In the last WaveLength newsletter, I presented an overview of the range of jobs that must be filled to address the "officiating" responsibilities at a swim meet.  In this issue I would like to address two particular officiating positions, familiar to many, that can be addressed  competently by new volunteers with little formal training.  However they are actually among the most important  on the deck as they affect the accurate reporting of results, specifically the time and order in which swimmers finish.  I am referring to the positions of lane timer and place judge.

By virtue of their sheer numbers and their location at the end of the pool, the timers  are among the most obvious and therefore most commonly filled positions.  Nearly everyone who has attended meets has volunteered for this position and the training is usually on-the-fly"; that is, a brief introduction from some more senior official, and occasional guidance from your neighbour who is obviously more experienced. 

However it is often the case that subtle, but important, points are overlooked in this informal introduction to the job.  The next time you are timing, analyze your own technique to see if you are using the following recommended practices:

1.)  Time every race, even those for which there is no swimmer in your lane.  You may then be able to assist another lane where a watch failure has occurred.

2.)  Don't anticipate the touch.  Stop the watch only when the swimmer  makes contact with the end of the pool or a part of their body passes the imaginary vertical plane that extends up from the end of the pool.

3.) Hold the watch in your left hand, so that you use your index finger to start and to stop your watch.  It is a well-documented fact that the index finger can be moved more quickly than the thumb.

4.) Don't time a race if you did not start on-time, for whatever reason.  Abandon the effort if you missed the start and advise the chief timer.  And don't accept a watch from someone else in order to time the finish. If a timer in the lane next to you has followed my suggestion (1) then have them time the finish. The rule is: "The person who starts the watch, stops the watch" -- no exceptions. 

Like the timers, place judging is most often learned by a brief introduction followed by tips from your more experienced colleagues.  And like timing, it is important that you adopt techniques that ensure that you can, to the best of your ability, provide an accurate opinion as to the order of finish.

It is a common misconception that the official order of finish is determined by the timers.  Not So!  Normally the order of finish is determined by the place judges.  And this is the case even when the result is not supported by the times!  Only in the unlikely event of a deadlock among the place judges, the referee and the starter will times be used to resolve the order of finish.

Thus it is important that place judges follow proper procedures so that they are able to give a fair as well as accurate opinion on the finish of a race. Whether you have place-judged before or not,  the next time you are a place judge, examine your technique to ensure that you  are employing the following recommended practices:

1.) No "cheating".  Ignore what everyone around you thinks, including your fellow place judges, the referee or any other official.  It is important for the recording room to know what you think happened; not that the place judging be unanimous.  If you missed the finish, don't borrow someone else's results; simply indicate "NO SWEEP".

2.) Record the order of finish of however many lanes you observe.  Trust your judgement to see as many lanes as possible, but if you only observed the order of a few of the lanes then record the placing of those lanes only. 

3.) Train yourself to record as you observe the finish, without glancing down to your pad and so taking your eyes away from the swimmers as they finish.

Ideally, each club's director of officials will have an opportunity to conduct a short clinic and the suggestions I have made will be merely review.  But even if you are unable to attend a clinic, or are a new parent of a summer swimmer in BCSSA, don't be afraid to volunteer for either of these positions.  They are an excellent way to pass the time and to contribute to the successful running of a meet.  As an additional bonus they provide the best seats to the meet itself, providing you don't mind getting a little wet occasionally on a hot summer's day!