Starter-Referee Clinic

1. Starter-Referee Clinic Wisconsin Swimming Officials Committee Rev. June 2013

2. Overview • Welcome/Introductions/Purpose • Review • Chief Judge • Starter • Meet Referee • Administrative Official • Administrative Referee • Deck Referee • Timing Judge • What’s Next

3. Welcome • Introductions • Name • Club • Experience • Paperwork • Registrations • Release of Contact Info • Officiating forms

4. Review • Stroke Briefing • Major Meets • Review: Not a teaching instrument • Don’t discuss examples/highlight rules • Use USA Swimming mini-briefing • Other meets • May be used as a training method • Swimmers with Disabilities • Notification is the responsibility of the athlete/coach • Hand signals • Ask about accommodations: Don’t assume • Changing swimmer’s lane • Use of an on-deck assistant • Swimming a 100 event in a 200 event

5. Review • Timing Procedures • Three types of systems • Automatic • Semi-automatic • Manual • Designations • Primary • Secondary • Tertiary • Requirements for an Official Time • Procedures for making a timing adjustment • Determination of “Official Time”

6. Head Chief Judge • Discuss with Meet Referee • Protocols • Sit/Stand during freestyle • Lead/lag • Position assignments

7. Chief Judge • Supervises • Stroke Judges • Turn Judges • Relay Take-off Judges • Responsible for ensuring correct call has been made • Questions assigned judges appropriately • Liaison for Referee and Judges • Mentors assigned Judges • Gives Officials’ Stroke Briefing (as assigned)

8. Starter • Philosophy of Starting • Calm and consistent • Have a command of the field • Be in the present • Ensure a fair and equitable start • Be patient • Swimmers must be “stationary”; not be “motionless” • Act as part of the team • Memorize the start procedure; only practice perfects • Know the hand signals

9. 5-minute Break

10. Starter • Preparation • Communicate with the announcer if assigned • Don’t want announcements while starting • May need to announce Event and Heat • “Now swimming: Heat 1 of the Men’s 400m Freestyle” • “Now swimming: The Men’s 400m Freestyle; Heat 1” • “Now swimming: Heat 2” • Examine starting platforms (safety) • Familiarize self with and test starting/timing equipment • Review interactions with Referee • Other equipment (bell, lap counters) • Forms • Timers’ Meeting

11. Starter • Timer’s Briefing • No cheering • No electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, etc.) • Use USA Swimming briefing

12. Starter • Procedure • Stand ~10 ft. from pool, next to Referee • Use well-modulated voice (“Close the door.”) • Activate signal when swimmers are stationary • Forward start • Back start • Use “Stand up/down, please” as appropriate • Mic doesn’t work • Mic cuts out • No horn • Distraction • Loud noise • Unresponsive swimmer(s)

13. Starter • Procedure • “Toes” commands • Prior to Take Your Mark (TYM) • “Toes, please” to all swimmers • After first TYM • “Toes, please, Lane X” • After second TYM • “Toes, please, Lane X” • May call Delay of Meet • Starter is responsible for toes before the start; stroke after • “Blocks” commands • Similar to “Toes” commands

14. Starter • Procedure • False Start • Starter initiates • “I have a potential False Start.” • NOT “Did you see anything?” • Must be dual confirmed with Referee or designate • If the swimmer enters the water prior to the start, “stand” the heat and restart the race without the violating swimmer • Notify at the end of the race • Must be a “swimmer mistake”; not a flinch, fall, slip, involuntary movement

15. Starter • Procedure • Heat Recall • Not all swimmers react • Double start sound • One system • System in second pool • External stimulus (camera flash, airhorn) • If a swimmer does not respond: “Stand” the heat • Any inadvertent recalls eliminate DQs • Use hand signals ONLY if requested by hearing-impaired swimmer • No “Optional” commands (Wisconsin Swimming) • Use common sense • Swimmer’s best start is first start

16. 5-minute Break

17. Meet Referee • General Information • Oversees the Meet, the staff, the facility • Ensures safe, fair, and equitable competition • “Wet” Side: Deck Referee • May have 1-2 per session • Oversees Starter, Timers, STJ, Relay Take-off Judges • “Dry” Side: Administrative Official • Assistant to and delegate of Meet Referee • Involved with all “dry” side details of a meet • Works closely with the Meet Director • Administrative Official and Administrative Referee are NOT the same.

18. Meet Referee • General Information - Continued • “Dry” Side: Administrative Referee • Admin Referee is generally used for higher level meets, and must be certified at a Referee level • A Meet Referee may also perform the duties of an Admin Official if no other duties are assigned • One per pool if possible • Oversees Clerk of Course, Timing officials, Announcer, Marshals

19. Meet Referee • Prior to the Meet • Contact Meet Director • Reviews Meet Information • Check-in; Seeding; Heat Sheets • Distribution of DQ and “No Show”slips • Timing system; start procedures (fly-overs, etc.) • Timing procedures if system malfunctions • Reseeding procedures • Results posting; Awards • Announcer duties • Marshal duties • Schedule meetings • Scratches; Finalists/Alternates (if Prelim-Finals)

20. Meet Referee • Prior to the Meet • Obtain Officials List • Names • Club affiliations • Certification Levels • Available sessions • Provide list to Deck Referee and Chief Judge

21. Meet Referee • Prior to the Meet • Obtain Reports for Admin Referee • Entries reports • Gender • Age group • Last name • Club • Event • Exceptions reports • Unregistered Swimmers • Proof of Time • Swimmers with Disabilities • Unattached Swimmers (to assign coaches) • Warm-up Lane Assignments • Meet Timeline

22. Meet Referee • Prior to the Meet • Determine Officials’ assignments • Based on availability and ability • Radio usage • Who gets them • What channels used • Establish a Meet Committee • For Appeals • At least five people • Athlete • Coaches (2) • Meet Director • Meet Referee • Can be more if geography and meet size warrant

23. Meet Referee • Pre-Meet • Arrive at least 15-20 minutes prior to Warm-up • Ensure Administrative Official, Administrative Referee, Deck Referee, Starter, and Chief Judge can handle responsibilities • Inspect the Venue • Meet with Meet staff • Coaches • Officials • Non-judging officials • Meet with Chief Marshal • Emphasize that Marshals are responsible for entire venue; not just pool area

24. Meet Referee • Pre-Meet • Meet with Announcer • May delegate to Starter • Review Heat announcement protocol • “Now swimming: Heat 1 of the Men’s 400m Freestyle” • “Now swimming: The Men’s 400m Freestyle; Heat 1” • “Now swimming: Heat 2” • Review awards announcement protocol • No announcements after long whistle • Inspects credentials (may delegate function)

25. Meet Referee • During the Meet • Start Meet on Time (Note the Time) • Observe the Meet • Walk the Deck • Talk to people • Anticipate problems • Handle protests • Review disqualifications • Have USA-S rulebook available (not on person) • Treat everyone with respect

26. Meet Referee • After the Meet • Thank all Meet staff • Coaches • Officials • Non-judging officials • Remains until all questions resolved and final results posted • Self-critique • Complete and submit Meet Report to LSC Chair or designee

27. 5-minute Break

28. Administrative Official • Works directly with the Meet Referee and supervises/directs the following positions on the “dry” side of the meet: • Entry and Registration Personnel • Clerk of Course • Timing System Operator • Scoring Personnel • Timing Judge • Hy-tek (Meet Management Software) Operator • May serve in one (or more) of the above positions or may simply act in a supervisory capacity of those positions.

29. Administrative Referee • Serves as Deputy Meet Referee • Oversees • Meet entries • USA-S Registrations of swimmers • Clerk of Course • Timing Judges • Reviews timing information • Reviews DQs • Ensures appropriate paperwork for Relay Early Take-offs and False Starts • “Deck Personnel”

30. Administrative Referee • Maintains Logs • DQs • “No-shows” • Scratches • Computer changes • Administers Prelim-Finals provisions • Swim-offs • Scratches • Organizes Time Trials

31. Deck Referee • Has authority over deck Officials • Briefs officials and assigns/reassigns jurisdictions • Signals the Starter when all Officials are in position, the course is clear, and competition may begin • May overrule a DQ and/or decide any point of rule interpretation • May disqualify any swimmer for any infraction • May confirm a False Start • May Declare False Start and/or Delay of Meet

32. Timing Judge • Timing Systems • Manual (Watches) • Semi-Automatic (Back-up buttons: Require manual back-up) • Automatic (Pads: Require manual back-up) • System Designations • Primary • Automatic • Semi-Automatic • Manual (Minimum two watches per lane) • Secondary • Semi-automatic • Manual • Tertiary • Manual (One watch)

33. Timing Judge • Position • Start • Anywhere the starting strobe can be observed • Need not be behind the lane • Finish • Head over the water in assigned lane • Record all manual times • Record to hundedths of a second with NO ROUNDING • Automatic and semi-automatic are in system

34. Timing Judge • Referee may assign three ADDITIONAL timers to a lane for qualifying times of beginning fraction of race • Must see blank watches before race • Must see times after race • Must legally complete full race distance

35. Timing Judge • Determining “Official” Time • Any time from an automatic system if all are functional • Any matching button/watch time • The intermediate time from three buttons/watches or the mean time of two buttons/watches (recorded to hundredths with NO ROUNDING) • Any one available button/watch

36. Timing Judge • Determining “Official” Time • Lane malfunction • If 0.3 second difference between pad/button times • Lane adjustment procedure • Average the pad/button difference in accurate lanes • Add/subtract accuracy average from malfunctioning button time • Heat malfunction • Automatic (and semi-automatic) system starts late • Same adjustment procedure as for lane malfunction, except that watch (not button) time is secondary system and adjustment is applied to all lanes

37. Other Points • Number of Officials • Minimum of four • 1 Administrative Official • 2 S/R • 1 STJ • Facilities Standards • Counters • Competition Records • Rule Interpretations • Swimmer with Disability Interpretations

38. Other Points • Interpretations • Racing Starts • Not Officials’ responsibility to monitor • DO NOT accept a list of uncertified swimmers (coach and parent responsibility) • Uncertified swimmers must start IN THE WATER (even for forward starts) • Breast stroke pullout • “Start of pull” • New DQ slip item: “Breast stroke kick prior to the arm pull” • “Observable separation of the hands”

39. Other Points • Interpretations • Backstroke • “Submerged at the Finish” • “The touch is the finish, the finish is the touch.” • Can be submerged at the finish touch, not prior • Call: “Submerged during the swim, prior to the finish touch” • Uniform • Jewelry, such as a “friendship bracelet”, is not considered a uniform violation

40. What’s Next • Continue USA-S Membership • Take all outstanding tests • Referee • Starter • Clerk of Course • Administrative • Timing Judge • Stroke/Turn Recert • Apprentice • Starter: 5 sessions, 2 mentors, 3 meets • Referee: 6 sessions, 2 mentors, 3 meets • Establish relationships with other Officials • Especially “Lead” officials • Volunteer often everywhere

41. On behalf of Wisconsin Swimming, its swimmers, and the officials’ committee:THANK YOU!!!