Swimming terminology every new swimmer should know
Anchor: The final leg of a relay race where the fastest swimmer on the team swims to secure the win.
Backstroke: A swimming stroke where the swimmer is on their back and uses alternating arm movements while kicking their legs.
Backstroke flags: The flags hung above the pool that signal to swimmers when they are approaching the wall during backstroke.
Backstroke start: A type of start used in backstroke races where swimmers start in the water, facing upward, and push off from the wall with both hands.
Block: The platform used by swimmers to start a race.
Breakout: The moment when a swimmer surfaces from an underwater kick or turn and begins swimming on the surface of the water.
Breaststroke: A swimming stroke where the swimmer uses a frog-like motion with their arms and legs.
Breathing pattern: The number and frequency of breaths a swimmer takes during a race, which can
Buoyancy: The tendency of an object to float or sink in water, which can affect a swimmer’s technique and speed.
Butterfly: A swimming stroke where the swimmer uses a simultaneous arm movement while kicking their legs in a dolphin-like motion.
Championship meet: A major competition or meet where swimmers compete for titles and awards.
Circle swimming: A method of swimming where swimmers swim in a circular pattern, usually used in practice or during meet warm-up.
Cool-down: A series of exercises and swimming drills used to help the body recover after a race.
Cut times: The qualifying times required to enter a certain meet or race, often set by the governing body of the sport.
DQ: Short for “disqualification,” when a swimmer is disqualified from a race due to a rule violation.
Deck changing: Changing into or out of a swimsuit on the pool deck, often discouraged or prohibited by meet rules.
Deck referee: An official on the pool deck responsible for enforcing rules and resolving disputes during a meet.
Deck: The area surrounding the swimming pool where swimmers prepare for their races and where officials and coaches observe the race.
Distance per stroke: The distance a swimmer travels with each stroke, used to improve efficiency and speed.
Double taper: A training technique where swimmers rest and reduce training before a competition, then resume training before another major competition.
Drafting: The act of swimming closely behind another swimmer to reduce drag and conserve energy.
Drag: The resistance of water against a swimmer’s body, which can slow them down if they are not streamlined.
False finish: When a swimmer thinks they have finished a race, but the touchpad has not registered their time and they must continue swimming.
False start: When a swimmer moves before the starting signal and is disqualified from the race.
Finals: The top swimmers from the heats compete in this final round to determine the winners.
Flags: The flags hung above the pool that signal to swimmers when they are approaching the wall during backstroke.
Flip: A shortened term for flip-turn.
Flip turn: A technique used at the end of a swimming pool to quickly change direction and continue swimming in the opposite direction.
Freestyle relay: A relay race where each swimmer on the team swims freestyle, one at a time.
Freestyle: A swimming stroke where the swimmer is allowed to use any combination of arm and leg movements.
Heat: A preliminary round of a swim meet, with multiple heats organized by age, gender, and event.
Hypoxic training: A type of training where swimmers purposely limit their oxygen intake to improve their endurance and ability to swim longer distances.
IM order: The order of strokes in an individual medley race, which is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
Individual medley: A swimming event where the swimmer swims one lap of each stroke in the order of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
Kickboard: A buoyant device used by swimmers to focus on improving their leg strength and technique.
Lactate threshold: The point at which lactic acid builds up in the muscles and causes fatigue and discomfort, often used to determine training intensity.
Lane line: The ropes or markers used to separate the lanes in a swimming pool.
Lap counter: A device used by the swimmer or a coach to keep track
Lap: One length of the swimming pool.
Marking pens: Colored pens used to mark a swimmer’s event, heat, and lane on their arm or leg before a race.
Medley relay: A swimming event where a team of four swimmers each swim one lap of the individual medley in the same order.
Meet: The term used to describe a swimming competition between two or more teams where swimmers race for places.
Meet director: The person responsible for organizing and overseeing a swim meet or competition.
Mile swim: A long-distance swim race typically consisting of 1 mile.
Open turn: A type of turn where swimmers touch the wall with one or both hands and push off without turning their body.
Pace clock: A large clock located on the pool deck used to help swimmers time their swims and intervals.
Pace: The speed at which a swimmer is swimming, often used to describe how fast they should be swimming to achieve their goals.
Paddle: A device worn on the hands by swimmers to increase resistance and improve their stroke technique.
Psych sheets: A list of all the swimmers entered in a meet and their seed times, used to organize the heats and lanes for the races.
Prelims: The first portion of a meet where swimmers race to determine their seeding for finals.
Pull buoy: A buoyant device used by swimmers to focus on improving their upper body strength and technique.
Race pace: The speed at which a swimmer should be swimming during a race to achieve their goal time.
Relay: A swimming event where a team of four swimmers take turns swimming laps.
Sculling: A technique where swimmers use a circular motion with their hands to maintain their position in the water or to improve their stroke technique.
Seeding: The process of organizing the swimmers into heats and lanes based on their seed times.
Sighting: The act of looking up and forward while swimming to make sure the swimmer is on course and swimming in a straight line.
Split time: The time it takes a swimmer to complete a portion of a race, often used to track progress and determine pacing.
Split: The time it takes a swimmer to complete a portion of a race, often measured at the halfway point.
Start platform: A raised platform located at the end of the pool used for dive starts in competition.
Start: The beginning of a race, often with the swimmers diving off the starting block into the pool.
Streamline dolphin kick: A technique where swimmers use a dolphin-like motion with their legs while on the surface of the water to reduce drag and maintain speed.
Streamline: A position where the swimmer stretches their body as much as possible to reduce drag and swim faster.
Stroke count: The number of strokes a swimmer takes to complete a lap or portion of a race.
Swim cap: A tight-fitting cap worn by swimmers to reduce drag and keep their hair out of their face while swimming.
Swim off: An event where two or more swimmers race an event a second time in prelims to determine seeding for finals.
Swim meet: An organized competition where swimmers compete against each other in a variety of races and events.
Taper: A period of reduced training before a major competition to allow the body to rest and recover.
Tech suit: A type of swimsuit designed to reduce drag and increase speed, often worn by competitive swimmers.
Tempo trainer: A device used by swimmers to help them maintain a consistent stroke rate.
Time trial: A swim meet or race where swimmers compete against the clock to achieve a personal best time.
Timer: An individual whose duty at a swim meet is to manually use a stopwatch to provide a backup time for a swimmer’s race in the even the electronic devices fail to properly measure.
Touchpad: The electronic device used to measure the time of a swimmer in a race.
Turnover: The rate at which a swimmer completes each stroke, which can affect their speed and efficiency.
Underwater: The act of a swimmer using only their legs to propel them through the water without breaking the surface.
Underwater dolphin kick: A technique where swimmers use a dolphin-like motion with their legs while underwater to move faster and reduce drag.
Warm-down: A period of low-intensity swimming or exercises used to help the body recover after a race or practice.
Warm-up pool: A separate pool or designated area for swimmers to warm up before their race or competition.
Warm-up: A series of exercises and swimming drills used to prepare the body for a race.