA Swimming?
Yes. In addition to attending a clinic and passing the online test, you must be a registered non-athlete member of USA Swimming. Registration forms are available on Pacific Swimming's website under "forms" at http://www.pacswim.org
4. Are there self-study materials available online?
Yes. There are several resources available at Pacific Swimming's website at http://www.pacswim.org. However, most of the training is acquired through experience on-the-job working side-by-side with and being mentored by experienced officials at swim meets.
5. How many levels of officials are there and how do I progress to a higher level?
Progression comes with experience and additional training. You can expect to receive an evaluation from the Head Stroke and Turn Official about your work including the areas that you need more experience and/or improvement in. The more experienced and knowledgeable you are, the sooner you will have opportunities to progress to a level 2, 3, 4 or 5 Stroke and Turn official. Information on the various levels of officials can be found at the Pacific Swimming website at http://www.pacswim.org/ofclevel.pdf
6. What if I have additional questions?
If you have additional questions, please contact the Zone 1N Officials Chair listed on the officials' page of the Pacific Swimming website at: http://www.pacswim.org/page/member_officials.html