Announcement
Entry Form – The form on which a swimmer enters a competition. Includes age, gender, event number, and swimmer’s “lifetime best” time
False Start – Moving once swimmers have been instructed to take their mark before the start is signaled. A false start may result in a DQ
Final – A single race in which the fastest preliminary swimmers compete to determine final places and times in an event
Finish – The final phase of the race; the touch at the end of the race
Flags – Backstroke flags placed 5 yards or meters from the end of the pool. They enable backstrokers to execute a turn more efficiently by counting their strokes to the turn instead of turning around to look
Flutter Kick – The kick used in the freestyle stroke. The legs alternate, moving up and down
Free Relay – Four swimmers swim freestyle as part of a team
Freestyle – One of the four basic individual and team swimming strokes. Uses the flutter kick and a windmill style arm stroke. Also known as front crawl or overhand
Goal – A specific time achievement a swimmer sets and strives for - can be short or long-term
Gutter – The area along the edge of the pool in which water overflows during a race and is re-circulated through the filtration system
Heat – A qualifying swimming competition that precedes semi-final races. Used due to the number of event entrants
Heat Sheet – A listing of all swimmers by event number, heat, and lane assignments in the meet. These are available at the beginning of the meet and are usually purchased. Also known as programs
