Officiating: An Essential Role for Our Swim Meets

Swim meets are the heart of competitive swimming—they are the milestones where our swimmers can test their training, build resilience, and gain confidence. These events are entirely run by an army of dedicated volunteers, most of whom are our wonderful parents.

Volunteering at meets not only ensures the events can happen but also provides you with an opportunity to learn more about the sport and how to best support your swimmer.  We welcome volunteers of all experience levels and will provide you with all the training you need.

ROW Swim Club has two groups responsible for organizing and running ROW hosted swim meets and ensuring that ROW can contribute to organizing and running meets both within Ontario and across Canada.

• Meet Management is responsible for organizing and running ROW hosted swim meets.  You can reach meet management at any time by emailing [email protected]
• Officials Development & Administration is a sub-committee of Meet Management which is tasked with ensuring there is an appropriately trained pool of officials available to run ROW hosted meets.  You can reach your officials administration team at any time by emailing [email protected].

Key Volunteer Roles at a Swim Meet

Here are some of the most common positions you will see on the pool deck. For more details on any of these positions, visit the Swim Ontario Positions Page.

Introductory Positions

You do not need any prior experience to take on these roles.

Timekeeper

What you do: Operate a stopwatch and assist with the electronic timing system for a specific lane.

Why it's important: Your role is crucial for recording accurate swim times.

Safety Marshal

• What you do: Ensure swimmer safety by following the Swimming Canada Competition Warmup Safety Procedures during the warm-up period. Reports to the Referee.
• Why it’s important: Helps ensure that swimmers have a positive experience right a the start of the session and helps keep everyone safe.

Marshal

• What you do: Assist the Admin Desk in keeping swimmers organized on deck.
• Why it’s important: Marshalling swimmers into their respective heats minimizes the risk of swimmers missing their race. Additionally, an organized and orderly experience getting to the blocks ensures that swimmers can focus on their upcoming race

Inspector of Turns

• What you do: Observe swimmers at the start and during turns to ensure they are following the rules for their specific stroke.
• Why it's important: You help ensure fairness and consistency for all swimmers.

Senior Officials Positions 

Senior officials mentor and supervise other volunteers, ensuring the entire meet runs smoothly and according to the rules.  Officials must have experience on deck prior to being trained for these positions.  Some positions, e.g. Referee, require certification in multiple other roles before an official can fill the position.

• Judge of Stroke: Observe swimmers throughout the race to ensure they are following the rules for their specific stroke.
• Starter: The Starter, working with the Referee, is responsible for starting the race and judging the fairness of the start.
• Admin Desk: The Admin Desk is responsible for organizing the swimmers on the deck and ensuring all information is up to date.
• Chief Timekeeper: The Chief Timekeeper is in charge of the timekeepers and provides assistance to them.
• Chief Judge Electronics: The Chief Judge supervises the inspectors of turns and judges of stroke, ensuring the rules are applied correctly.
• Referee: The Referee is the highest authority at a meet, responsible for the overall operation and integrity of the competition.

Officiating Expectations and Requirements

We require the help of ROW families to run and participate in swim meets.  Membership and participation in any swim club in Canada includes the expectation that families and swimmers will assist with running meets  These expectations include:

In order to assist on deck at any meet, volunteers must:

1. Be 14 years of age and older.
2. Register annually to become an Active official each swim season (September 1 - August 31). 
3. Complete the training requirements for the position(s) they are working at a competition.

The club's officials administrators are happy to guide new volunteers through the process. Reach out to [email protected] to get started.

Time spent helping run meets is eligible for Family Participation Program points.

How to Get Started as an Official

Becoming a volunteer official is simple and rewarding. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Register: Complete the registration form that is shared with the ROW membership each swimming season.  Re-registration is required each year.  If you did not receive an email with a link to the most recent form, then please contact [email protected].
2. Training: If it is your first time, you can complete one or two quick online training courses provided by Swim Ontario. We will send you all the information you need.
3. Let us know you are available: Watch your inbox for volunteer opportunities that are sent out approximately four weeks before each meet. Registered officials are the first to be contacted for these roles.
4. On the Day of the Meet: Wear a red or white shirt and black pants, shorts, or a skirt. Your team will provide you with your assignment and any equipment you need.
5. Have fun!

ROW Hosted Meets

ROW hosts at least five meets every season, and each one requires a team of 35 to 85 volunteers. By volunteering at a home meet, you can help support our club and its swimmers while also saving on travel time and expenses.

You can find the current season’s ROW hosted meet schedule at https://www.rowswimming.ca/page/events/row-hosted-meets.

To determine whether your swimmer will be swimming at any given meet, including ROW hosted ones, you should consult the overall meet schedule for the club.

Want to Do More? Join Meet Management!

If you have been helping out for a season or more and are looking to make a bigger commitment, consider joining the Meet Management committee. This group is responsible for the behind-the-scenes work that ensures our club can host meets. If you are interested, please reach out to [email protected].