Swim Meet FAQ

The Hermitage Hurricanes will swim the 2022 season as part of the James River Aquatics Club (JRAC). JRAC is a summer swim league comprising of 20 swim teams and The JRAC Swimming Rules 2022 will govern our conduct of meets.

The team is divided into age groups for competition. The swimmer’s age group is determined by how old the swimmer is on June 1st. A swimmer will swim in the same age group the entire swim season (even if they will have a birthday after June 1st). Girls and boys compete separately, except during relays.

The age groups divisions are:

• 8 & under

• 9 – 10

• 11 – 12

• 13 – 14

• 15 – 18

*Swimmers are also divided by time classification (*see below).

There are four classifications that a swimmer’s time can fit into: Novice, Regular, X, and XX.

A swimmer will be classified for each individual event based on the swimmer’s time in that event.

Novice includes swimmers with no time (NT) in an event.

Each week there will be two Novice events:

• Freestyle is always one of the two Novice events.

• The second Novice event rotates: Backstroke (weeks 1 & 4), Breaststroke (weeks 2 & 5), and Butterfly (weeks 3 & 6).

Special note: For 8 & under swimmers, every week also includes the Novice Backstroke. (However, 8 & under swimmers may only swim in either the Novice Backstroke OR the stroke of the week.)

Note: JRAC sets the time standards for each stroke by age group and gender on a 5-year rotation following a documented protocol established by a committee appointed by the JRAC Board. These time standards are listed here.

The coaches will enter each swimmer in events to encourage and challenge their swimming ability. Events are divided by age group, gender, stroke, and distance (i.e. Girls 9 -10 - 50 Meter Backstroke). There may be several heats (lanes full of swimmers) with each event.

Swimmers may also be entered into a relay, in addition to their individual events.

When a swimmer does not perform the stroke and/or turns correctly, they will be disqualified from this event. This is marked on the results as a DQ.

Please do not fret! It happens to the best of them! It is a learning experience to be discussed with the coach. Do not approach a meet official to argue your case. Please speak directly to the coach if you have any questions or concerns about a disqualification.

The coaches will encourage everyone to write their events on the back of the hand or arm to keep track of the events they are swimming in each meet.

The coaches will provide each swimmer with a card indicating their events.

The strokes are typically abbreviated as follows:

• Freestyle = FR

• Backstroke = BK

• Breaststroke = BR

• Butterfly = FL

Similar to the photo below, you may want to write the event number and the stroke.

Example: Event 6 - 50 Freestyle would be abbreviated #6 - 50 FR.

For regular season swim meets, individual ribbons are given to the top six swimmers in each time classification (N, R, X, XX).

Relay ribbons are given for the top six in each age group.

Points are awarded to the team for an individual’s performance as follows:

• Novice: 1st (7), 2nd (5), 3rd (4), 4th (3), 5th (2), and 6th (1).

• Regular: 1st (8), 2nd (6), 3rd (5), 4th (3), 5th (2), and 6th (1). Note: max of 3 entries per team per event

• X: 1st (9), 2nd (7), 3rd (6), 4th (5), 5th (4), and 6th (3). Note: max of 3 entries per team per event

• XX: 1st (10), 2nd (8), 3rd (7), 4th (6), 5th (5), and 6th (4). Note: max of 3 entries per team per event

• Relays: 1st (16), 2nd (12), 3rd (10), 4th (8), 5th (6), and 6th (4). Note: max of 3 entries per team per event

For certain events and time classifications, the team may enter additional non-scoring swimmers as an Exhibition (EXH) swimmer. These swimmers do not count towards towards the overall meet score for this event, but their time does count towards earning a qualifying JRAC Champ. This allows more swimmers the opportunity to swim in events.

Relay teams must consist of four swimmers as follows:

• two (2) boys and two (2) girls;

• one (1) boy and three (3) girls; or

• four (4) girls.

No relay team can swim for points with more than two boys.

Backstroke (BK)

• The Backstroke starts in the water with the swimmer facing the wall.

• The swimmer leaves the wall on their back and remains on their back during this stroke.

• If swimming more than a 25 – the swimmer may do a flip turn by rolling onto their stomach one (1) stroke away from the wall and flip. The swimmer can only take one arm stroke on their stomach and must begin their flip before their hand reaches their hip in a continuous, fluid movement. A flip turn is not required and any swimmer can touch the wall on their back at the turns.

• The Backstroke finishes on the back all the way to the wall.

Breaststroke (BR)

• The Breaststroke typically starts on the blocks.*

• At the start and after each turn, the swimmer may do an “underwater pullout” to bring them to the surface. During the pullout, the swimmer may do a single butterfly (dolphin) kick, which then must be followed by a breaststroke pull. The dolphin kick (optional) may be done at the completion of the first arm pull instead.

• The swimmer's hands may not pass their hips during the pull (unless in the “underwater pullout”)

• Each stroke consists of an arm pull, a breath and a kick (the “WVI” kick) – no freestyle flutter kicks!

• The Breaststroke finish and turns require a simultaneous, two-hand touch on the wall.

• (This can be the hardest of the strokes to accomplish, be patient!)

Butterfly (FL)

• The Butterfly normally starts on the blocks.*

• The swimmer may only do “dolphin kicks “ to reach the surface – legs stay together.

• Each stroke consists of a simultaneous two-arm pull over the head and (usually two or more) dolphin kicks.

• The Butterfly finish and turns require a simultaneous, two-hand touch on the wall.

Freestyle (FR)

• The Freestyle normally starts on the blocks.*

• The swimmer may do “dolphin kicks“ or “flutter kicks” to reach the surface.

• Each stroke consists of an alternating arm pulls on the stomach and flutter kicks.

• This is the only stroke that the swimmer can stop without penalty – just don’t pull on the lane lines or push off the bottom!

Individual Medley (IM)

• The IM normally starts on the blocks.*

• This as a 100 meter/yard event with each 25 length in a different stroke.

• The stroke order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.

• Each length involves the start and finish rules for each stroke – i.e. No backstroke flip turn allowed!

Relays

• Mixed 8 and under Relay is always the first event. The Relays alternate each week, the 1st, 3rd and 6th meets are Freestyle Relays and the 2nd, 4th, and 5th meets are Medley Relays (4 strokes).

• Each relay consists of 4 swimmers of the same age group – no more than 2 boys on a relay team and a max of 4 girls.

• The stroke order for the Medley Relay is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle and the first swimmer (BK) starts in the water.

• The first swimmer of the relay starts with the starter; the remaining three legs may not dive in until the swimmer in front of them has touched the wall.

*Swimmers may choose to start in the water (one hand must hold onto the wall under after the starter's buzzer) or from the side of the pool.