Virginia Swimming
 A Local Swim Committee of USA Swimming
Since 1978
CLUBS COACHES ATHLETES OFFICIALS PARENTS ALUMNI
What's New?
Home
Meets
Times
Achievements
Registration
Calendar
History
Photo Gallery
LSC Operations
Job Opportunities
Forms / Documents
HS Swimming
Masters Swimming
Links
About Us

Last Updated:
7/1/2009 

Search


OFFICIALS

 
Welcome to the Officials Section of Virginia Swimming, Inc.  We have designed this section to be a one-stop repository of information important to swim officiating within our LSC.  It is divided into appropriate sub-pages to organize the information.  Most of the information is static. But, when we make a change to a document, we'll add a note on this page indicating a change has been posted.

USA Swimming Officials Web Page

News and Announcements

USA Swimming: 

Swimsuit Rule Interpretation

Two Swimsuits Rule Interpretation    Two Swimsuits Rule Interpretation Clarification

Swimsuit Rule Change (Approved Suits)   Revised Swimsuit List Memo

Special Notice Regarding National Championship Meets
 The Rules & Regulations Committee has issued an interpretation that only one suit swimsuit is allowed during competition.  A further clarification provided an exception and allowed that a second suit worn for modesty or support purposes would be allowable and would not be considered a second suit.  However, under FINA rules, as currently written, there is no exception for the wearing of a modesty or support type apparel as a second suit.  For the purposes of our National Championship Meets (US Open, National Championships, Junior National Championships and Trials Class Meets) and our Grand Prix Meets, in order to strictly conform to current FINA rules, no additional swimsuits or apparel may be worn during the actual competition (a race) at those meets.  The use of only one swimsuit of any kind during a competitive race will be enforced at all National Championship Meets.

USA Swimming Amends Rules Regarding Swimsuits
 USA Swimming has further amended its swimsuit rules for sanctioned and approved competition based on FINA's recent approval of swimwear.  The new rules are effective 1 June.  Note from USA Swimming Officials Chair
FINA revised the list of approved suits on 22 June and USA Swimming has adopted the new list effective 23 June.

Teaching Racing Starts
 USA Swimming issued a new rule change regarding the teaching of racing starts.
 Effective 1 May, coaches must certify that each of their swimmers has been properly trained and can safely execute racing starts.  This has no affect on us as Officials - just need to be aware.

USA Swimming National Officials Certification Program Changes
 USA Swimming has simplified the National Officials Certification Program.  The biggest changes are:  all evaluations require working at least 4 sessions at an OQM, certifications/re-certifications are good for 3 years, and there's now a process to handle certification lapses.  All the updated documents have been posted to the National Officials Certification Program page.

To implement the changes to the National Certification and Reinstatement policy, all officials with National Certifications (N2 and N3) expiring on or after June 30, 2008 have had their certification expiration dates extended by one year.  You may go online and log in using your linked account to “My Certification Card” in the USA Swimming website/Volunteers/Officials/Officials Tracking System and print your new National Certification Card with the updated expiration dates.  Expired certifications will not show on the card, if earlier than the print date; however you will be able to view your status on the “My History” page.   As soon as you complete reinstatement requirements, and your application is processed, the certifications, along with the new expiration date will reappear on your card.


Our Kids Initiative
 

Virginia Swimming's Maxwell Award Winners
 Mary Scott Garrett (July 2005)   Janet Law (September 2007)

Maxwell Award Nomination Form   .doc
These awards are presented every 2 months.  If you have a nomination, please send the form to your District Chair or the LSC Chair for Committee review.
 
Eastern Zone: 
 

Virginia Swimming: 

Officials Tracking System
The Officials Committee has decided to begin using the USA Swimming Officials Tracking System (OTS) for our LSC level data needs.  The system has recently undergone significant changes that make it very useful for managing our LSC officials database.
Among the recent additions to OTS are:

  • The ability to track LSC level certifications

  • The ability to print both LSC and National certification cards

  • Although already there, the ability to track sessions worked in individual meets for individual officials potentially allows us to dispense with our work session cards (although we’re not going there, yet)

The system is becoming sophisticated enough that it may ultimately allow us to retire the Access database that Tom Colasurdo maintains, although Tom would still have his hands full with OTS.  Rather than giving up our LSC database cold turkey, our plan is to begin making substantial use of OTS in parallel with our own database.  The idea is to see what it can do and not do.

As of the beginning of the long course season, we have begun entering each of the meets on our calendar.  At the conclusion of each meet, the officials working the meet, the positions worked, and the number of sessions in position are being entered. As of right now, Tom C. has been entering this information from the received Post Meet Referee's Reports.  At least through the long course season, Tom will continue doing this, although we’ll likely switch to making this a Meet Referee responsibility when we begin the short course season.  We’ll make this decision after we see how the summer goes.  An exception to this procedure will be Senior Champs/Age Group Champs, where this will continue to be a Meet Referee/Chief Judge responsibility (it needs to be done to enter evaluations).

We will be publishing more information about the use of OTS and how it will affect all of us as we develop the procedures in the coming months.

New Post Meet Reporting for Meet Referees

Meet Referees will continue completing the Post Meet Referee's Report following the conclusion of their meet.  Rather than the report being sent to Louise Limerick, it should now be sent to the VSI Officials Chair, any applicable District Chairs, and Tom Colarsudo.  If we don’t hear from you within a week of the conclusion of the meet, we’ll send you a reminder.

Meet Referees will also need to complete the Meet Roster for OTS Reporting, which should be sent along with the Post Meet Referee's Report.  The Meet Roster is an Excel spreadsheet that is designed to tabulate the officials working a meet in such a fashion that the data can easily be entered into the OTS.  The first page (or tab) of the spreadsheet provides directions for using it. The second page (or tab) is the actual spreadsheet.  If you’ve got enough bodies at your meet, this is a simple task that can be done on a computer by a spare Referee or Chief Judge.
 

Virginia Swimming Coaches Roster

 Virginia Swimming Coaches with Expiring Certifications
(June 2009, updated 6/12)
 We will update these lists monthly.

 Meet Referees must check these rosters prior to each meet.
ONLY Louise Limerick can make changes to these rosters!
 

Pat Donahue will be the Meet Referee for LC Senior Champs.
Bob Rustin will be the Meet Referee for LC Age Group Champs.
Terry Randolph will be the Admin Referee for LC Senior Champs.
Tom Colasurdo will be the Admin Referee for LC Age Group Champs.
Congratulations!!
 
Southeast District:  
 		 Southwest District:  
 
Central District:   North District:  
 
Officials Section:  What's New!

Virginia Swimming Officials Committee

Virginia Swimming Officials Rosters     Virginia Swimming Officials Certification     Virginia Swimming Officials Training

Officials Recruitment, Retention, and Reciprocity     Virginia Swimming Officials Recommended Practices

Officials Forms for Use at Meets     Officials Reference Documents     Officiating Championship Meets

Disability Officiating     High School / NCAA / USMS Officiating     Officials Apparel/Equipment
 

Questions / comments?  Please contact Kevin Hogan, LSC Officials Chair.

                                             Copyright © 2004-2009 Virginia Swimming, Inc.  All rights reserved.