Certified and Trained Positions
If you have any interest in training for a Certified position, please reach out to the Board at [email protected] before registeringfollow.
Certified and Trained Positions:
Meet Director: A responsible person designated by the Home Club. He/she shall arrange seating for spectators and designate areas for each club’s swimmers. The
GRAL Training for Certified positions will be virtual. Additional details to Meet Director is responsible for ensuring that all required equipment and materials are available before the meet, including arrangements for the pool, pool deck, deck officials, Announcer, Clerk of Course, computer area, check-in tables, and table workers. Adequate lighting is a necessity. Training will be provided to referees and Parent Representatives to fulfill the position.
Referee: This is a certified position and requires that the person who signs up be fully cognizant of the job responsibilities and rules governing the performance of Clerk of Course, Starter, Strokes & Turns Judges, table workers, and computer functions. The referee shall be aware of any concerns that arise during the conduct of the meet in any of these areas and be prepared to intervene to resolve those concerns. Other duties include meeting with the Head Table worker, Head Computer Operator, Clerk of Course, Head Timer, Runner for DQ cards from Strokes & Turns Judges prior to the start of the meet to assure that all is in order for the meet. The Referee also meets with the coaches for every club prior to the start of the meet. The provides an opportunity for instructions and establishes the authority for running of the meet, giving the Referee an opportunity to make any statements regarding the conduct of the meet and coaches a chance to ask any questions they may have. The Referee also meets with the Starter and the Strokes & Turns Judges to review the pool’s layout procedures, specific stroke and/or turn technical review and record the names of the officials including the “walkers”. GRAL likes for people who are serving as judges to wear white shirts and navy bottoms.
Strokes and Turns: This is a certified position and requires the person to be able to evaluate each swimmer to ensure that the designated strokes and turns for the event are being performed in accordance with USS rules. Strokes & Turns Judges are required to sign in with the Referee meeting prior to the meet’s start. GRAL likes for people who are serving as Strokes & Turns Judges to wear white shirts and navy bottoms.
Clerk of Course: This is a certified position and requires the person to be able to use heat sheets to ensure that all swimmers are placed in the correct lanes for the correct event. The Clerk of Course also has the ability to combine swimmers of all classifications together when events have 1-3 swimmers. The Clerk of Course keeps the Starter and Referee informed of any changes to the number of heats for each event. The Clerk also informs any affected timers of the changes and is encourage to write the changes on his/her meet program.
Starter: This is a certified position that requires the person to be able to control the meet by ensuring each event has a successful start. All clubs in GRAL use electronic starters. Starters should also have a clear speaking voice. Starters work closely with the Referee and the Clerk of Course to ensure the meet runs smoothly and in a timely manner.
Head Table Worker: The Table Workers receive the Timer event/lane sheets from the runners and process the information through the posting of results. Tasks may include receiving and sorting timer event/lane sheets, computer input reports, labeling ribbons, DQ envelopes, and posting results and scores.
Computer Operator: This is a trained position that requires the person to be able to oversee the accurate entry of meet information, and record the results as they come in, print final reports, export all files as required, and make appropriate backups.
Other Positions:
Assistant Computer Operator: At away meets, our club will need to provide someone to assist the other club’s computer operator. GRAL prefers that individuals signing up for this position have some training with
Assistant Clerk of Course: Assistant Clerks help the Clerk of Course in a variety of ways. They help the participants to stay in their lanes and with the other swimmers in their event as they progress to their lanes. They also assist with lining up relay teams. They also assist with getting the swimmers to their blocks when their event is called.
Head Timer and Timers: The Head Timer will assign one timer per lane to record times on the swimmer’s event/lane sheet. He/she will ensure that the timers have proper event/lane sheets before an event is started. He/she must make sure the runner receive the event/lane sheets as soon as possible after the race. There shall be three adult timers per lane, and each club should be represented on each lane. All timers (including the Head Timer) should start their watches whether or not they are timing a swimmer. The Head Timer should occasionally review the results of the three times in a lane to make sure the timers are staying close together on the recorded times.
Runners: The Runner helps the meet run smoothly by assisting the Table Worker while collecting DQ cards (from the Referee) and lane/event sheets (from the Timers). They may also be asked to distribute relay cards and extra heat sheets to the Clerk of Course and run messages for the Table Workers.
Ribbon Worker: The ribbon worker will prepare the placement ribbons at the Monday after the meet am or pm practice for distribution. The computer rep will prepare and provide the tabs that will then be put on the ribbons at Monday practice.
Set up and Break Down: These volunteers help set up and tear down the deck after each meet at the instruction of the meet coordinator.
Table Workers: The Table Workers receive the Timer event/lane sheets from the runners and process the information through the posting of results. Tasks may include receiving and sorting timer event/lane sheets, computer input reports, labeling ribbons, DQ envelopes, and posting results and scores.
