Jurisdiction and assignments are determined by who signed up in advance and who is present at the meet. Officials are assigned based on certification, experience, and the need for training. 

At any time, there may be officials-in-training on deck paired with certified officials. These apprentice officials are getting hands-on experience before their final assessment for certification.

If an official is certified in one role on deck but is looking for experience to move to another role, they could serve in multiple roles across sessions. 

Officials may shift around by session to new positions and possible roles due to:

• the needs of the meet,

• the number of officials, and

• the training or experience needs of the team.

Shifting also happens for relief of any role that only has a few certified judges at the meet. It’s also a way to keep things interesting for people and to get experience in different roles.

One final note: Jurisdiction, assignments, and protocols change from meet to meet based on location, Referee, and level of competition. Attend the Officials Briefing prior to each session so you will be knowledgeable about your assignments and the protocols for that particular session. Pay attention to the details. Depending on your role, you may have different responsibilities at each session or at different meets.

As mentioned before, all of the officials working a meet must act as a team. Everyone has a role to play in officiating a successful meet. Each official has a part in the process. There are times when you interact with officials in another role and each official has decisions to make.

You will need to adapt to meet conditions and needs, and help out wherever requested.

The flow and function of how officials work together can be different at different meets.

It will be vital to understand the different officials that will be on deck, and their main roles and responsibilities. Officials interact with each other and there is a communication flow between them. Their positions on deck may shift and change based on what swimming event is currently happening, the need to problem solve, or to exchange information.

Take some time to look over the images and read their descriptions. Find each role (Stroke and Turn Judge, Chief Judge, Starter, Deck Referee, Meet Referee, Administrative Referee, and Administrative Official) and learn about their interactions with other judges and their positions on deck.

Stroke and Turn Judges [See 102.13 in the Rulebook for more information]

Stroke and Turn Judges:

• observe swimmers during heats to determine if all swimmers are performing the strokes legally

• have knowledge of all technical rules

• raise their hand to indicate a potential disqualification if an infraction is made within their jurisdiction

• complete a DQ slip, if applicable

There are two main roles for this position*:

• The Turn Judge is responsible for the turns and finish from the flags into the wall if at finish end.

• The Stroke Judge is responsible for the stroke from wall to wall.

*at most meets, if the number of officials allow

Stroke and Turn Judges have interactions with:

• Chief Judges and Referees to vet calls they make

• Coaches, swimmers, and timers at the start end to keep all behind blocks at start

The position for Stroke and Turn Judges is based upon the number of officials available and

how many lanes to cover. Turn Judges are usually on each end and Stroke Judges are at either

end or along the side of the pool.

Chief Judge [See 102.13 in the Rulebook for more information]

The main role of the Chief Judge (or CJ) is to oversee and mentor the Stroke and Turn judges.

Chief Judges:

• work with the Meet Referee to confirm protocols and proper procedures for the meet

• may give the stroke briefing during the Officials Briefing

• may provide breaks for any Stroke and Turn judges, as needed

• alert the Deck Referee of possible disqualifications

• vet calls from the Stroke and Turn Judges and report them to the Referee

• may suggest accepting a call, or further follow-up

• fill out the DQ slip or work with the Stroke and Turn judges to complete it and turn it into the Deck Referee

The Chief Judge has interactions with:

• Stroke and Turn judges

• Deck Referee

• Starter

The position for the Chief Judge is generally around the Stroke and Turn judges. This position can change if more than one Chief Judge is on deck. Depending on the number, there could be one CJ located at each corner of the pool. Or if two CJ's are available, one serves in the starter area and the other is stationed diagonally opposite the starter area.

Starter [See 102.12 in the Rulebook for more information]

The Starter’s main role is to ensure a fair start to each race.

The Starter:

• voices “Take Your Marks” then pushes the start button to begin the race

• can recall a heat, if needed

• must be aware of meet procedures and the order of how heats will run

• may provide instruction to the timers, or it may be the Head Timer

• works with the Deck Referee on positions for the start and confirms how they will hand over the jurisdiction

• may complete a DQ slip for false starts if a Chief Judge is not available

The Starter has interactions with:

• Swimmers

• Referee(s)

• Administrative Officials

• Timers

• Chief Judges

The position for the Starter is on either side of the pool with the starter box in view of the

swimmers.

Referee [See 102.11 in the Rulebook for more information]

The Referee sets the tone for how the meet is run. They:

• confirm assignments, rotations, and the schedule

• review the deck set-up and coordinate with others to establish protocols for running the meet

• oversee everything that is going on and keep the meet flowing

There are 3 subroles for Referee, which will be separate people at larger meets.

The Meet Referee (or Meet Ref/MR) makes sure everyone is doing their job. A lot of work is done prior to the meet, but on meet day, they make sure the rules are followed. They will do everything the Deck Ref does if there is no other referee on deck. They also supervise the administrative side and run the briefing meeting.

The Deck Referee (or Deck Ref/DR) is in charge of the deck. They blow the whistle to signal the start of an event. At the end of each event, they reconcile DQs and decide whether to uphold calls.

The Administrative Referee (or Admin Ref/AR) is responsible for the paperwork or dry side of the meet. They reconcile times, DQs, and results. They also handle all meet related paperwork for the deck, and supervise administrative officials, and timing personnel.

The Meet Referee has interactions with everyone.

The Deck Referee has interactions with:

• Chief Judge

• Stroke and Turn Judges

• Coaches

The Administrative Referee has interactions with:

• Meet and Deck Referees

• Administrative Official

• Coaches

• Athletes

The Meet Referee’s position could be anywhere on deck, as needed.

The Deck Referee’s position is on the side of the pool in the starter area.

If an Administrative Referee is present, they will be in the administrative area.

*Note: They EFSL does not have AR positions.

Administrative Official [See 102.14 in the Rulebook for more information]

The Administrative Official (or Admin Official/AO):

• is in charge of the dry side or works with the Admin Referee to complete the dry side tasks.

• may work as

  • the entry chair for the meet

  • timing system operator

  • computer operator recording times and disqualifications, and publishing needed paperwork

  • could work as the timing judge who reconciles times

  • could work as clerk of course taking scratches and working on relay cards

*Note: The EFSL AOs currently fill all of the above roles unless they have additional volunteers to assist.

The Admin Official usually works in one role and supervises the other roles, especially if a non-official is working in one of these capacities.

The Administrative Official has interactions with:

• Meet Referee

• Deck Referee

• Administrative Referee

• Coaches

• Athletes

The position for Administrative Official is typically behind the Starter and Deck Referee positions.

Other people who may be on deck:

• Announcer

• Meet Director

• Meet Marshall

• Timers

• Coaches

• Athletes

• Relief officials

• Hospitality workers

• Others supporting the meet

As an official, you are part of a team. This team includes all of the officials working at a particular meet or session. The Officials Briefing before each meet session is where the standards and expectations for the meet are set. One of the lead officials will conduct the briefing to solidify all team member responsibilities and highlight information to make the meet run smoothly.

It is essential that you understand the different officials that will be on deck, and their main roles and responsibilities. Officials interact with each other, exchange necessary information, and problem solve as needed. It’s important to understand the scope of your responsibilities, though.

There are protocols and proper channels of communication to assist the team of Officials as they problem solve and work together.

As you proceed through the coursework for certifications and spend time on deck, you will get to know the flow of the interactions and how each role connects with the one you fulfill. 

You’ve finished Module 4: Working as a Team. Now it’s time to move to Module 5: Next Steps.