Meets
So How do Meets work?
New to swim & dive? Here’s a quick guide to help you follow along and know what to expect at a meet.
Most of our meets are dual meets, meaning two teams compete against each other. For each swimming event, the JV heat is typically held first, followed by the Varsity heat. Occasionally, there may also be an exhibition heat, which is usually held before the JV heat.
A typical dual meet lasts about 2 hours, although the length can vary depending on the number of swimmers, divers, and heats.
Order of Events
Events are held in the same order at each dual meet:
1. 200 Medley Relay
Four swimmers each swim 50 yards (2 lengths of the pool), in this order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle.
2. 200 Freestyle
One swimmer completes 200 yards — 8 lengths of the pool.
3. 200 Individual Medley (IM)
One swimmer completes 50 yards of each stroke in this order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.
4. 50 Freestyle
A fast, all-out sprint — 2 lengths of the pool.
5. Diving
Each diver completes 6 dives. Judges score each dive, and those scores are calculated using the dive's Degree of Difficulty (DD).
Following diving, swimmers typically receive a 10–15 minute warm-up period before swimming resumes.
6. 100 Butterfly
One swimmer completes 100 yards of butterfly — 4 lengths of the pool.
7. 100 Freestyle
One swimmer completes 100 yards of freestyle — 4 lengths of the pool.
8. 500 Freestyle
The longest individual swimming event of the meet. One swimmer completes 500 yards of freestyle — 20 lengths of the pool. Teammates or other designated counters may use a lap counter to help the swimmer keep track.
9. 200 Freestyle Relay
Four swimmers each swim 50 yards of freestyle — 2 lengths per swimmer for a total of 200 yards.
10. 100 Backstroke
One swimmer completes 100 yards of backstroke — 4 lengths of the pool.
11. 100 Breaststroke
One swimmer completes 100 yards of breaststroke — 4 lengths of the pool.
12. 400 Freestyle Relay
The final event of the meet! Four swimmers each swim 100 yards of freestyle — 4 lengths per swimmer for a total of 400 yards. In a close meet, this relay can determine the final team score.
Scoring:
How Does Scoring Work?
Throughout the meet, swimmers and divers earn points based on where they place in each event. Those points are added to the team score.
Relay Events
The top 3 relay teams earn points, with a maximum of two scoring relays per team.
1st Place: 8 points
2nd Place: 4 points
3rd Place: 2 points
Individual Events
The top 5 finishers earn points:
1st Place: 6 points
2nd Place: 4 points
3rd Place: 3 points
4th Place: 2 points
5th Place: 1 point
When Is the Meet Won?
In a dual meet, 93 points is the magic number. Once a team reaches 93 points before the final event, it has mathematically secured the win.
At that point, the winning team will typically continue swimming but compete “exhibition,” meaning its swimmers' results no longer add points to the team score. This is a tradition of good sportsmanship and prevents a team from unnecessarily running up the score.
And yes — every once in a while, it comes down to the very end! A dual meet can finish in a 93–93 tie.
What Does “DQ” Mean?
You may occasionally see DQ, or Disqualified, next to a swimmer's or relay's result.
Each stroke has specific rules governing how it must be performed, including starts, turns, strokes, and finishes. A swimmer can be disqualified for violating one of these rules. Some of the most common reasons include:
An illegal turn
An incorrect stroke technique
An illegal finish
A false start
For relays, a common DQ occurs during the relay exchange when the next swimmer leaves the starting block before the incoming swimmer touches the wall.
A DQ means the swimmer or relay does not receive a place or score points for that event. DQs happen—even to experienced swimmers—and are part of learning and competing in the sport.
Now you’re ready to follow the action. Cheer loud, support the team, and Go Elks!