Officiating at Regional Competitions
Regional competitions need many volunteer officials to ensure smooth and efficient running. We welcome all officials from J1 trainees upward. Opportunities to volunteer at regional events are published in our monthly Newsletters and Official’s Bulletins.
Current live competitions are on Swim Meet
Become a Swimming Technical Official
Swimming Technical Officials do not need to be experienced swimmers or have a competitive background. Everything you need to know to be able to volunteer as an official is provided in the training programme.
There are five levels of swimming technical officials with each one a progression.
Timekeeper
This is an introduction to officiating in swimming. It covers the practical aspects of what is required of a timekeeper by means of a short theory session followed by a practical poolside session with a qualified official.
The minimum recommended age for candidates to undertake this training is 14 years, and all need to be registered members of a Aquatics GB affiliated club or member of the Institute of Swimming (IoS).
Timekeeper Online Process (IOS) £5 per person – new course
- Register or log in and book a course at https://www.swimming.org/ios/courses-officials-volunteers/
- Upon completion download a copy of the certificate and then load it onto your profile at https://www.swimmingresults.org/member_options/ using the option Swimming Timekeeper Theory
Judge Level 1 – course for Qualified Timekeepers (Inspector of Turns)
This course is designed for people who are already qualified as a Time Keeper. Use the contact us link under the course heading at Courses for Officials and Volunteers to enquire about this course.
Judge Level 1 – online course (Inspector of Turns)
The move to an online format is designed to allow volunteers to start the training at their own pace and to fit with all the other lifestyle commitments which our volunteers have.
Some counties will provide clubs or individuals with vouchers to cover the £20.00 course fee. Please contact your County Coordinator for details. If you have been provided with a voucher to access a closed course for your Region/County please ensure that you register using the link provided with the voucher and not the one below, which is for the national course.
Use this link Courses for Officials and Volunteers to apply for the Judge Level 1 course.
Access to local support is available on request, with a dedicated email address ([email protected]) to provide ongoing additional support as we seek to grow our number of qualified officials.
Once the theory training is complete and registered, candidates will be provided with training resources folders to log their practical progress through the course. Clear guidance is now included on suggested timescales for completing each competence, with a time limit of 11 months to complete the training process.
Upon completion of all Judge 1 training individuals will upload the completion evidence and automatically be issued with their first licence, valid for 4 years, which then enable them to volunteer at all events up to and including National level.
Judge 2 (Stroke)
(online registration process Feb 25)
Judge Level 2 is the next step in the swimming technical official qualification, building upon the skills learned in Judge Level 1. This level focuses on all aspects of judging strokes and involves additional responsibilities including the role and duties of Finish Judges.
To begin training for Judge Level 2, candidates must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have already qualified as a Judge Level 1
- Completed 20 hours of poolside experience after achieving the Level 1 qualification
The training includes both theoretical learning and practical review sessions, along with mentored poolside training. A workbook similar to the Judge Level 1 format is provided, which helps candidates record their practical competence before qualifying.
Once qualified, candidates will be listed as Judge Level 2 on the Swim England Membership Database.
The fee for Judge Level 2 training is £10. After applying, you’ll receive your logbook and the contact details of your Regional Officials Co-ordinator, who can assist you in planning your training.
Click here to Apply to Become a Judge 2
Judge 2S (Starter)
Candidates wishing to apply for Starter training are required hold the Judge Level 2 qualification and have completed a minimum of 20 hours post qualification experience as Judge Level 2.
Training will consist of a prescribed number of practical experiences as a Starter before undertaking a formal practical assessment.
Successful candidates will be attributed with the Starter qualification: Judge Level 2S. There is currently no fee for this course as it was included in the Judge Level 2 application.
Refereeing Swimming – A Beginners Guide (online)
Refereeing Swimming – A Beginners Guide, has been designed to provide support and guidance for qualified J2(S) officials who may be requested to perform the duty of a Referee for small locally run competitions.
It is important to note that completion of this module will not qualify you as a referee.
By completing this module, you will achieve the following learning outcomes –
Recognise and identify the duties of a referee at a swimming competition with regard to:
1. The role of the referee
2. The role of the referee with specific reference to Health and Safety
3. Producing the race result (Manual and AOE)
The course is free to join and recognised by the IoS, Completion of this course is one of the prerequisites for the full referee training process. You can book via the following link: IoS Online Beginners Guide to Referring CPD.
Referee
The minimum age for training is 19 years providing the candidate is aged 20 years as at 30 November in the year of the theory examination.
This course contains theoretical instruction and specified practical experiences. It is followed by a formal examination in November after which successful candidates take a final poolside practical assessment leading to qualification as a Aquatics GB Referee.
Several months have been allocated between registration and the formal examination to enable candidates to undertake all the practical experience required to complete the course as well as the theoretical instruction.
Please ensure you read the AGB pre-requisites and application process for Referee training before you apply which is on the Referee section of the AGB website here
AGB_Swimming_Referee_Training_V6_September_2024.pdf
Officials training is delivered through regions and counties, with trained course leaders. Contact John Tripp for details.
World Aquatics Competitions Regulations
Which include all the Rules for each of our Aquatic Sports, are updated on a regular basis. They do not have a “Start and End”, just “effective from Date”
Details can be found at https://www.worldaquatics.com/rules/competition-regulations.
Register for the Swim England Officials Newsletter here
Officials licensed fees
Swim England South East will pay the relicensing fee for qualified Swimming Technical Officials. On the relicensing form, please check the box Swim England Region/County to pay and state South East Region.
The current relicensing form may be found here
Courses for officials and volunteers
There are a number of e-learning courses now available to support Officials and Volunteers. Further information and online booking are available here.
- Swimming Technical Officials – Judge 1 Theory
- Swimming Technical Officials – Timekeeping
- Swimming Technical Officials – Judge 1 Theory for qualified Time Keepers
- A Beginner’s Guide to Refereeing Swimming
- Swim England Foundation Safeguarding Course for Adults (Formerly Contemporary Issues)
- Swim England Child Safeguarding
