Stroke & Turn Judge Certification
Stroke & Turn Certification Requirements
Prerequisites (need to be completed before you can begin on deck training):
Certification Requirements (completed within one year of clinic attendance):
- Complete and pass both the USA Swimming Foundations of Officiating course and the Stroke and Turn Certification course
on the USA Swimming University
- Minimum 4 apprentice sessions (not including observed meets) completed
within one year from the month of the Stroke and Turn Judge Clinic
(note that apprentices cannot make unsupervised disqualification calls). Freestyle only sessions do not count.
- At least two different meets
- Completion of Stroke & Turn Evaluation Form
after each session affirming satisfactory performance
- Evaluation Session may be done any time after the 3rd apprentice session
(Potential evaluators )
- Note that if evaluation is not successful, the evaluator must submit to the apprentice
a written action plan within two weeks and copy the Officials Chair.
- Members who have five plus years of USA Swimming experience as a 13&O athlete or coach member
need only complete half of the on-deck apprentice session requirements provided they
show competency in the position, at the discretion of the LSC Officials Chair or designee.
- After successful completion of evaluation, submit Certification Request Form.
- Certification until: December 31st two years after the year of certification if the certification occurred between January 1st and June 30th of the year of certification.
December 31st three years after the year of certification if the certification occurred between July 1st and December 31st of the year of certification
Stroke & Turn Recertification Requirements
- Continue to be a USA Swimming Official in good standing (current registration, athlete protection training, background check)
- Qualified recertification sessions required **: Eight sessions over three years at a minimum of 2 different meets in Stroke & Turn or higher position
- Complete and pass the USA Swimming Stroke & Turn Certification
course every three years
- Submit the online Officials Recertification Request Form
- Recertifying extends your certification until December 31st two years after the year of certification if the certification occurred between January 1st and June 30th of the year of certification.
December 31st three years after the year of certification if the certification occurred between July 1st and December 31st of the year of certification.
** Qualified Recertification Session: Qualified Recertification Sessions are Sessions officiated by
certified officials which count towards the Recertification requirements listed in this document.
In order for a Session to count as a Qualified Recertification Session, it must meet the following criteria:
1) the Session must include strokes and/or relays; 2) the Session must not be a Time Trial;
3) the Session must not contain only freestyle events, even if including both individual freestyle
events and freestyle relays; 4) the Session must occur at a meet which is either a Sanctioned USA Swimming meet,
a YMCA meet for which an LSC has issued an approval (as defined in USA Swimming Rule 202.6), or,
for no more than 25% of any official’s total required Qualified Recertification Sessions, an
NCAA National or Conference Championship meet.
