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Akron Metropolitan Swim Association

Swim Meet Guidelines and Policies

Revised April 30, 2006

1. All Akron Metropolitan Swim Association (AMSA) sponsored meets shall be governed by the then current OHSAA rules, except as superseded by the AMSA guidelines, policies, constitution or by-laws, as herein stated, described or defined.

2. All swimmers participating in AMSA meets shall be listed on a team roster utilizing the AMSA supplied copy of Hy-Tek Meet Manager. The roster must list boys and girls separately in each age group and in alphabetical order with full name, date of birth, address and parent(s) name(s). Send (a paper copy and) an electronic media copy of the completed roster(s) to the Vice President of Statistics (VP Statistics). A deadline for initial and final rosters will be noted on a master schedule each year. Additional swimmers may be added to the final roster of any AMSA team at the discretion of the VP Statistics, or, after a protest is filed with the AMSA President by an AMSA member, through action of the AMSA Board of Directors.

3. Each swimmer must be a member of the club, organization or facility that sponsors his or her team. The use of “ringers” (defined as swimmers who are recruited to participate in only one or two meets per season and whose participation materially affects the scoring of the meet) is contrary to the purpose of this league. The VP Statistics or any other AMSA member shall report any evidence of use of ringers to the President, whereupon the AMSA Directors may take remedial action.

4. To be eligible to swim in a scoring event, a swimmer must appear on the VP Statistics roster prior to the start of the meet in which the swimmer participates (i.e., send an email to the VP Statistics that says Jane Doe will be swimming in tonight’s meet; include all normally required data).

5. No swimmer may swim for more than one (1) AMSA team.

6. Swimmers may participate at their age level as of JUNE 1^st. In dual meets a swimmer may move up to any age group and return to their original age group any number of times. In any meet, no swimmer may swim in more than one (1) individual or relay event of the same stroke(s) in two age groups. For example, a swimmer cannot swim the freestyle in both the 9/10 and the 11/12 age groups.

7. Individual swimmers may swim a total of four (4) events, not more that three of which are individual events. This is for all dual and championship meets.

8. Each swimmer must swim in three (3) dual meets against AMSA teams to qualify for the championship meet. The only exception is when a meet rescheduled due to weather is again cancelled and the swimmer was in the lineup for the rescheduled meet. The lineup for the rescheduled meet is to be submitted to the VP of Statistics immediately following the second cancellation of the meet. Exhibition events do not qualify a swimmer for the championship meet.

9. Each Swimmer must swim his or her own age level at the championship meet.

10. There will be no more than fifteen (15) exhibition events allowed per meet at any dual meet. Each team may swim three (3) swimmers. If the opposing team does not have swimmers in that event, the other team will be permitted to fill the remaining open lanes. To facilitate the exhibition schedule, coaches will coordinate their proposed exhibition lineups and submit them to the scorers at the scoring table in a timely manner before the start of the meet. There will be no exhibitions at the championship meet.

11. All teams will submit AMSA approved lineup sheets to the scoring table no later than fifteen (15) minutes before each meet. Names of swimmers with the first and last name will need to be written out on each entry on the lineup forms. After the initial lineup is submitted to the head scorer, any changes that need to be made to the lineup must be submitted to the head scorer at least two events prior to the proposed changed event’s entry into the water.

12. Exhibition events will be noted on separate lineup sheets. All events will be timed and those times recorded. Exhibition events will not be scored.

13. Home teams will provide ribbons for scored and exhibition events. Disqualified swimmers will receive 6^th place ribbons. Ribbons must be distributed to the coaches at the end of each meet. Exhibition ribbons will be marked EXB on the back sticker

14. Home teams will have an AMSA assigned meet official and pay the official the rate set forth by AMSA. The home team will supply 12 timers, one runner, two scorers and two ribbons people (or ribbon writers). The visiting team may provide one scorer.

15. Each team must have at least one parent representative who will sign and return to the Board of Directors an acknowledgment of the AMSA rules for the season, and agree to be responsible for the proper communication to their respective club, team and management.

16. Teams may not use coaches or assistant coaches as scoring participants in AMSA meets. No AMSA member swimmer is to receive payment or other compensation to swim for or train with an AMSA team.

17. All entry fees and team lineups for the championship meet are due the Friday before the last full week before championships. Changes will not be made after the pre-championship coaches and Directors’ meeting. Four entrants are permitted per gender, per age group, per stroke, per team. One mixed relay per age group, per event is permitted.

18. A relay team must consist of 4 DIFFERENT swimmers and shall not include more than two (2) boys.

19. Ten points will be charged against an AMSA team at the Championship Meet for each of the following dual meet season violations:

(a) late roster

(b) improper roster

(d) Improper use of swimmers during any dual meet; for example, using a swimmer in five events. In addition, any points scored by the swimmer at the dual meet may be forfeited.

(e) Violation of rule #17

20. Reports of violations involving rule infringements must be made in writing and sent to VP of Statistics within 24 hours of the observed infringement

21. AMSA recognized that the HOME TEAM POOL management reserves the right to call off a meet due to weather conditions and this should be done by 4-00PM. The home team should make all reasonable effort to reschedule the meet to a date and time both teams find mutually acceptable.

22. All visiting teams should abide by the rules and regulations of the host facilities. PUSHING or MANHANDLING of swimmers or coaches into the pool following a meet is penalized by a loss of ten points per incident.

23. Other general rules affecting how meets are to be conducted.

a) High school rules shall be enforced

b) Events for dual meets (See attached sheet)

(c) All events for swimmers age 10 and under shall not be longer than one length of the pool, with the exception of the 50 free events #26 and #27.

d) Starting blocks shall not exceed 30 inches in height above the water.

e) All host clubs will provide backstroke flags and kick boards for backstroke.

f) Should the depth of the water in the shallow end be less than four feet, all swimmers at that end will start in the water.

g) At the official’s discretion, two false starts will disqualify (DQ) a swimmer in relays and individual events. At the official’s discretion, false starts by subsequent swimmers in a relay will DQ the entire relay team.

h) Scoring of events at a dual meet:

Individual Events Relay Events

1st Place – 5 points 1^st place – 7 points

2^nd place – 3 points 2^nd place – 3 points

3^rd place – 2 points

4^th place – 1 point

Scoring of Events at Championships:

Individual Events Relay Events

1^st place – 14 points 1^st place – 20 points

2^nd place – 12 points 2^nd place – 15 points

3^rd place – 10 points 3^rd place – 10 points

4^th place – 9 points 4^th place – 7 points

5^th place – 8 points 5^th place – 5 points

6^th place – 7 points 6^th place – 3 points

7^th place – 6 points

8^th place – 5 points

9^th place – 4 points

10^th place – 3 points

11^th place – 2 points

12^th place – 1 point

24. Under conditions where a meet must be ended early, the meet will be considered official at the conclusion of the Event 15 (fifteen) scoring heat.

25. A trophy will be awarded at the intermission of the Championship Meet to the AMSA team recognized for the best display of Sportsmanship throughout the season. Voting for the Sportsmanship award will be conducted by secret ballot at the pre-championship Coaches and Director’s meeting. One Director and one coach from each AMSA team will each cast one vote. In the event of a tie, at the President’s discretion, a second ballot may be taken. The “Championship Meet” trophy will be awarded to the team winning the championship meet at the conclusion of the championship meet

Adopted at the April 30, 2006 meeting of the Akron Metropolitan Swim Association Board of Directors, by unanimous vote.