INSTRUCTIONS FOR TIMERS
Timers, you have a very responsible and official job at the swim meets. It is your
responsibility to ensure that the following procedures are followed:
1. You must give your full and undivided attention to the swimmer in your lane.
No cell phones, no small children and no other distractions. If you are unfamiliar
with using a stop watch, please ask!! It is also your responsibility to be at the
Timer’s meeting (whether you are timing the first shift or the last). Generally,
these meeting are held at approximately 7:40.
2. As the Starter is preparing to start the race, you must have your watch cleared,
your pointer finger (not thumb) on the start button, and you must be focused on
the strobe light. Start your watch with the flash, not the beep.
3. After you have started the watch, check to make sure the watch started properly.
If it did not start properly, you must get the attention of the back-up timer for
assistance. There are two back-up timers for this purpose.
4. Be aware of the distance of the race (25, 50, 100, or 200). As your swimmer is
coming in for the touch at the end of the race, you must be leaning over the edge
of the pool so that you can see clearly when the touch is made. When any part
of the body touches the wall, stop the watch. That is the swimmer’s official time.
It is not your responsibility to determine if the touch was legal or not. Your job is
to accurately record the time on the deck card. This may seem obvious, but you
need to record the time exactly as it appears on the face of the stop watch
(example: 1:28.02).
5. You will record the time legibly. The people in scoring must be able to read what
you wrote.
6. If there is a DQ, the stroke judge will record the infraction on the card. The card
then goes to the runner and then to scoring. Yes, you must record the time, even
if there is a DQ.
7. It is very important that you verify that the name on the card is the swimmer in
the water. It is a good idea to check with the younger kids as they hand you their
cards just to make sure they have given you the correct card. But, it is imperative
that you verify with the 8 & unders when they are swimming the 25’s and you are
at the opposite end of the pool timing, when they get out of the water that the
name on the card (that has just been handed to you by the runner) matches the
name of the swimmer in your lane.
Please remember that the kids want fair and accurate times. It is very upsetting to them
when this doesn’t happen. If you have a timing shift and you don’t feel like you can
perform these duties, please arrange a trade with another team parent.
