Suburban Swim League

Constitution

(Revised Spring 2000)

Article I - Name

The name of the organization shall be the Suburban Swim League.

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of the organization shall be to promote competitive swimming.

Article III - Membership

Membership shall be open to any swimming pool which desires admission to our league and agrees to abide by the Constitution and Rules of the Organization. Application for membership shall be presented to the League President one month prior to the Fall or Spring Meeting. Acceptance to membership shall be a three-quarter affirmative vote of the total membership.

Article IV - Officers

The officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall be elected annually for a two year term by a majority vote of those present at the Fall Meeting and their term of office shall begin at the adjournment of the Fall Meeting. The president and secretary will be elected in the odd numbered years; vice president and treasurer in even numbered years. The officers will also act as an arbitrating board for all protests.

Article V - Meetings

At least two meetings shall be held each year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The time and the place shall be designated by the League President. Special meetings may be called by the President, however, no bylaws or rules may be changed at a special meeting. The Spring Meeting will be a general meeting prior to the competitive schedule. The Fall Meeting will be at the conclusion of the season. Rules may be changed at either the Spring or the Fall Meetings. For all voting, each member will have one vote.

Article VI - Constitution Amendments

Any proposed changes to the Constitution shall be submitted to the League President at least one month prior to the Fall Meeting. The President shall notify all members concerning any Constitution changes at least one week prior to the meeting. The Constitution can be changed by a three-quarter affirmative vote of the total membership.

Article VII - Rule Changes

Rules may be changed or established by a majority vote of those present at the Spring or Fall Meeting.

 

Suburban Swim League Rules and Regulations

(Revised Spring 2001)

DUAL MEET RULES:

The Suburban Swim League will abide by the National Federation Rules and Regulations with the following exceptions:

Swimmers and Divers Eligibility:

  1. Age group eligibility will be based on a competitor's age as of May 31st. (Example: a competitor turning 11 on June 1st would be eligible to compete in the 10 and under age group that year.) A swimmer may compete through the Summer season following the last year of high school.
  2. A Swimmer or Diver participating in the Suburban Swim League from June 1st, until the Suburban Swim League Championship Meet, in any one Summer season, may only represent a single Suburban Swim League Team.. Swimmers and divers may not represent a team from any other similar Summer League, (example: ABE League, Allentown Inner-city League, Bethlehem Inner-city League, Bux-Mont, Norwin, etc.), during the same Summer season the Swimmer swims or dives for the Suburban League Team. Exception: A diver may dive for another Suburban team if his team does not offer a diving program.
  3. All Swimmers must be members in good standing of their respective pools. Exception - employees are ineligible to swim the first year of employment unless they were members or employees of the respective pool the previous year. Second year employees are eligible without membership.
  4. Infraction of eligibility rules will result in forfeiture of individual event and relay event points earned by the individual or individuals found to have swum while being ineligible. Forfeited points will be awarded to the opposing team. A $10.00 Penalty will be issued to the offending team.
  5. Swim Team Rosters including (first and last names and date of birth - month, day and year) must be sent to the President and each Team Coach before the first scheduled meet. Rosters Rosters must be postmarked or e-mailed three days before the first meet. All additions to the rosters must be sent to the President and each Team Coach before a swimmer or diver is eligible to compete and these must be postmarked or e-mailed three days before the meet. All rosters may be added to until the fourth scheduled meet date, then no further additions may be made. To ensure that all teams submit roster reports in the same format the Roster report feature of Team Manager with swimmers sorted by ascending age must be used. If the roster is to be e-mailed it should be saved/sent in HTML 3.0 format. Failure to comply with any of the above will result in a $10.00 Penalty.
  6. Swimmers do not have to wear suits of the same color or pattern; however, they must be decent
  7. Coaches must advise swimmers about the appropriate body markings and jewelry safety issues.
  8. Boys may only compete in boys scoring events and girls may only compete in girls scoring events.
  9. The league will use the mathematically correct conversion factors to convert swim times from the various pool lengths of the league. The conversions will be:

25 yards to 25 meters 1.094

25 meters to 25 yards 0.9141

30 yards to 25 yards 0.8333

30 yards to 25 meters 0.9113

25 meters to 30 yards 1.0973

25 yards to 30 yards 1.2000

Swimming Events

  1. The individual swimming events to be contested will be freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke for all five age groups and individual medleys for the 12&under, 14&under and 15&over age groups and a free relay for the 8 & under age group. (See Event Sheet Attached)

  2. A person may compete in four events, one of which must be a relay. 

  3. The order of events will be as follows: 8 & Under Free Relay, 15&over 50 Freestyle, Medley Relays, Breaststroke, Individual Medleys, Butterfly, Backstroke, remaining Freestyle, and Freestyle Relays.

  4. In dual meets, Swimmers may move up any number of age groups to compete in individual events or on relays.

  5. An exhibition swimmer must swim the stroke being swum in that event, unless both coaches agree on something else two events prior to the event. This will be a Coaches agreement. Exhibition heats may be swum as specified on the meet schedule and should be recorded on the Exhibition meet sheets.

  6. False starts for swimmers will be as follows: Events for ages 8-10-12 will be allowed 1 fast false start. Events for ages 14&15 will be allowed No false starts. (Note: If a 10 year old swims in a 14&U event, the No false start rule will be in effect for that swimmer.)

  7. Protests of rule infractions will be as follows:

    8. a) Infractions of the rules must be brought verbally to the attention of the Meet Referee/Starter before the next event.

    b) Protests not resolved by the Meet Referee/Starter must be submitted in writing by the team protesting to the President of the League. The President will call a special meeting of the teams involved and the Arbitration Board. The Arbitration Board shall pass final judgment of the protest. The protest must be postmarked no later than 48 hours following the meet. Two alternatives will be appointed to the Arbitration Board made up of the officers), if members of the Board are involved in the protest.

  8. Only 2 swimmers/teams may score for each team in each relay and individual event.

 

Swim Teams & Coaches Responsibility:

  1. Pools are to be available as follows:

    2. Starting time for warm-ups is 5:00 p.m.

    Each team gets the entire pool for one-half of the warm-up period. The home team will warm up the first one-half of the warm up period. The visiting team will warm up the second one-half of the warm-up period. The team not warming up will clear the pool deck area during the other team's warm-up period.

    Skimmer openings and other openings or protrusions at either end of the pool and in the swimming lanes shall be covered or protected to reduce the chance of injury to the swimmers.

    Starting time for meets is 6:00 p.m. (6:30 p.m. is the latest starting time at the Referee/Starter's discretion.)

    If a meet has been started and then postponed due to inclement weather, the Head Coaches turn all Event Sheets over to the Referee/Starter, and plan a scratch meeting 10 minutes prior to the start of the rescheduled meet for changes. An entirely new line-up may be submitted from the point of the last event swum at the postponed meet, taking into account the number of events in which a swimmer may have already participated.

  2. In dual meets, the two clubs competing will each furnish the following:

    3. 9 timers

    1 stroke and turn official

    1 score keeper

    If available, a PIAA Official will be in charge of the meet as Referee/Starter. (Home team responsibility). Alternately, a certified NCAA or US Swimming official may serve as Referee/Starter provided they are familiar with PIAA rules and the League exceptions to those rules. If no certified official is available a person who has attended training specified or conduct by the League may serve as Referee/Starter. Stroke and turn officials must also be certified officials or have attended training specified or conducted by the League. By mutual consent, the home team may request that the visiting team supply the Referee/Starter if the home team has difficulty supplying itís quota.

  3. The home team will swim even lanes and the away team will swim odd lanes. In a five lane pool the visiting team will  have lanes 1 & 3 as scoring lanes. Lane 5 will be for exhibition only. The home team coach will contact the visiting team coach to arrange exhibition events. These lanes are to be noted by each Swimmer's name on the score sheets prior to the beginning of the meet. If a swimmer swims in the wrong lane, he or she will be disqualified.

  4. The 9 timers per team per meet will be assigned as follows: Home team lanes - 2 visitor timers, 1 home timer; Visitor team lanes - 2 home timers, 1 visitor timer. Timers will use the middle time of the 3 recorded as the swimmers time.

  5. Cards are to be used (not paper) for the times of each lane in dual meets. These cards should include: Event #, Lane #, Time and swimmer's name.

  6. All lanes will count in a six lane pool. Four lane will count in a four or five lane pool. Individual events will be scored 5-3-1. Relay events will be scored 8-4-2.  In a pool with eight lanes, the six deepest will be used. 

  7. Every pool must have a recall device for false starts.

  8. The Home coach has the option to call a meet off by 3:30 p.m. because of cold or foul weather. Once both teams are at a meet, if at all possible, the meet is to proceed. The ultimate decision is made by the Meet Referee/Starter. Deadline to start is 6:30 p.m.

    9.

  9. The home club MUST have available at the scorer's table a copy of the current National Federation Rule Book, plus a current copy of the Suburban Swim League Rules and Regulations.

  10. 3 copies of the Score Sheets are to be at the scorer's table by 5:45 p.m. Failure to do so will be a $10.00 penalty to the offending team. However Coaches may change the entries for an event by informing the scorer's table of changes on a 3 x 5 card. Changes must be made two events prior to the event currently being swum. (SEE RULE 14)

  11. The home team must notify the League President within 48 hours of the meet score. There will be a $10.00 Penalty for not complying.

  12. Records that have been broken must be placed on a 3x5 card and handed in at the seeding meeting. The league will keep two sets of records. One set will contain the best times in yard pools and the other will contain the best times in meter pools. All records will be kept to the hundreds.

    13. Sample Record Breaker Card (3x5 white card)

                                  ___________________________________________________________________________

                                 |                       Event # 56   --  Boys    100 Meter Freestyle                                                            |

                                 |                                                                                                                                                      |

                                 |                               George Fast                                                                                                    |

                                 |                                                                                                                                                      |

                                 |                                 Northampton @  Soleco                                                                                |

                                 |                                                                                                                                                      |

                                 |                                  July 13, 2000                                                                                               |

                                 |                                                                                                                                                      |

                                 |                                      time 53:34                                                                                                |

                                 |___________________________________________________________________________|

     
  13. All communication to the Suburban Swim League must be handled by the Coach or Club Representative of the respective Club.
  14. Of the three score sheets presented at the scoring table by 5:45 p.m., the home and visitor scorekeeper sheets are official. The third copy is for the use of the announcer and should be marked as Announcer Copy. This copy is to be used only for the purpose of announcing the meet, never as an official copy for the purpose of scoring the meet. It is the responsibility of the announcer to update this copy as changes are made so that the announcing of the meet is accurate.

Meetings:

  1. It is a must that one parent representative and one Coach be at all meetings. Failure to do so results in a $10.00 Penalty per person.
  2. All penalties must be paid at or by the Seeding Meeting or the entire team will be disqualified from Championships.

  3. All teams will use the same version of Team Manager. For the 2001 swim season each team will use Team Manager for Windows, Version 1.6R. In years after 2001 the software to be used will be set at the Spring Meeting.

Diving Rules

The Suburban Swim League will abide by the National Federation Rules and Regulations with the following exceptions:

  1. The age groups for diving are 10&under, 11&12, 13&14, and 15&O. Meets will be Tri-Meets outdoors and Quad-Meets indoors.
  2. (A) In meet competition, each diver will dive from the one meter board - one required dive and the rest optional from different categories. One of the optional dives may be in the same category as the required. SEE SPRING 1993 MINUTES.

    3. (B) #Dives: 10&U (3 Dives) 11&12 (4 Dives)

    13 & 14 (5 Dives) 15&O (5 Dives)

    (C) The required dive must be first on the Divining Sheet.

    (D) A Diver must dive in his own age group. All eligible divers may dive indoors and three per event outdoors.

    (E) Scoring will be 1st - 12th place. See meet sheets.

    (F) Diving Sheets, complete with signatures of coach and diver must be at the scorerís table 15 minutes before the

    start of a session. $10.00 Penalty to the offending team.

    (G) Session I - Warm-up for 10&U and 11&12

    - Competition for 10&U and 11&12

    Session II - Warm-up for 13&14 and 15&O

    -Competition for 13&14 and 15&O

    (H) Teams would provide - 1 parent judge/Referee/Starter

    - 1 parent to work score table

    - at outdoor meets the home team is responsible for providing a Referee/Starter

  3. At least one parent or pool representative from teams that have diving must attend a diving clinic held in the spring to become more knowledgeable in diving judging and scoring. A $10.00 Penalty per pool will be issued if not attended. This clinic must be given by a PIAA Official.

4. The required dive for the 10&under divers will always be the font (101).

Championship Swim Meet Rules

  1. The deadline for entries for the Championship Meet will be established by the officers. Entries for this meet will be submitted in a Commlink file (now generated from the Team Manager program), on disk, or via e-mail, to the person/place specified and will list the best time obtained by each swimmer in a current season Suburban Swim League Dual Meet. The time submitted will be recorded in yards or meters, depending on whether the Championship Meet host pool is a yard or meter pool. Conversion factors will follow the Team Manager format:
    2.

    25 yards to 25 meters = TIME x 1.094

    25 meters to 25 yards = TIME x .9141

    30 yards to 25 meters = TIME x .9113

    30 yards to 25 yards = TIME x .8333

  2.  Each team may enter one relay teams per relay event. 

  3. All relay alternates shall be listed along with relay swimmers. If a swimmer is listed as an alternate, this counts as an event for the swimmer only if s/h actually swims in the relay.

  4. A swimmer may compete in 4 events, one of which must be a relay. Diving is not considered an individual event for Swim Championships.

  5. Relay splits may not be used for seeding.

  6. Seed time submitted may be from an exhibition event.

  7. Each club may enter three contestants in each individual event in the Championship Meet. Since there will be more than one heat in most events, seeding will be determined by Meet Manager.  

  8. In the Championship Meet, all swimmers must compete in their age group for individual events. A swimmer may move up any number of age groups to participate in a relay.

  9. The seeding of the Championship Meet will be determined by the Championship Committee or its designated representatives using Commlink files and Meet Manager. Two representatives from each team shall attend the swim seeding meeting; one representative from each diving team shall attend the diving seeding meeting. Current season dual meet result shall be available for inspection. The host team shall supply heat sheet printouts from the Meet Manager program to each team at the start of the seeding meeting (2 copies to each team). Swimmers or divers may be added or deleted at the respective seeding meeting  if the addition/deletion of the swimmer/diver is turned in to the League President before the heat sheet printouts are distributed .  The addition or deletion of swimmers or divers at the seeding meeting is to correct omissions and errors in the entries submitted in the Commlink file. All team representatives shall remain until the seeding is completed and verified. Failure to attend with appropriate representatives will result in a $10.00 penalty.

  10. After the initial scratch meeting. Championship scratches are at the discretion of the Meet Director.

  11. The Championship Meet will be scored on the basis of 12 places, with ribbons awarded through 18th place.

  12. A plaque will be awarded to the high scoring team at Championships.

  13. The Meet Director of the Championship Meet shall be a representative of the host team. It will be his/her responsibility to oversee details and to work in cooperation with the other teams

  14. The host team for Suburban Swim League Championships is responsible for providing the following-'

    15.
    1. The facility for the Championship Meet.
    2. The food stand for the Championship Meet and feeding the officials who work all day.
    3. A Meet Director to share responsibility with the League President
    4. Equipment and workers to operate Meet Manager for Championships.
    5. Ordering, labeling and distributing awards at Championships
    6. A facility to host the seeding meeting for Championships.
    7. A packet of Championship information for each team. This packet must contain at least:

      i.)     The Championship day's schedule including pool open times, warm-up times, session start times etc.

      ii.)    The order of events for each session.

      iii)     Whether the times are to be submitted as yard or meter times.

      iiii.)   A sign-up sheet for each team listing the worker positions they must fill for each session.

      iiiii).  Any other relevant information (parking etc.). Failure to supply this information at the spring meeting will result in a  $50.00 penalty to the host team.

  15. Team order for hosting championships is as follows:

Whitehall 2001

Hanover 2002

Lower Macungie 2003

Macungie 2004

Northampton 2005

Northern Lehigh 2006

Palmerton 2007

Quakertown 2008

Soleco 2009

 

  1. Starting blocks will be located only at the starting end of the pool. Dual blocks shall not be allowed.

  2. A swimmer can use a time from a League sanctioned Invitational meet as an entry time for Best of the Rest or Championships. In order for the time to be used as a Championship entry time the swimmer must have competed in two League dual meets. The decision on which Invitational events can be used for entry time will be made at the Spring Meeting.

 

Best of the Rest

  1. Best of the Rest will take place on the Wednesday preceding the Suburban Swim League Championship Meet. The meet will be held at the Northampton Jr. High School pool.

  2. Best of the Rest is open to members of Suburban Swim League Teams who have qualified for no more than 1 individual event at the Suburban Swim League Championship Meet. All swimmers will swim in the age group in which they competed during the current season.

  3. Each swimmer may enter 3 events. There are no relay events. The host team will distribute the events in Best of the Rest at the spring meeting and may include events (such as 6 and under events) which are not regular dual meet events

  4. No swimmer may compete in Best of the Rest in any event he or she is entering in Suburban Swim League Championships.

  5. Entries for Best of the Rest will be submitted on disk or via e-mail in a Commlink file (now generated from the Team Manager program), on disk, or via e-mail, to the person/place specified and will list the best yard time obtained by each swimmer in a current season Suburban Swim League Dual Meet. "No Time" entries will not be allowed, however the League may decide to allow times from other meets to be used for Best of the Rest. The decision as to which, if any, meets' time will be acceptable will be made at the Spring Meeting. 

  6. There is a $1.00 entry fee per swimmer.

  7. Awards will be given through 18th place. There is no team scoring.

 

Championships

  1. The league will pay to have a lifeguard on duty during the meet.

  2. "No Time" entries will not be allowed at championships. Swimmers must have swam the event during a regular season dual meet to have an entry time.

  3. 3 timers are required for each lane at championships. The middle time of the three will be the time recorded on each lane.

  4. The league will pay the costs for hiring officials for championship meets. Officials will be PIAA, USS, or NCAA approved and will be paid the current PIAA meet rate. The league will hire a starter, Referee 4 stroke and turn judges  and 2 finish judges per session of championships.

 

Dual Meet Order of Events

  1. Girls 8 & Under 100 Free Relay
  2. Boys 8 & Under 100 Free Relay
  3. Girls 15 & Over 50 Free
  4. Boys 15 & Over 50 Free
  5. Girls 10 & Under 100 Medley Relay
  6. Boys 10 & Under 100 Medley Relay
  7. Girls 12 & Under 100 Medley Relay
  8. Boys 12 & Under 100 Medley Relay
  9. Girls 13 & Over 200 Medley Relay
  10. Boys 13 & Over 200 Medley Relay
  11. Girls 8 & Under 25 Breast
  12. Boys 8 & Under 25 Breast
  13. Girls 10 & Under 25 Breast
  14. Boys 10 & Under 25 Breast
  15. Girls 12 & Under 50 Breast
  16. Boys 12 & Under 50 Breast
  17. Girls 14 & Under 50 Breast
  18. Boys 14 & Under 50 Breast
  19. Girls 15 & Over 50 Breast
  20. Boys 15 & Over 50 Breast
  21. Girls 12 & Under 100 IM
  22. Boys 12 & Under 100 IM
  23. Girls 14 & Under 100 IM
  24. Boys 14 & Under 100 IM
  25. Girls 15 & Over 100 IM
  26. Boys 15 & Over 100 IM
  27. Girls 8 & Under 25 Fly
  28. Boys 8 & Under 25 Fly
  29. Girls 10 & Under 25 Fly
  30. Boys 10 & Under 25 Fly
  31. Girls 12 & Under 50 Fly
  32. Boys 12 & Under 50 Fly
  33. Girls 14 & Under 50 Fly
  34. Boys 14 & Under 50 Fly
  35. Girls 15 & Over 50 Fly
  36. Boys 15 & Over 50 Fly
  37. Girls 8 & Under 25 Back
  38. Boys 8 & Under 25 Back
  39. Girls 10 & Under 25 Back
  40. Boys 10 & Under 25 Back
  41. Girls 12 & Under 50 Back
  42. Boys 12 & Under 50 Back
  43. Girls 14 & Under 50 Back
  44. Boys 14 & Under 50 Back
  45. Girls 15 & Over 50 Back
  46. Boys 15 & Over 50 Back
  47. Girls 8 & Under 25 Free
  48. Boys 8 & Under 25 Free
  49. Girls 10 & Under 25 Free
  50. Boys 10 & Under 25 Free
  51. Girls 12 & Under 50 Free
  52. Boys 12 & Under 50 Free
  53. Girls 14 & Under 50 Free
  54. Boys 14 & Under 50 Free
  55. Girls 15 & Over 100 Free
  56. Boys 15 & Over 100 Free
  57. Girls All Age Crescendo
  58. Boys All Age Crescendo