MASCO Swimming 101

High School competition pools are short course pools. The Varsity Girls and Boys teams compete during the same meet; they simply alternate events between each gender team Varsity teams compete in 8 individual events and 3 relay events. Scores for each gender based team as kept separately.

Since the regular season meets are dual meets against one other school, the meet official assigns each team either the odd or even lanes. Only six lanes are available during a dual meet. Each team can enter up to three swimmers/relay teams for each event. Each event only has one heat, except for the 50 free event where there might multiple heats to give swimmers a chance to swim at the meet or maybe qualify for that event). Swimmers may enter a maximum of four events, up to two individual events and two relay events or three relay events and one individual event. Diving is considered an individual event, so a swimmer who dives can only compete in one other swimming individual event, but still two relay events. Swimmers are selected by the coach for each event or relay based on their times and the coach's goals for that meet. Lanes are assigned with the fastest swimmers/relays getting the inside lanes.

If the host pool has a diving pool, the diving competition is held at the start of the meet, prior to any of the swimming events but after warm-ups, and is considered as an additional individual swimming event. Each team can enter up to three official divers that compete at the varsity level. Each diver must perform 6 dives, one “voluntary” and five “optional” dives. Divers rotate and alternate from one team to the other, until each diver completes their six dives. Voluntary dives are the simpler ones, such as a front dive, a pike dive, a reverse dive, or an inward dive. Optional dives can be any dive except the one performed for the voluntary dive. Each meet, the voluntary dive that must be performed changes. For the first meet, a front must be done for the voluntary; at the second, a back; at the third, a reverse; at the fourth, an inward; at the fifth, a twister; and the cycle continues until the dual meet season is over. There are only five groups, but the divers are required to complete six dives. Therefore, the divers must perform five optional dives from only four groups without repeating the dive they did for their voluntary. While this can be confusing, the coach understands the format and continues to teach the divers throughout the season. Two officials judge the diving event. The final diving score for the team is added to the corresponding Varsity team.

Traditional heat sheets or scoreboards won’t be seen at these meets. The coaching staff will post the names of the swimmers by event in the team area. Swimmers can be changed on these entry lists almost up to the moment that they swim, so don't be surprised if last minute changes take place.