North Star Swim League By-Laws 2017

Transcription

1 North Star Swim League Governing By-laws 2017 Version 10.4 Revised June P a g e

2 PHILOSOPHY The North Star Swim League seeks to: encourage broad participation in an organized and disciplined training program, while building a sense of community for each team and within the League; promote the dignity and safety of all swimmers toward improving their skills, showing good sportsmanship and team work, and, most of all, having fun; involve adults in positive ways to emphasize by word and deed the values of clean competition and good sportsmanship; and provide opportunities for each swimmer to participate at his or her own level and to develop at his or her own rate. MEMBERSHIP Teams The League shall consist of those teams which agree to abide by the League s philosophy and rules, participate in League administrative responsibilities, and submit dues as required. All teams must meet the following minimum requirements: pools must have a minimum of 5 lanes for competition, either 25 yards or 25 meters in length; pool must be a minimum of 4 feet deep at one end and 3 feet at the opposite; and teams must agree to use computerization for running meets. Expanding the League membership shall require a majority vote of current members. To be considered, new teams must be located between Exit 13 and Exit 33 of I-77. Any new team must also meet the above outlined minimum requirements. Teams are responsible for the individual expenses incurred by running the meet by computer. The League will provide the software, manual and training. Should a team decide to leave, the software must be returned to the League for redistribution. League website is It is renewed every three years through and site content is uploaded and managed through google site. Last renewed 4/16/15 and expires 4/16/18. Swimmers To be eligible to compete with a team, girls and boys must be 18 years of age and younger and must be current club members as defined by individual club policies. A swimmer s age as of June 1 of the current competition year shall determine his/her age group for individual events for the season. Each swimmer s date of birth must be included on the team roster; verification by copy of birth certificate may be required. A swimmer can register for only one North Star Swim League team per season. Exceptions must be presented to the NSSL Administration Committee before the rosters are submitted for the season. 2 P a g e

3 Special considerations: Lifeguards or other employees may compete only if they are otherwise considered club members. Coaches, who are swim team members, will be eligible to compete and they must appear on the roster at the beginning of the season. Coaches who are eligible to compete may do so only if their team is adequately supervised during their events. Special Note: Recruitment of Swimmers It is not the intent of the League to promote seasonal recruiting of a swimmer(s) which would contradict the overall philosophy of the North Star Swim League. If any issues arise, this must be reported in writing to the current League president. If further action is needed, a League vote may be required. NSSL ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE The League Administrative Committee shall consist of representatives from each team and shall be responsible for all matters relating to the effective operation of the League. Each team shall have at least one representative at each League Meeting and shall have only one vote in League decision-making. Grievances/issues should be presented at league meetings by team league representative only. League Representative is responsible for communicating all League information to their designated team. Offices of the Administrative Committee shall include: President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Volunteer Coordinator for Championships. These officer roles shall rotate on an annual basis. Please refer to Attachment A: Administrative Committee Rotation Schedule. Each year, the President has the ability to create subcommittees as he/she sees fit. Committees may include, but are not limited to: By-laws and Grievance; Forms and Computers; Officials; Championship Meet and others as deemed necessary. All teams must designate one computer contact person each season. LEAGUE DUES and ROSTERS Each team shall pay the following dues: Annual per team fee of $225 due at the April Meeting* Per swimmer fee of $10.00 to be submitted by June League meeting along with a copy of the initial team roster.* Dues managed by NSSL treasurer. Team rosters (one per team) will be maintained by the NSSL Secretary. Team roster will consist of Regular Meet Swimmers and Speedy Meet swimmers. Fees and rosters must be updated with the League one week prior to the League Championships. For each meet, a complete roster must be submitted to the home team s computer contact person. The roster that is sent must be upto-date to the date of the meet. *League fees will be reviewed on an annual basis. If needed, increases or decreases in fees must be approved by a majority vote of the League Representatives. 3 P a g e

4 DIVISIONS The League will provide opportunities for competition in two divisions: Regulation and Novice/Developmental (Speedy Meets). Regulation Division Consists of older, more experienced swimmers in the following age groups: 8 and Under, 9 10, 11 12, 13 14, and Stroke Judging Disqualifications for all age groups Relays for all age groups: Medley and Freestyle Dual Meets throughout the season, culminating in League Championship Meet in July Participants must appear on the Team Roster Team and Swimmer Dues must be paid to NSSL Novice/Developmental Division (Speedy Meets) Please refer to Attachment B: Description of Novice/Developmental Division Consists of younger and/or less experienced swimmers in the following age groups: 6 and Under; 7 8, 9 and Over Swimmers must be able to swim one length of the pool, completely unassisted (25 yards or meters); Flotation devices of any kind are not permitted Dual meets throughout the season; no Championship Meet for Novice/Developmental Division Meets consist of only individual events, 25 yards or meters of Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly No Relays in Novice/Developmental Division Meets No Stroke Judging Participants must appear on the Team Roster Swimmer Dues must be paid to NSSL 4 P a g e

5 REGULATION/ADVANCED DIVISION MEETS: REGULAR SEASON Schedule The North Star Swim League Administrative Committee shall approve the schedule for the season no later than February 1 of the current competition year. Please refer to Attachment C: Yearly Schedules for specific year schedule. Please refer to Attachment G: GPS addresses for current teams in NSSL Regulation Meets Meets shall normally be held on weekday evenings and will begin at 6:00 p.m. Access to the host pool will be granted at 5:00 p.m. No one from the visiting team will have access to the pool until 5:00 p.m. Warm-Ups will begin for the Host Team no later than 5:15 p.m. Warm-Ups will begin for the Visiting Team no later than 5:35 p.m. Mandatory pre-meet meetings for Timers, Stroke Judges, and Runners should be held at 5:40 p.m. The pool must be clear of all swimmers at 5:50 p.m. Meets begin with the playing/singing of the National Anthem. Meets must not extend past 10:00 p.m. Inclement Weather Prior to the Meet In the event of inclement weather prior to a meet, it is the responsibility of the Host Team to contact the Visiting Team to decide if the meet will be cancelled and rescheduled. The decision is to be made by the Host Team Pool Management, League Representative and Head Coach. The Host Team is responsible to contact the Head Coach and League Representative of the visiting team to reach the final decision and make arrangements for rescheduling. The decision of whether or not to cancel the meet should also be communicated to the Meet Referee by the Host Team in a timely fashion. During the Meet The North Star Swim League will follow the American Red Cross guidelines of clearing the pool for a minimum of 30 minutes in the event of thunder and/or lightning. The Host Team s pool management regulations will be in effect. Cancelling/Rescheduling a Meet During a Meet in which inclement weather arises, the Meet Director, Meet Referee, Head Coaches (both teams) and League Representatives (from both teams) shall confer with pool management about continuing, cancelling or rescheduling a Meet. The League Representatives from each team will be the only officials who can make the final decision to cancel a meet. This is not a decision that Coaches make. 5 P a g e

6 Entries A team may enter no more than 120 swimmers in any meet, dual or Championship. Any exceptions for dual meets must be made by mutual agreement of the teams involved at least one week in advance of the meet. Entry Limits A swimmer may be entered in a maximum of 3 individual events and 2 different relay events. Swimmers must swim in their own age group for individual events, but may move up in age groups for relays. (To legitimately enter a relay, there must be at least 1 swimmer actually in the appropriate age group). A team may enter several relay teams in one relay event, designating these teams as Team A, Team B, etc. and must designate swimmers for each team. Teams may not enter a relay team without names attached. Entry Submission The Visiting Team shall submit their Team Roster and Meet Entries to the Host Team by 5:30 p.m. two days prior to the meet. The Host Team shall also have their entries ready at this time to allow adequate time for the meet to be setup and seeded correctly. The Visiting Team may request that a back-up copy of the Meet Set-Up be sent to their Computer Person. This request should be made when the entries are submitted. Entry Changes Scratches and Adds shall be submitted, in writing, to the Computer Person no later than 5:30 p.m. on the day of the meet. Any changes (other than relays) submitted after that time may not be honored. Scratches count as an event. Adds may only occur if the swimmer is not already entered in the maximum number of events allowed, and will only be honored if an empty lane is available. A new heat will not be created. Individual Event Substitutions will not be allowed following the initial publishing of the heat sheet. Changes must not exceed 10% of a team s meet roster, for example 6 swimmers for a 60-swimmer team, with league rep approval during any given meet. An exception may be made with Meet Referee and League Rep approval during any given meet. New Heat Sheets shall be printed after any meet day changes are made and shall be distributed to Stroke and Turn Judges, Clerk of Course, Starter and Meet Referee. Relay event substitutions must be swimmers on a team s meet roster and must be made in writing with the Computer Person prior to the start of the event. Entries for Rescheduled Meets For a rescheduled meet, all rules for regular scheduled meets will apply. Uniform All swimsuits and equipment must conform to USA Swimming rules and guidelines Provided that any suit meets the following essential parts of the swimwear certification specification it can be used in NSSL competition. These are: 1. Traditional fully permeable textile material (open mesh material) 2. No surface treatment closing the mesh 3. No neoprene or rubberized material 4. Meets the maximum coverage requirements 5. No zippers, clasps or other closure systems (including tie-back suits). A tie-back suit could be worn during warm up. 6 P a g e

7 Seeding/Lane Assignments Lane Assignments shall be ODD lanes for the Home Team and EVEN lanes for the Visiting Team. Lanes should be filled to minimize the number of heats required. Heats shall be arranged from slowest to fastest. Lanes should be filled to minimize the number of heats required. Stroke Rules Please refer to Attachment D: NSSL Stroke and Turn Guidelines The Regulation/Advanced Division shall use USA Swimming Rules to judge strokes. On-line training clinics for officials shall be held and each stroke and turn judge is expected to complete and provide certification to Team League Representative. S&T Judges must be certified through unless already certified through USA Swimming. Recertification must be done every two years. All judges must conform to League guidelines. Equipment and Supplies Each team shall provide 9 stopwatches for timers. Host team shall provide 1 additional watch for Head Timer, Starting/Announcing System, Scoring/Awards Table, Computer and Printer, Containers for Ribbons, and a Clerk of Course area with numbered chairs or benches. The League shall provide teams with necessary forms and ribbons. Host team will provide water for coaches and volunteers for both teams. Officials Please see Attachment E: Volunteer/Official Descriptions Effective in 2015, each dual meet will have a paid Meet Referee on pool deck for duration of the meet. The position will be paid $100 per meet and is paid through the NSSL Treasurer. Each team shall agree to share the responsibility of fielding competent and trained volunteers for each dual meet and the Championship Meet. The table below outlines the Minimum Required Volunteers for all Regulation Dual Meets. Home Team Visiting Team 1 Meet Director* 1 League Representative 1 League Representative 1 Starter/Announcer 2 Stroke and Turn Judges 2 Stroke and Turn Judges 1 Head Timer 9 Timers** 9 Timers** 1 Runner 2 Computer Workers 1 Child Gatherer 1 Child Gatherer 2 Clerk of Course 1 Clerk of Course 1 Ribbon Labeler 1 Heat Winner Ribbon Runner 23 Total Volunteers 14 Total Volunteers 7 P a g e

8 * The Meet Director is a volunteer position in and of itself. Volunteers who serve as the Meet Director may not hold another volunteer position simultaneously, excluding the position of League Representative. ** Three timers shall be positioned in each lane. All timers will run their watches and all three times must be recorded. The middle time of the three shall be used as the official time. Timers must be at least 16 years old, or as approved by league representative. *** Effective in 2010, Host Teams will print ribbon labels for both teams and distribute ribbons accordingly. Teams running short on ribbons are encouraged to ask teams for additional as needed. Scoring and Ribbons Individual Events Ribbons Relay Events Ribbons First: 5 points Blue First: 7 points Blue Second: 3 points Red Second: 4 points Red Third: 1 point White Third: 1 point White Fourth: 0 points Yellow Fifth: 0 points Pink Sixth: 0 points Green In the event of a tie, points will be split for the two places. Each team can only receive points for 2 relay teams per event. Ribbons for 4 th, 5 th and 6 th place will be distributed for the 12 and Under competitors only. Maroon Heat Winner Ribbons are to be distributed to Heat Winners for 10 & Under individual events. No Heat Winner ribbons will be given to relay teams. North Star Swim League will purchase all ribbons except Best Time and Participant Ribbons. Best Time ribbons will be black and can be purchased with the League Ribbon order at the expense of the individual team. Meet Requirements The Meet Referee shall be responsible for overseeing the entire meet. Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting The Meet Referee will conduct a Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting of all Stroke and Turn Judges. A timers meeting will also occur. These meetings must be held before all meets and should occur 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the meet, 5:40 p.m. Meeting will establish the guidelines for the Meet. Items discussed shall include: consistent judging, scoring announcements, contested outcome procedures and specific Meet parameters. Meet Referee will remind the Stroke and Turn Judges of the League s Stroke and Turn Guidelines Contested Outcome/Procedures The League Rep and/or Head Coach from either team may discuss procedures or judgments with the Meet Referee. Procedures and Guidelines for contesting an outcome, judgment or procedure are outlined and described in the Enforcement of By-Laws Section. 8 P a g e

9 NOVICE/DEVELOPMENTAL DIVISION (SPEEDY MEET) SPEEDY MEETS: REGULAR SEASON Please refer to Attachment B: Description of Novice/Development (Speedy Meets). Schedule The North Star Swim League Administrative Committee shall approve the schedule for the season no later than February 1 of the current competition year. Please refer to Attachment C: Yearly Schedules for specific year schedule. Please refer to Attachment G: GPS addresses for current teams in NSSL Speedy Meets Meets shall normally be held on Saturday mornings and will begin at 9:00 a.m. Access to the host pool will be granted at 8:00 a.m. No one from the visiting team will have access to the pool until 8:00 a.m. Warm-Ups are optional and shall begin no later than 8:30 a.m. Meets begin with the playing/singing of the National Anthem. Meets must not extend past 10:30 a.m. Inclement Weather Prior to the Meet In the event of inclement weather prior to a meet, it is the responsibility of the Host Team to contact the Visiting Team to decide if the meet will be cancelled and rescheduled. The decision is to be made by the Host Team Pool Management, League Representative and Head Coach. The Host Team is responsible to contact the Head Coach and League Representative of the visiting team to reach the final decision and make arrangements for rescheduling. During the Meet The North Star Swim League will follow the American Red Cross guidelines of clearing the pool for a minimum of 30 minutes in the event of thunder and/or lightning. The Host Team s pool management regulations will be in effect. Cancelling/Rescheduling a Meet During a Meet in which inclement weather arises, the Meet Referee, Head Coaches (both teams) and League Representatives (from both teams) shall confer with pool management about continuing, cancelling or rescheduling a Meet. The League Representatives from each team, the Meet Director or the Meet Referee will be the only officials who can make the final decision to cancel a meet. This is not a decision that Coaches make. Entries There are no formal entries submitted for a Speedy Meet. A team may have no more than 50 swimmers participating in a Speedy Meet. This limit is in place for all dual and tri meets in the Novice/Developmental Division. Participation Guidelines Each swimmer may swim all 4 individual events in his/her age group. Coaches are responsible for bringing swimmers to Clerk of Course where they will be deck-seeded for their events. 9 P a g e

10 Uniform All teams will enforce individual team uniform rules as they see fit. There are no League-sanctioned restrictions on the type, color, style, logo, etc. of caps and suits that the swimmers participate in during the season. Stroke Rules The Novice/Developmental Division shall not utilize Stroke and Turn Judges. There are no disqualifications in Speedy Meets. Equipment and Supplies Each team shall provide enough stopwatches for their timers. For a Dual Speedy Meet, this would be 6 watches; for tri Speedy Meets, each team would provide 3. Host team shall provide 1 additional watch for Head Timer, Starting/Announcing System and a Clerk of Course area with numbered chairs or benches. The League shall provide teams with ribbons. Officials Please see Attachment E: Volunteer/Official Descriptions The table below outlines the Minimum Required Volunteers for all Speedy Meets. Home Team Visiting Team 1 Meet Director 1 Starter/Announcer 1 Head Timer/Heat Winner Judge 6 Timers/Recorders 6 Timers/Recorders (3) 1 Clerk of Course 2 Assistant Clerk of Course (1) 10 Total Volunteers 8 Total Volunteers (4) Scoring and Ribbons Individual Events Freestyle Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly Ribbons Orange Light Green Purple Light Blue No points are scored in Speedy Meets. No Relays. All swimmers will get a ribbon for each event they participate in based on the table above. Ribbons will be distributed during the meet all participants of each team by the host team. 10 P a g e

11 ENFORCEMENT OF BY-LAWS By-Law Infractions Each team is responsible for knowing and abiding by the North Star Swim League By-Laws. Consequences for By-Laws infractions at meets will be decided by the Meet Referee. Infractions may result in the disqualification of swimmer, forfeit of meet, etc. Infractions shall be reported in writing to the League President. If further action is needed, a league vote may be required. Meet Protests If a protest is issued at a Meet, the following procedures MUST be followed: The protesting team s Head Coach and/or League Representative (preferably both) MUST bring the issue to the attention of the Meet Referee. The Meet Referee should document and review the protest with the appropriate officials (stroke judges, timers, coaches) and may call a meeting as deemed necessary. The Meet Referee will resolve the issue with a final decision before the end of the infraction event or at the discretion of the Meet Referee. The final decision will be communicated to all participating teams by the Meet Referee. If the final decision is not acceptable to any of the participating teams, a written protest can be submitted to the League President. REGULATION/ADVANCED DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MEET Schedule Meet date shall be set one year in advance, if possible, to secure the site. The meet is typically held on a Saturday in mid-july, but can vary with the availability of the aquatic facilities in the area. The meet is divided into a morning and afternoon session. The Morning Session features the 10 and Under swimmers and the Afternoon Session features the 11 and Up swimmers. League Representative Each team must have a League Representative (or designated individual) at each session of the Championship Meet. Any designated person must be well-versed in the League By-Laws, as they may be called upon to participate in a League vote. Swimmer Eligibility A swimmer must have competed in at least two regular season meets in order to be eligible for the Championship Meet. (One meet may be a Speedy Meet). Any swimmer who has met the participation requirement and has achieved a Championship Time Standard during that season s competition may be entered into the Championship Meet. 11 P a g e

12 Swimmers who have met the participation requirement and have not achieved a time standard may still be eligible to participate in relays or in individual events where a team has fewer than three time qualifiers. Swim-Ups: Swim-ups are allowed in relays; however, this requires that the relay team have at minimum one eligible swimmer for that age group. Swimmers may only swim-up in their own session only swimmers competing in the morning session (10 and under) are not eligible for afternoon relays (11 and up). Entries A team may enter no more than 120 swimmers in the Championship Meet. Regular season entry limits on individual event and relay entries apply. 3 individual events and 2 relay events are the maximum number of events that an individual swimmer can participate in. Each team may enter only three swimmers in each individual event, unless more than three swimmers achieve the Championship Time Standard. o If no swimmers achieve the time standard, a team may enter three swimmers. o If a team has two swimmers who qualified, they may enter the two and one more swimmer. If a team has six qualifiers, all six may be entered into the event. Each team may enter no more than three relay teams in each relay event. Entries shall be due to the Championship Computer Worker no later than the date set by the League. No late entries will be permitted at the Championship Meet. Final Team Rosters must be submitted with the Championship Entries. Uniform All swimsuits and equipment must conform to USA Swimming rules and guidelines. Provided that any suit meets the following essential parts of the swimwear certification specification it can be used in NSSL competition. These are: 1. Traditional fully permeable textile material (open mesh material) 2. No surface treatment closing the mesh 3. No neoprene or rubberized material 4. Meets the maximum coverage requirements 5. No zippers, clasps or other closure systems (including tie-back suits). A tie-back suit could be worn during warm up. Meet Format The Championship Meet shall be run as timed finals and shall be seeded in accordance with USA Swimming Rules. There will be no lane assignments for teams. All events will be seeded slowest to fastest There is no guarantee that all teams will be represented in the final heat of each event. The 8 fastest swimmers from the League in each event will be in the last heat Stroke Rules Please refer to Attachment D: NSSL Stroke and Turn Guidelines The Regulation/Advanced Division shall use USA Swimming Rules to judge strokes. All judges must conform to League guidelines. 12 P a g e

13 Officials As of 2015, paid positions to be determined on a yearly basis by the league representatives. The Championships Volunteer Coordinator will define the specific needs and requirements based upon the facility being used for the Meet. Typically the total number of positions required for Championships are as follows: Champs Volunteers Paid Position (only if listed below) 1 Meet Director 1 Deck Referee $ per session 1 Meet Referee $ per session 1 Starter $ per session 1 Chief Judge $ per session 1 Admin Referee (Computer) $ per session 1 Announcer 8 Stroke and Turn Judges 1 Head Timer 2 Finish Judges 24 Timers AM/ 16 Timers PM 4 Runners 2 Ribbon Distributors 2 Computer Workers 14 Child Gatherers 6 Clerks of Course 1 Hospitality Coordinator 7 Clean Up Teams 70 Volunteers Per Session (62 for PM session) *The Meet Director is a paid or volunteer position in and of itself. Individuals who serve as the Meet Director may not hold another volunteer position simultaneously, excluding the position of League Representative. ** Three timers shall be positioned in each lane. Timers will run their stopwatches; one timer will have the CTS plunger in addition. *** All Stroke & Turn Judges must meet qualifications to serve as a Judge. These qualifications include serving as a Stroke & Turn Judge during the season, or being a certified USA Swimming Official. **** Additional Volunteers may be utilized for split responsibilities during the different sessions based upon each team s responsibilities. The Championships Volunteer Coordinator will supply the list of necessary volunteers at the beginning of July. All teams will share the responsibilities of filling the Volunteer positions based on team assignments. Assignments are based on the size of the team, percentage of team that participated in Champs the prior year. Formula/Chart was developed in the 2007 season. 13 P a g e

14 Equipment and Supplies Each team shall provide appropriate equipment to match their volunteer assignments. The League shall provide teams with necessary forms and ribbons. Scoring and Awards Individual Medals/Ribbons Relay Events Medals/Ribbons Events First: 9 points Medal First: 18 points Large Blue Ribbon Second: 7 points Medal Second: 14 points Large Red Ribbon Third: 6 points Medal Third: 12 points Large White Ribbon Fourth: 5 points Sapphire with White Ribbon Fourth: 10 points none Fifth: 4 points Teal with White Ribbon Fifth: 8 points none Sixth: 3 points Lilac with White Ribbon Sixth: 6 points none Seventh: 2 points Fuchsia with White Ribbon Seventh: 4 points none Eighth: 1 point Green with White Ribbon Eighth: 2 points none Perpetual Plaques for All Teams by Place. In the event of a tie, points will be split for the two places. Each team can only receive points for 2 relay teams per event. Championship Meet Requirements The Meet Director shall be responsible for organizing and hosting the meet, and shall work with the Meet Referee and be a conduit to all league reps. The Meet Referee shall be responsible for overseeing the entire meet on the day of the event. Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting: Timers and Runners The Meet Referee or his/her designee will conduct a Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting of all Timers, Head Timers and Runners. This meeting must be held before all sessions and should occur 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the session. Meeting will review the procedure for timers. Stopwatches will be checked. Lanes will be assigned (if not previously done so). Clipboards and Lane/Timer Sheets will be distributed. Review the timing procedure and assign the timer who will be responsible for the plunger and watch. Introduce the runner so the timers know who to look for. Review verifying swimmer s names, teams, etc. 14 P a g e

15 Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting: Coaches The Meet Referee will conduct a Mandatory Pre-Meet Meeting for a Coach from each team. This meeting must be held before all sessions and should occur before warm-ups for the meet. Meeting will establish the guidelines for the Meet. Items discussed shall include: consistent judging, scoring announcements, contested outcome procedures and specific Meet parameters. Contested Outcome/Procedures A League Representative and/or the Head Coach from either team may discuss procedures or judgments with the Meet Referee. At no point in time may a Coach enter the Computer Area during the meet. If there is a question regarding scoring, finish order, etc., the Head Coach must bring it to the attention of the Meet Referee. Procedures and Guidelines for contesting an outcome, judgment or procedure are outlined and described in the Enforcement of By-Laws Section. 15 P a g e

16 Attachment A: Administrative Committee Rotation Schedule Year President President Elect Secretary Treasurer Champs Hospitality Volunteer Coordinator 2005 Wynfield Wynfield Forest Highland Creek Peninsula River Run 2006 Wynfield Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Northstone Forest 2007 Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Northstone Hamptons 2008 Peninsula River Run Northstone Hamptons Winchester 2009 River Run Northstone Hamptons Winchester Wynfield 2010 Northstone Hamptons Winchester Wynfield Highland Creek 2011 Hamptons Winchester Wynfield Open Highland Creek 2012 Winchester Wynfield Open Highland Creek Peninsula 2013 Wynfield Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Northstone 2014 Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Northstone Hamptons Wynfield 2015 Peninsula River Run Northstone Hamptons Winchester Highland Creek 2016 River Run Northstone Hamptons Winchester Wynfield Peninsula 2017 Northstone Hamptons Winchester Wynfield Highland River Run Creek 2018 Hamptons Winchester Wynfield Highland Creek Peninsula Northstone 2019 Winchester Wynfield Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Hamptons 2020 Wynfield Highland Creek Peninsula River Run Northstone Winchester * This rotation is based on the current roster of involved teams. Should a new team join the League, they may be inserted into the rotation accordingly. If no team joins, each team s Administrative Committee Position will be rotated forward a year. ** Adding a team and placing them directly in an Administrative position should be done by League vote and new team agreement. *** Amended in 2015 to reflect the official addition of Hospitality Chair Position. 16 P a g e

17 Attachment B: Description of Novice/Developmental Division (Speedy Meets) The Novice/Developmental Division of the North Star Swim League offers novice swimmers the opportunity to compete while continuing to improve and develop their strokes. It encourages participation in competitive swimming without stress. This division rewards all efforts and promotes good sportsmanship. Speedy Meets are the only venue for swimmers ages 6 years and under*. These meets provide an additional or separate venue for novice swimmers ages 7 years old and up in events where additional work is needed. Participation in the Novice/Developmental Division and Speedy Meets encourages novice swimmers to improve their strokes (especially breaststroke and butterfly) to meet USS rules and NSSL guidelines. The Speedy Meet provides a great learning experience for the swimmers, parents and coaching staffs. * At the coaches discretion, a swimmers ages 6 and under may participate in Regulation Meets. Participation in Championships is contingent upon the swimmer having an appropriate qualifying time. Please consult Pages 8 9 of the By-Laws for specifics on running a Speedy Meet, Participation Requirements, Entry Limits and Volunteer Requirements. Attachment C: Yearly Schedule League Members: Team Team Name Abbrv 1 Hamptons Hammerheads HH 2 Highland Creek Hurricanes HCH 3 NorthStone Gators NSG 4 Peninsula Piranhas PEN 5 River Run Rapids RRR 6 Winchester Wave WIN 7 Wynfield Waves WYN 8 Open OPN 17 P a g e

18 2017 Schedule: The 2017 Schedule was developed using traditional scheduling methods for an eight-team league structure. The schedule below is based upon even years (i.e. 2004). During odd years, the teams are reversed and rotated one full date for all teams (the first will become the last on the following year s schedule). AWAY TEAM HOST TEAM Thursday June 8 Highland Creek Wynfield River Northstone Hamptons BYE Monday June 12 Peninsula Winchester River Run Highland Creek BYE Thursday June 15 Highland Northstone River Hamptons Wynfield Peninsula BYE Monday June 19 River Run Highland Wynfield Winchester Northstone BYE Thursday June 22 Northstone Peninsula Highland Creek River Run BYE Monday June 26 River Winchester Hamptons Highland Creek Wynfield BYE Thursday June 29 Hamptons Highland River Run Peninsula Winchester BYE Sunday July 9 Champs HFFA Please consult Pages 4 7 of the By-Laws for specifics on running a Regular Season Meet, Participation Requirements, Entry Limits, Inclement Weather, Rescheduling and Volunteer Requirements. 18 P a g e

19 Novice/Developmental League Schedule 2017 League Members: Team Team Name Abbrev 1 Hamptons Hammerheads HH 2 Highland Creek Hurricanes (A) HCH (A) 3 NorthStone Gators NSG 4 Peninsula Piranhas PEN 5 River Run Rapids RRR 6 Winchester Wave WIN 7 Wynfield Waves WYN 8 Highland Creek Hurricanes (B) HCH (B) 2017 Schedule: Speedy Meet Schedule is determined year by year by the league reps of each team based on the size and needs or each team. Most teams will host two Saturday morning meets. Please consult Pages 8 10 of the By-Laws for specifics on running a Regular Season Meet, Participation Requirements, Entry Limits, Inclement Weather, Rescheduling and Volunteer Requirements. AWAY TEAM HOST TEAM Saturday June 3 Winchester Highland Creek A Highland Creek Peninsula River Northstone Saturday June 10 River Hamptons Highland Creek Winchester Wynfield Highland Creek B Saturday June 17 Northstone River Run Highland Creek Wynfield Highland Creek A Saturday June 24 Highland Creek Hamptons Highland Creek B Peninsula River Run 19 P a g e

20 Attachment D: Stroke and Turn Guidelines for Stroke and Turn Judges Philosophy The responsibilities of Stroke and Turn Judge Volunteers can be summarized in three key points: 1. Knowing the rules, as written and set by North Carolina Swimming (a USA Swimming LSC); 2. Being able to determine when one of the rules is violated; and 3. Helping young swimmers swim strokes properly and improve. Highlights of the rules identified in the USA Swimming Handbook have been documented and are distributed to all coaches and Stroke and Turn Judge Volunteers each season. Becoming familiar with these highlighted points is essential in making a decision as to whether a stroke is legal or not. A guideline that has always been professed is that the swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt. In order to post a disqualification, there can be no question in your mind that one of the written rules has been broken. Our responsibility as Stroke and Turn Judges is not to find a disqualification it is to observe swimmers and identify something that they are doing outside of the guidelines stated in the written rules. If such a thing is observed, it is also the responsibility of the Stroke and Turn Judge to clearly document what they observed for the coaches information so that it may be relayed to the swimmer. Freestyle Start. The forward start shall be used. Stroke. The swimmer may swim any style. Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water. Turns. The swimmer must touch the wall. Finish. The swimmer must touch the wall. Medley Events (Individual and Relay). Freestyle means any stroke other than Breaststroke, Butterfly or Backstroke. Special Notes: This is, by far, the easiest stroke to judge. The rules only prohibit pulling on the lane rope, or pushing forward off the bottom of the pool. It is legal to touch the bottom of the pool as long as the swimmer does not push forward when he/she restarts. Backstroke Start. Swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands placed on the gutter or on the starting grips. The toes of the swimmer must be below the gutter of the pool using the gutter to help start is prohibited. Stroke. The swimmer must stay on their back throughout the race. It is permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged at the start after each turn. Turns. Some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the turn, the shoulders may turn past vertical toward the breast, after which a continuous single- or double-arm pull may be used to execute the turn. The swimmer must have returned to a position on their back upon leaving the wall. Finish. The swimmer must touch the wall while on their back. Special Notes: Backstroke is freestyle on your back. The two areas most likely to cause trouble are the finishes and turns. Finish o At the finish, the swimmer can dip their shoulder while reaching for the wall as long as they do not go past vertical. o Many qualified swimmers will turn almost 90 degrees when finishing. This is legal. It is the degree past vertical that is illegal. 20 P a g e

21 Again, it s important to call what you see, but be sure that you see what you call. You must have no doubt in your mind that their actions were not legal to document a disqualification. The benefit of the doubt goes to the swimmer in all instances. Breaststroke Start. The forward start shall be used. Stroke. From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and the turn, the body shall be kept on the breast. The cycle must consist of one pull and one kick, in that order. The arms must move simultaneously in a horizontal motion. The elbows shall be underwater, except for the final stroke before the turn and at the finish. The hands cannot be pulled past the hips, with the exception of the first stroke after starts and turns. The swimmer s head must break the surface once during each stroke cycle. After the start and each turn, the swimmer can take one full stroke back to the legs, followed by one kick. The head must break the surface by the time the arms reach the widest point of the second pull. Kick. The feet must be turned outwards during the propulsive part of the kick. A scissor, flutter or dolphin kick is not permitted. Turns and Finish. A two-hand, simultaneous touch is required for turns and finishes. Special Notes: This is the stroke where the most errors occur, simply because it is the stroke with the most rules. The majority of errors are seen in turns, finishes and in the kicking action. The start and stroke after the turn is referred to by swimmers as the pull, kick and glide cycle: one arm pull all the way to their sides, one kick and push the hands forward and glide before starting the second pull. At the widest part of the second pull (hands straight out from the shoulders), the head should break the surface of the water. One dolphin kick prior to the normal breaststroke kick is permitted for the pull, kick and glide cycle off the start and turn. Butterfly Start. The forward start is used. Stroke. After the start and after each turn, the swimmer must be past vertical on their breast. The swimmer can take as many kicks as they like, along with one arm pull, which must bring them to the surface. The arms must be brought forward over the water and pulled back simultaneously. Kick. All up and down movement of the legs must be simultaneous without alternating. A breaststroke or flutter kick is illegal. Turns. At each turn, the body is on the breast and the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously. The swimmer must be at or past vertical when leaving the wall. Finish. At the finish, the body shall be on the breast and the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously. Special Notes: A very difficult stroke, especially for younger swimmers. Errors in this stroke can often be caused by fatigue. The key is simultaneous motion from both the hands and feet. To disqualify for an illegal kick, you must observe the feet cross. In other words, both feet must be doing the exact same thing at the same time. 21 P a g e

22 Relays and Individual Medleys In relays, both freestyle and medley, and the Individual Medley, the start and finish rules are judged. Each stroke must be completed under the guidelines of the finish rules for that stroke before the next stroke can begin. Relay Starts. The key for judging relay starts is to focus on the swimmer preparing to start rather than the swimmer in the water. The rule is watching the contact point of the swimmer about to start, feet on the block or touching the wall while in the water. At the point when the swimmer starts, the focus shifts to the swimmer finishing. If they have not completed their portion of the race before the next swimmer has already left, an early start can be called. Disqualification Reports Again, it s important to call what you see, but be sure that you see what you call. You must have no doubt in your mind that their actions were not legal to document a disqualification. The benefit of the doubt goes to the swimmer in all instances. A disqualification can be thrown out based upon improperly filling out the DQ Slip. If the reason is unclear or incorrect, the Meet Referee can overrule the disqualification. All Judges must be able to properly document and understand any submitted disqualification. There are no written or verbal warnings issued to any swimmer in the North Star Swim League. 22 P a g e

23 Regulation Meets Meet Director League Representative Starter/Announcer Stroke/Turn Judge Head Timer Timer Runner Ribbon Distributor Attachment E: Volunteer/Official Descriptions Contact person for the meet. Makes sure that the meet is set-up properly and starts on-time. Close communication w/ Meet Referee during meet. Contact for coaches questions concerning procedures and judgments during the meet. Meets with meet referee if necessary to resolve issues. Confers with pool management regarding weather issues. Must have full understanding of League Bylaws. Each team has a League Representative. League Rep attends NSSL Meetings as required. League Rep must be well-versed in the By-laws. League Representative votes on behalf of their team on League issues, rules, regulations, by-law changes. League Rep Serves as a liaison between their team and the League. Each team must have a League Rep present at all meets, including both sessions of the Championship Meet. Responsible for fairly starting each heat of each event during the meet. Recalls swimmers for false starts or inappropriate behavior. Watches all swimmers in all lanes for safety. Waits for all swimmers to complete heat prior to starting the next heat. Operates the start system. Responsible for enforcing League stroke rules. Must watch their jurisdiction as assigned by the Meet Referee. Must document each disqualification on a form and provide it to runners after the event. As of 2015, S&TJs must perform online certification through All S&T Judges must provide certification before judging their first meet. Responsible for host team s stopwatches. Head Timer runs a watch on every heat of every event Head timer s watch is used as a back-up in the event another timer s watch malfunctions during a race. Responsible for starting a stopwatch at the beginning of each race and stopping it at the end of their swimmer s race. One timer per lane must record times on cards or log sheets (depending on the host pool). Responsible for gathering time sheets (or cards) from timers and DQ slips from Stroke Judges Timer Sheets delivered to Computer area in a timely manner after each heat/event depending on the pace of the meet. DQ slips delivered to Meet Referee for review Responsible for delivering reviewed DQ slips from Meet Ref to the computer area Distributes Heat Winner Ribbons to the winners of each heat for the younger swimmers 10 and under events only. (Continued on next page) 23 P a g e

24 Computer Workers Child Gatherer Clerk of Course Operates the computer during the meet. Data entry of times from event cards or event sheets. Printing reports and posting results on a timely basis. Printing ribbon sheets in a timely manner. Entering pre-meet updates. Providing visiting team with meet results at the end of the meet. Accurate and fast typing skills are a plus. Must understand the Windows operating system. Training is provided as needed most teams do this internally. Gathers swimmers in advance of their events and gets them to the Clerk of Course area. Assist Clerk with arranging swimmers prior to their events as needed. Arranges swimmers in their proper heats and lanes before their event. Communicates with the Starter on combined heats. Must be well-organized and able to multi-task. 24 P a g e

25 Novice/Developmental League Meets Volunteer/Official Descriptions Meet Director Starter/Announcer Timer Clerk of Course Contact person for the meet. Makes sure that the meet is set-up properly and starts on-time. Conducts the pre-meet gathering of all Stroke Judges and Coaches. Contact for coaches questions concerning procedures and judgments during the meet. Meets with meet officials if necessary to resolve issues and communicates resolution prior to the end of the meet. Confers with pool management regarding weather issues. Must have full understanding of League Bylaws. Responsible for fairly starting each heat of each event during the meet. Recalls swimmers for false starts or inappropriate behavior. Watches all swimmers in all lanes for safety. Waits for all swimmers to complete heat prior to starting the next heat. Operates the start system. Responsible for starting a stopwatch at the beginning of each race and stopping it at the end of their swimmer s race. One timer per lane must record times on cards or log sheets (depending on the host pool). Arranges swimmers in their proper heats and lanes before their event. Communicates with the Starter on combined heats. Must be well-organized and able to multi-task. 25 P a g e

26 North Star Swim League Officials President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Champs Volunteer Coordinator Responsible for the League Operations of current year. Leads the scheduled meetings during the year of service. Responsible for coordinating communication with League Representatives throughout the season. The President s team is the host for the League Championship Meet. President is responsible for handling any grievances filed with the League. Coordinates Volunteer training before the season Stroke/Turn; Computer as needed. President and President-Elect will reserve the facility for the following year s Championship Meet. President-Elect will work with the President in all aspects of their job as required. President-Elect will work with the President to reserve facility for the following year s Championship Meet. President-Elect should take an active role in working out grievances during the season. Responsible for communications within the League Representatives. Must attend scheduled meetings and taking the minutes of the meeting. s out the minutes after each meeting, no later than one week after each meeting, or as close to that time frame as possible. Responsible for maintaining the By-laws year-to-year. Responsible for distributing the By-Laws to League Reps League Reps are responsible for distributing to their coaches and other volunteers requiring knowledge. Develops the League Contact Roster each year- League Reps/Coaches and Computer Workers. Responsible for updating website, Responsible for collecting Team Fees each year and Swimmer Fees from each team. Responsible for issuing all checks for League bills including Ribbons/Trophies, etc. Reimburses for expenses as needed. Responsible for maintaining League Balance Sheet and providing Reps with updates at each meeting. Responsible for keeping up with receipts and all expenditures for the season. Responsible for arranging the Volunteers for the Championship Meet. Assigns volunteers to each team. Makes name tags for Volunteers and runs the check-in table at the meet. Champs Hospitality Chair Responsible for arranging food and drink for Hospitality room for yearly Championship meet. 26 P a g e

27 Attachment F: Championship Qualifying Standards Girls & Boys Ages Freestyle Backstroke Individual Medley Breaststroke Butterfly Yards Meters Yards Meters Yards Meters Yards Meters Yards Meters 8& Under N/A N/A : : Girls : : Boys : : Girls : : Boys : : Girls : : Boys : : Each team may enter only 3 swimmers per event; more than 3 ONLY IF ALL achieve the qualifying time standard shown above. 10 & under swimmers participate in 25 (yards/meters) distance events and participate in 50 (yards/meters) distance events) Times established during 2006 season. 27 P a g e