March, 2012
It’s
the Championship Season
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March 2012 |
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Date | Meet | Location | Officials Contact |
8-11 | PVS Senior Championships | GMU | Tim Husson |
8-11 | PVS Junior Championships | GMU | David Merkin |
10-11 | RMSC Mini Championships | Olney Swim Center | Scott Witkin |
15-18 | PVS 14 & U Junior Olympic Championships | Fairland | Barb Ship |
22-25 | Speedo
Championship Series Eastern Zone Southern Sectional Meet |
GMU | Eastern Zone |
23-25 | RMSC Spring Finale | Germantown | |
23-25 | MSSC Spring Championships | Fairland | Lynne Gerlach |
23-25 | March Madness | OakMarr | Ben Holly |
29-31 | Eastern Zone SC Championships | Webster, NY | Eastern Zone |
31-1 | MAKO Spring Invitational | GMU | Tony Fitz |
Spring Championship Meets
Short
course season culminates with several championship meets this month.
It all begins with PVS
Senior Championships, March 8-11 at George Mason University
in Fairfax. Officials wishing to work at this meet should submit the
application found on the PVS
website. You must apply no later than March 1 for specific
deck positions. However, late applications and walk-ins are also welcome
and will be assigned to available positions. This meet is an Officials
Qualifying Meet for the National Certification program, offering the
opportunity for formal evaluation at the N2 level for all positions
and the N3 level for S&T Judge. Any official interested in being
evaluated at this championship meet must apply in advance.
Concurrent with Senior Champs, PVS Junior Championships will likewise be held March 8-11 at George Mason University. Officials wishing to work at this meet should submit the application found on the PVS website. You must apply no later than March 1 for assigned deck positions. This meet is separate from Senior Champs and is held under a separate sanction, although the finals sessions will be swum combined with the finals of Senior Champs.
On the following weekend, March 15-18, PVS 14 & Under Junior Olympic Championships will be held at Fairland Aquatic Center. The application to work at this meet can likewise be found on the PVS website. You must apply no later than March 10 for specific deck positions. Once again, late applications and walk-ins are welcome and will be assigned to available positions.
Eastern Zone Sectionals
March 22-25 at George Mason University, PVS will be the host LSC for
the Speedo
Championship Series, Eastern Zone Southern Sectional Meet. This
Long Course meet will feature some of the fastest swimmers from across
the Eastern Zone. This will be an Officials Qualifying Meet for the
National Certification program; officials can be evaluated for N2 certification
in all positions, and N3 certification in all positions except Administrative
Referee. Any official interested in being evaluated at this meet must
apply in advance. If you want to see some very fast swimming , and if
you really want to see how a national-level championship meet is run,
this is the meet for you. Officials interested in working this meet
should submit the Application
to Officiate.
But Wait . . . There’s
More
Are your children swimming at the RMSC Mini Championships, MSSC
Spring Championships, or the MAKO Spring Invitational? We need your
help at these meets also. See the schedule above to contact the meet
ref.
PVS Mailing Lists
PVS is transitioning all of its email lists from the current provider
(Officials@PotomacValleySwimming.org) to Google Groups. The new list
requires all members to opt-in. As a member of the officials mailing
list, you will receive an invitation from the list administrator, Tim
Husson, with the subject “Google Groups Invitation: PVS Officials”.
To join the list, you must click the link in the email to subscribe
to the new list. These lists are all private and spam-free. If you have
any questions, please contact Tim
Husson.
You
Make the Call
At the turn in a 50-yard butterfly event, the turn judge recommends
a disqualification for a one-hand touch. Upon questioning the turn judge,
the chief judge determines that the turn judge observed three swimmers
in his jurisdiction come into the wall simultaneously. As the turn judge
shifted his eyes across all three lanes, the turn judge observed the
swimmer in lane 3 pulling away from the wall with only the left hand
in contact with the wall. Because the turn judge did not observe the
right hand of the swimmer in contact with the wall, he raised his hand
to make a call. Is this a valid DQ?
See the answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
Mentoring Matters
This year’s clinics have been very well-attended—that means
lots of new officials on deck and lots of opportunities for experienced
officials to serve as mentors. Mentoring plays a significant role in
the training of new officials, helping the trainee in attaining the
skills and confidence needed to become an effective official.
The dictionary defines a mentor as “a trusted counselor or guide” and “a wise, loyal advisor or coach.” The original Mentor was a character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. While Odysseus was fighting the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor also served as the teacher and advisor to Odysseus’ son, Telemachus.
The mentoring process is primarily an educational one and is intended to be a positive experience that will allow officials to grow in knowledge, experience and enjoyment of swim officiating. Mentors can bring to life the theoretical concepts presented at clinics, and can demonstrate practical aspects of officiating.
Most sessions can accommodate several trainees for S&T Judge, but only very rarely would there be the possibility of multiple trainees for Referee, Starter, or the table positions at a single session. The Referee will assign mentors to trainee Stroke & Turn officials during the stroke briefing. Ideally a mentor should be an experienced official who has been certified at least one year in the position. The S&T mentor should begin by reviewing position and jurisdiction area on deck for that meet. Review and explain the rules that apply for the various events. Describe what you’re looking at while the swimmer is approaching and leaving your jurisdiction. Share with the trainee how you observe without scrutinizing, especially when there are multiple swimmers in your jurisdiction. Explain any disqualifications observed and review the proper procedure for reporting DQs. Give constructive feedback that emphasizes progress and areas for improvement, and always explain the reason for any suggestion. And always remember that your trainee is a volunteer, like all of us.
If you are afforded the opportunity to serve as a mentor, please take the responsibility seriously. And remember to note the experience in the online Officials Tracking System under “Activity History.”
New Officials / Advancing Officials
We’d like to welcome these new officials—and congratulate
advancing officials—who have recently completed the requirements
for first-time PVS certification in the following positions.
Stroke & Turn Judge: | Referee: |
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Starter: |
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HyTek Operator: |
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Electronic Timing Operator: | ![]() |
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Questions? Suggestions?
Do you have a question about officiating or a tip you’d like to
share? Is there a rule that you’d like to have clarified? Do you
have a suggestion for a future item in this newsletter? If so, please
send your questions/comments to the newsletter editor, Jack
Neill.
The Timing Judge
Because of its critical importance, many people contribute to determining
the Official Time for each swimmer. But it is ultimately the responsibility
of the Timing Judge to determine the Official Time for each swimmer.
All other personnel (Lane Timers, Chief Timer, and ETS Operator) provide
input to this determination. Only the Timing Judge or the Referee can
make the formal determination.
The Timing Judge should have available all times produced by the all timing systems being used, as well as any supplemental information that may be useful to determining the Official Time. This includes reports of possible problems from the timers and the ETS Operator, as well as the reported order of finish from the Starter. The Timing Judge also assures all disqualifications approved by the Referee are recorded so that those swimmers do not receive an Official Time. Once the Official Time is determined, it is provided to the HyTek Operator.
When automatic timing is the primary timing system, the pad times must be compared with the button or watch times to verify that the pad times are valid. If the backup times vary from the pad time by .29 seconds or less, the pad time must be used as the Official Time. When there is a difference of .30 seconds or more, the Timing Judge should review other available information in order to make an informed decision. This information can include consistent backup times supporting a different time, reports that the swimmer missed the pad, touched the pad too lightly, the reliability of the pad in other heats, and/or a recorded order of finish.
When the Timing Judge concludes that he cannot recommend use of the time produced by the Primary Timing System as the Official Time, he must obtain the Referee’s concurrence. In doing so, he should explain his rationale for rejecting the primary time and his basis for determining the Official Time. The Referee may provide guidelines to the Timing Judge regarding circumstances when an adjustment may be made without seeking individual approval. When integrating times from different timing systems (i.e. secondary and tertiary system times with the primary system times) the back-up times shall be adjusted as specified in the USA Swimming Rules.
Resolution to ‘You Make
the Call’
The chief judge should recommend to the referee that the call not be
accepted. Officials should only call what they see, not what they don’t
see. While it is possible that the swimmer did not make a two-hand touch,
it is also possible that a two-hand touch was made, but made before
the turn judge had shifted his eyes to that lane.