The Administrative Official

Pacific Northwest SwimmingMay, 2013

Agenda

• Goal• Background• Meet Staff & Structure• Requirements• Responsibilities• Pre-Meet

– Requirements– Meet Manager– Seeding– Entries

• Running the Meet– Requirements– Timing Adjustments

• “Post”-Meet– Requirements– Scoring– Results

• Constraints• Certification• Schedule• Summary

Fundamental GOAL

• Right Swimmer• In the Right Lane• With the Right Time• And Appropriately Recorded!

Background

• Texas LSC’s created a “Dry Side” official• 2011 Convention added the definition to the

Technical Rules (102.14):– Expanded the definition of Admin. Referee

• 2012 Convention mandated that all LSC’s implement the Admin. Official (AO) in 2013.

Meet Staff Structure• Pre-Meet

– Meet Set-up– Meet Entries– Meet Entry Person and Meet Referee

• Running the Meet– Swimming actually occurs– No-shows, DQ’s, records, etc.– Swimmers, Coaches, Officials, Timers, Lots & lots of other volunteers

• “Post”-Meet– Scoring– Compiling– Recording– Meet Referee and Meet Manager Operator

Typical Meet Staffing

MEET REFEREE

Deck Referee(s) Starter(s) Control Room

Timing System Ops

Meet Manager Ops

S&T Judges

What is an Administrative Official?

• Assistant to Meet Referee• Involved with all “dry” side details of a meet• Works closely with/oversees host team’s

administrative staff• Entry chairperson• Clerk of Course• Timing system operator• Software operator (aka Hy-Tek, computer person, etc.)• Meet Director (?)• Equipment person (?)

Responsibilities• Responsible for the supervision of:

– Entry and registration process– Clerk of Course– Timing Equipment Operator– Scoring Personnel

• Responsible for the:– Accurate processing of entries and scratches– Seeding of heats (prelim, semi-final, final)– Determination of official time– Determination of official results– Publication and posting of results and scores

• Other duties as assigned by the referee

AO ResponsibilitiesArea of Focus

• Meet Information• Meet Manager set-up• Entries

– Meet seeding and qualification– Positive check-in– Seeding

• Times– Timing rules– Timing adjustments

• Results and Scoring

Admin. Official Areas of Responsibility

• Entries – Entry Chair + Clerk of Course– Initial– Scratches– Seeding– Timelines

• Times – Timing System and MM Operators

• Results/Scoring – MM Operator

Responsibilities

• Like high school (NHFS) sign-off of meet results• Focus is on accurate times

– Key skill: timing adjustments

• Fundamental GOAL:– Right Swimmer– In the Right Lane– With the Right Time– And Appropriately recorded!

AO on the Deck

• Not required when there is an Admin. Referee• Like a starter, is a separate position on deck• Can serve in one (or more) of the supervised

positions – entry, Clerk of Course, timing system operator or

scoring (MM) personnel• AO must be an another official in addition to

the “wet”-side Officials

New Meet Staff Structure• Pre-Meet

– Meet Set-up– Meet Entries– Meet Entry Person and Meet Referee + the Admin. Official

• Running the Meet– Swimming actually occurs– No-shows, DQ’s, records, etc.– Swimmers, Coaches, Officials, Timers, Lots & lots of other volunteers– AND the Admin. Official

• Post-Meet– Scoring– Compiling– Recording– Meet Referee and Meet Manager Operator + the Admin. Official

Pre-Meet

Pre-Meet Requirements

• Thorough Knowledge of the Meet Information• Type of meet

– Dual, Open, Invitational, Time Trial, Championship• Registration• Qualifying times• Event limits• Etc., etc., etc.

Meet Manager Overview

• Naming the meet, building the database• Team Manager entries files• Importing entries: 4-hour rule for 12 & Under• Exceptions reports - entries• Registration recon - Attached vs. Unattached• Seeding entries• Psych sheet – eyeball for bad entry times

Requirements• Meet Manager Set-up

– Event order– Event requirements– Meet format (timed finals or prelim/final)– Scoring

• Heat sheet approval– Psych sheets– Qualified Entrants

• Registration• Entry time (qualifying or de-qualifying)

• Meet Manager Exception reports

Meet Information• Know the Meet Announcement!• Example:

– Current USA and Pacific Northwest Swimming rules shall govern the conduct of the meet. Age of swimmer is determined as of May 29, 2009.

– Swimmers are limited to four (4) individual events per day. – The meet will be pre-seeded except for the 400/800/1500 Free and 400

IM, which will be deck seeded. A swimmer may enter either the 800 or 1500 Free, not both. The 400/800/1500 Freestyle will alternate Females and Males and require the following:

• The swimmers to provide their own counters and timers. • Positive check-in approximately 1 hour before the event. Seeding procedures

will comply with USA Swimming 2009 Rules & Regulations Rule 207.12.7.A. • Failure to check in will prohibit seeding in any positive check-in event;

exceptions to this rule are at the Meet Referee’s discretion.

Seeding the Meet

• Defined in the Meet Information• Seeding structure:

– Timed Final (slowest to fastest)– Championship (circIe seeded)

• Exceptions:• Distance (may be fastest to slowest)• Flights of an event

Seeding Considerations• Deck-seeded events – POSITIVE CHECK-IN

– Printing lists for check-in • Psych sheet• By gender, by age group• By time or alphabetically; by team?

– Insuring accuracy• Must be able to tell check-ins, scratches and no-shows

– Process scratches (next session)– Seed– Generate heat sheets, lane timer sheets, timeline, download to

scoreboard• Distribute and post

– Backup!!

Entry Considerations• Checking entries

– Error reports• Hy-Tek – wrong age group, q-times, etc.• USA-S – registration issues, proof of time

– Psych sheets– Eyeballs

• Changing entries– Maintaining integrity of database– Paper trail – the Computer Change Form

• This all should be done by the Entry Chair when you arrive to work

• You are responsible!

Other Entry Issues• Late, forgotten check-in

– Have a reason for what you do and be CONSISTENT– Communicate with ALL the people who need to know

• Announcer• Deck Referee• Timing console, computer operator• Timers• Coaches

• Entry problems– Track down reason for error– Don’t punish an athlete for a clerical mistake

• Find a place for him/her to swim– Create a new heat if necessary– Reseed if necessary (CLEARLY MARK THE RESEED)

• Communicate

Running the Meet

Requirements

• Clerk of Course roles– Event check-in– Deck entries– Scratches from prelims or finals

• Scratches– 30 minute scratch rule– Intent to scratch

MEET MANAGER

RESULTSAWARDS

TIMINGJUDGETIMING

CONSOLE

TIMERS

PLACEJUDGE - OOF

DQsNo showsScratches

CHANGES

ENTRIES

Data Flow at a Meet

Other Entry Issues - Reseeds• When an “Oops” happens….

– Consider gravity of situation – first meet of season vs. championship• Consult with/listen to coach• Seek input from Meet Ref

– When you choose to reseed:• Make correction or adjustment, and reprint meet program for that

event only• Mark original as RESEED• Copy on colored paper

– Different color for each event if multiple reseeds• Announce reseed, availability of reseeded programs, post near

blocks• Print new lane timer sheets• Distribute heat sheets to deck personnel, timing system operator,

announcer

No Shows

• Not synonymous with “Scratch”• No penalty at meet – no problem

– Recorded as NS in Hy-Tek for event• Penalty meets

– Establish a paperwork flow to handle• Who fills in on deck?• Where to turn in• System to determine next event/day penalty

Computer Operator Responsibilities

• Import race results into Meet Manager• By [Race #] or [Get Times]

• Check for DQs in heat• Confirm any no-shows (empty lane)

• Timing Console Operator and Lane Timer Sheets• Look for flagged timing discrepancies

• Blue – pad faster than button• Yellow – button faster than pad

– Resolve discrepancies using watch times to help determine why difference occurred; order of finish also helpful

Meet Manager DQ Codes• Butterfly

– 1A Alternating Kick– 1B Kick breaststroke type– 1C Scissors kick– 1E Non-simultaneous arms– 1F Arms underwater recovery– 1J One hand touch– 1K No touch– 1L Non-simultaneous touch– 1M Shoulders not at or past vertical towards breast off the wall– 1N Head did not break the surface by 15 meters

Meet Manager DQ Codes (con’t.)• Backstroke

– 2I No touch at turn– 2J Non-continuous turning action– 2K Not on back off wall– 2L Shoulders past vertical toward breast– 2N Head did not break the surface by 15 meters– 2P Toes curled over gutter after the start– 2Q Did not finish on back– 2R Completely submerged prior to turn or finish– 2S Delay initiating arm pull at turn– 2T Delay initiating turn after past vertical– 2U Multiple strokes past vertical at turn

Meet Manager DQ Codes (con’t.)• Breaststroke

– 3A Alternating Kick– 3B Non-simultaneous kick– 3C Downward butterfly kick– 3D Scissors kick– 3E Hands brought beyond the hipline during stroke– 3F Non-simultaneous arms– 3G Arms two strokes underwater– 3H Arms not in same horizontal plane– 3I Elbows recovered over water– 3J One hand touch– 3K No touch– 3L Non-simultaneous touch– 3M Shoulders not at or past vertical towards breast off the wall– 3P Head under for 2 or more strokes– 3Q Incomplete stroke cycle other than one pull followed by one kick

Meet Manager DQ Codes (con’t.)

• Freestyle– 4K No touch on turn– 4N Head did not break the surface by 15 meters

• IM– 5P Strokes out of sequence

Timing Rules• No swimmer shall be required to re-swim a race due to

equipment failure• Official times achieved at USA-S sanctioned or approved

meets– Prelim or final heat– Swim-off– Lead-off leg of a relay– Split time for initial distance

• Must complete race without disqualification– Freestyle event = freestyle time

Timing system basics

• Automatic• Semi-automatic• Manual• Place judges

• Each competition must have at least two systems• Automatic systems must have a manual backup

Using Automatic Equipment

• Timing systems – Colorado, DAK, IST, Omega, etc.– Fully automatic (Pads)

• Clock starts with starter’s “beep” and stops when swimmer hits pad

– Semi-automatic (Buttons)• Clock starts with starter’s “beep” and stops when timer

depresses plunger

• A timer may operate only one device from each system per lane – i.e., one watch, one button!

All systems have different accuracy!

• When functioning, fully automatic system has no human reaction time issues– Swimmer not touching pad, or touching late

another issue• Semi-automatic has timer reaction at end of

race• Manual watch has timer reaction at beginning

and end of race

Using Stopwatches

• Times recorded only to hundredths– 2 decimal places (.01)– No rounding

• Only one watch = official time• Two watches – average = official time• Three watches – middle watch = official time

Determining Official Times• When recorded properly, the pad time shall be the official

time.• A primary system malfunction may have occurred when:

– Difference between the time obtained by the primary system and the back-up system(s) is more than 0.30 seconds• Flagged by timing systems and by Hy-Tek

– A late or missed touch is reported by an official observing the finish.

Timing Adjustments

Situations

• Timing Adjustments– Lane malfunction– Heat malfunction– Incorrect heat number– Missing swimmer– Non-communicating timing system

Timing System Adjustments • When a primary system malfunction is determined, the back-

up time(s) shall be adjusted for the differences in timing systems and then integrated with accurate primary times to establish official times and order of finish.– Never take a good pad time away from a swimmer!

• Timing system difference adjustment can be calculated– By the automatic or semi-automatic system by design

• Check Colorado, turn off “Use Automatic Backup Time Adjustment”

– By calculating the consistent average difference between the primary and back-up systems used at that meet

• Manually or within Hy-Tek

Timing Adjustment Practice• Get watch times(s) for the lane in question,

compare to pad and button– If pad time is reasonably close to watch time, delete the

bad button and replace with good watch time• No MM adjustment

– If button time is reasonable close to watch time, calc• Accept MM adjustment – print report before accepting

– If there is no button and pad is invalid, compute average difference between valid pads and watches, apply to watch time

– Use order of finish as a secondary piece of evidence to confirm your decision

Timing Adjustments on the MM Side

• Pad < button by 0.3 seconds or more– Blue highlight– Usually the pad is correct

• Slow timer reaction or bad button• Pad > button by 0.3 seconds or more

– Yellow highlight– The button may be the better data - investigate

• Soft or missed touch

• Each situation must be investigated – you don’t know until you look!• A thought to cogitate: The same person is pushing the button and the

watch!– Have a reason to believe the pad failed!

Timing Adjustment #1

No back-up1. Check watch times: 2:27.81 2:27.722. Check order of finish: 5-3-6-43. Conclude that pad was good; enter a backup time from

watch in Backup 2 slot4. Do nothing else (perhaps watch timer in Lane 4, talk

with him/her)

Timing Adjustment #2 (Lane)

LANE

PRIMARY PAD TIME

BUTTON

WATCH TIME

PAD - BUTTON

OFFICIAL TIME

1 52.21 52.12 52.04 .09 52.21 2 52.18 52.01 51.95 .17 52.18 3 51.05 51.00 50.95 .05 51.05 4 51.04 50.88 50.84 .16 51.04 5 51.96 51.35 51.27 .61 51.46 6 51.65 51.57 51.55 .08 51.65 7 52.27 52.13 52.10 .14 52.27 8 51.87 51.75 51.65 .12 51.87

.81 total

Order of finish: 4-3-5-6-8-2-1-7

Watch time supports button – late pad touch

Timing Adjustment #2 (Lane)

LANE PRIMARY PAD TIME

BUTTON

WATCH TIME

PAD - BUTTON

OFFICIAL TIME

1 52.21 52.12 52.04 .09 52.21 2 52.18 52.01 51.95 .17 52.18 3 51.05 51.00 50.95 .05 51.05 4 51.04 50.88 50.84 .16 51.04 5 51.96 51.35 51.27 .61 51.46 6 51.65 51.57 51.55 .08 51.65 7 52.27 52.13 52.10 .14 52.27 8 51.87 51.75 51.65 .12 51.87

.81 total

Order of finish: 4-3-5-6-8-2-1-7

Timing Adjustment #3 (Heat)

• What happens when the timing system starts late? Or not at all?– How do you know??

• You don’t just use the watch times!• Need to take timing system difference into

account– Determine average difference between pads and watches

Timing Adjustment #3 - Heat

1. Enter watch times2. Compute

difference between pads and watches

3. Find average difference

4. Add to pad time to determine official “adjusted” time

OR5. Accept adjusted

Timing Adjustment #4 Heat Number

• Scenario – 15 heats of 50 Free; when the scoreboard says Heat 12, the Deck Ref lets you know that the scoreboard is wrong for the heat that is in the water (Heat 13). The Deck Ref knows the scoreboard was correct at the beginning of the event. He does not know when the scoreboard/timing console got out of sync.

Timing Adjustment #4 Heat (con’t.)

• What to do?– Immediately inform the timing console operator

to advance the current race in the water by one heat

– Have the Deck Referee wait to start heat 14 until the timing console is on the correct heat

Timing Adjustment #4 Heat (con’t.)

• Begin the investigation:– Start with Heat 2, working your way through to 13– Check lane timer sheets for No Show match-ups– Get Order of Finish from Starter for all heats– Start putting the puzzle pieces together– Once the heat that was missed is identified, treat

the timing adjustments as a heat malfunction

Timing Adjustment #5 Missing Swimmer

• Scenario – The athlete count in the heat sheet matches with the 10 & Under Girls 50 Breast for number of swimmers with results plus number of no shows. The next day, a parent comes to the timing table and says her child swam in that event the day before but there is no time listed for her daughter.

Timing Adjustment #5 Missing Swimmer (con’t.)

• Where do we start?– Check original heat sheet to find where the

swimmer was supposed to swim– Check lane timer sheets– Check timing console race data– Check Deck Referee’s heat sheet for notes– Check Starter’s heat sheet for OOF– All data shows swimmer did not swim

Timing Adjustment #5 Missing Swimmer (con’t.)

• DON’T FORGET TO ASK THE COACH FOR ANY INFORMATION HE/SHE MAY HAVE

• From information supplied by the coach, the swimmer was impeded by the timers and did not get up on the blocks in time to swim in her assigned heat. The Deck Referee put the swimmer in the first heat of Boys, but forgot to alert the AO of the change or make a note of it on his heat sheet.

Timing Console Operator

• Timing console operator responsibilities– Record timing system race number on heat sheet

for each race for reference– Mark empty lanes on sheet– Watch for and record bad touches– Indicate when a late start of the console occurred

• Urge operator to start equipment late rather than not at all – will have relative order of finish and electronic times to use for heat adjustment (see below)

– Reconcile possible button/pad discrepancies

Timing Issues- Equipment Problems

• Consistently bad button on a lane – check to see if operator error; if not, then blow out the connection; if still does not fix the problem, replace button

• Pad consistently off across events and different age groups – replace pad

• Key to success – act immediately, don’t wait

“Post”-Meet

Requirements

• Disqualifications– DQ slip and codes

• Results verification– Timing adjustments implemented– DQ’s– No shows/DFS/missing swimmers

• Scoring• Results

– Announced, posted, live results, website posting

Scoring an Event/Results• When all timing adjustments, DQs and no shows

have been entered and resolved for all heats, MM Operator scores the event and prints one copy for review

• Things to look for:– Do you have the right number of swimmers?– Does number of DQs shown match # on log?– Do “no shows” match?– DFS listed correctly?– Times look reasonable? – Prelims: swim-offs or possibilities for swims?

• When okay, print required number of copies for distribution

Results

What is a reasonable expectation for the publishing of results?– When everything is going fine, within 5-10 minutes

of the last heat finishing– When everything is going wrong, as soon as you can

get them out; set the problem event aside; enlist the aid of others to gather data while you process other events that do not have problems

– When a protest is filed, not until the protest is resolved

Computer Operator Responsibilities• Scoring the event• Computer operator responsibilities

– When all DQs logged and times reconciled, score heat and produce results

• Give to meet management personnel for posting and announcing

• One copy in event file – staple all DQs and timer sheets for future reference

• Prelim/finals meet – establish procedure for scratches from finals

– Watch for swim-off possibilities

Revised Results

• When (not if) a mistake is called to your attention:– Investigate– Correct in MM - Don’t forget to

rescore– Mark the revision– Post– Communicate

REVISED

Responsibilities

• Like high school (NHFS) sign-off of meet results• Focus is on accurate times

– Key skill: timing adjustments

• Fundamental GOAL:– Right Swimmer– In the Right Lane– With the Right Time– And Appropriately recorded!

Candidates for AO

• Experienced Admin. Referees• All Referees• Other interested officials• Volunteers with experience:

– Meet entries and seeding (Meet Director?)– Clerk of Course– Computer (timing system) operators– Meet Manager operators

Certification

• Non-athlete member of USA Swimming– Level 2 Background check (same as officials)– Upgrade for other volunteer positions

• Athlete Protection Training– Same as “wet side” officials– New webinar later in 2013?

Certification (con’t.)

• PN Swimming:– Attend a formal AO clinic given by an LSC

approved instructor• First clinic will be at the Referee Recert clinic on May

10, 2013 at KCAC– Pass the 4 on-line tests for Timer, Timing Judge,

Clerk of Course and Administrative (> 80%)– Demonstrate competence in AO responsibilities– Recommended for certification by an AO clinician

Schedule• Initiate clinics with the Referee Recert clinic in May• Offer clinics throughout the summer and fall and into 2014• AO required as a position on the deck starting in the 2013-

2014 season (October ChaIlenge and special meets after Sept. 1)

• Meet referee must recruit or designate an AO for any meet for the next season

• Meet referee must name the AO in their meet report in order for the meet to retain its sanctioning.– Similar to lack of a starter or sufficient officials

Summary

• Requirement of USA Swimming for a sanctioned meet

• Certification will parallel that of a “wet side” official (S&T, starter, referee)

• Certification will be an additional credential noted on the PN Swimming credentials card.

• An AO will need to be part of the deck starting in September