Safety at Competitions Procedure

Safety at Competition Procedure

Warm-ups

Competition warm-ups are recognized as one of the highest-risk periods of a swimming competition due to the number of athletes in the water and on deck, the variety of activities occurring simultaneously, and the limited space available.

During warm-up periods, athletes may be swimming at varying speeds, practicing turns, or performing stroke-specific drills while others are entering, exiting, or moving around the pool deck.

These conditions increase the potential for collisions and accidents both in and out of the water.

Accordingly, coaches, swimmers, and officials share responsibility for maintaining a safe warm-up environment by complying with these procedures and exercising awareness, courtesy, and good judgment at all times. Coaches are encouraged to support Safety Marshals in promoting a safe environment.

New Posting Requirement at Competitions

SwimON Warm-up Rules - Meet Posting

• In addition to Swimming Canada's warm-up procedures, meets must now also post Swim Ontario's Warm-up Rules (from the Safety at Competitions procedure)
• A condensed version has been created just for posting.
• There is no need to print the full procedure document

New Safety Marshal Requirements

Lead Safety Marshal

One Lead Safety Marshal is required for the full warm-up period before a single- or double-ended session when either of the following applies:

• Any session that has a split warm-up, or
• Any session of a Tier III or IV meet

The Lead Safety Marshal must:

• Be a Level II or higher official with prior Safety Marshal experience
  • May be the Meet Manager, provided they are performing no other duties and are on deck actively carrying out Safety Marshal responsibilities
• Be confident communicating with coaches and swimmers
• Be briefed by the Session Referee before the start of the warm-up period (or first split warm-up) with other Safety Marshals

If the Session Referee is unable to brief the second group of Safety Marshals for a split warm-up, the Lead Safety Marshal shall ensure they are properly briefed.

Minimum Safety Marshals per warm-up period

• 25 m pool - 2
• 50 m pool - 4
  • either single- or double-end configuration
• When required, one must be a Lead Safety Marshal
• When pace lane available, 1 additional safety marshal is required.

Why this change?

Warm-up is the highest-risk window of a session → and the point when senior officials are pulled off deck for briefings

The L2 or higher Lead Safety Marshal requirement closes that gap → ensuring certified, experienced oversight stays on deck while briefings run

LCM Chase Starts

Double-ended Long Course Metre (LCM) chase starts are the second-highest safety risk at competition, after warm-up. When two heats share the pool, swimmers finishing and swimmers racing are in the water at the same time, often at the same wall. That leaves little room for error in timing, communication or supervision.

To protect swimmer safety and the fairness of competition, chase starts are permitted only when every parameter below is followed. That covers timing intervals, heat limits, clear signalling between ends, and experienced officials in key positions.

Host clubs, the Competition Coordinator and session referees share responsibility for planning, staffing and running chase starts to these standards. Where any requirement can't be met, events must be started from one end only.

Double-ended Long Course Meter (LCM) chase starts are permitted provided all parameters under which LCM chase starts can be utilized are followed:

• Pre-event timing intervals are set as per competition procedure
• Sufficient time is provided for finishing swimmers to move aside and hold the lane rope and the chase swimmers to safely turn/finish their race;
• Inspector of Turns shall instruct swimmers to the lane rope and ensure both are aware which side the chase swimmer will use for the turn and adjust if necessary.
• Inspector of Turns will judge the chase swimmer turn.
• Chase Starts are not permitted for relay events. All starts must be from one end only.
• Any heat with para swimmers shall be cleared prior to the start of the next heat as to allow sufficient time for the swimmers to safely exit the pool.
• There are no more than 2 heats in the water during double-ended LCM chase starts.
  • During 50m events, allow sufficient time for swimmers to clear the pool before the next heat finishes
    • The co-referee or Competition Coordinator shall be positioned at the finish end and clearly signal to the start-end referee that the final swimmer has touched.
    • For clarity, swimmers can be whistled-up prior to the last swimmer touching the wall but shall not be started before the final swimmer touch.
• If the session referee is new to chase starts, they shall be paired with an experienced (to chase starts) starter AND an experienced (to chase starts) referee at the other end.

All LCM Chase Starts competition must provide a session report (following the sanction requirement timing intervals) and senior officials grid to Swim Ontario at minimum 5 days prior to the start of the competition.