Facilities and Education

TRAINING FOR SWIMMING OFFICIALS

 The following is an introduction to the training of swimming officials.

From 1st October 2007 ASA swimming officials are to become British Swimming officials.

The new categories of officials are to be:

Club Timekeeper

Judge Level 1

Judge Level 2

Judge Level 2 (S)

Referee

Training

Excepting referees, candidates will no longer be required to take and pass a written examination.  Their knowledge is to be gained in a practical way on the poolside under the supervision of experience officials who will act as mentors

Each candidate is to be provided with a Workbook for their category.  The Course Leaders will conduct the introductory and subsequent theory sessions.

It is then the responsibility of the candidate to identify suitable galas where they can be mentored.  The course leader will discuss this with the candidate but they should include a range of events at local and higher level so that candidates experience the mistakes swimmers make – more common at low level events and the requirements of electronic timing systems etc at higher level events.

In every case the candidate is responsible for asking the event organizer if they can be mentored for the module they wish to practice, though the course leader may provide some assistance.  When being mentored the candidate is responsible for presenting his/her workbook to the mentor for feedback comment and to the referee.  Signatures from both are required for each module.

If the referee is satisfied with the standard that the candidate has achieved – which is usually the case, the referee should be asked to sign off the module in the appropriate section of the workbook.  It is the responsibility of the candidate to ask the referee if he/she is satisfied and to obtain the necessary signatures.

Once the candidate has completed the Workbook  he/she should notify the Course Leader who will arrange a check theory question and answer session and recommend an event where the candidate can attend a signing off session, commonly called a test or exam.  It is a session to satisfy experienced officials that the candidate is someone the assessors are happy to work with as a qualified official.   Normally there will be two people observing the candidate, one known to the candidate, the other undisclosed.

The course leader will send off a notification that the candidate has completed the course satisfactorily.  Their name and qualification level will then be added to the National list.

British Swimming will then send an Application Form to become a Licensed Official as well as a new Certificate of Authority as a British Swimming Official for the appropriate category.   The £10 initial license fee will be paid by the West Midlands Region.

All officials are required to re-register as qualified officials every four years.  (Re-registration fees will be paid by the county association)  For re-registration officials need to demonstrate that they have completed the necessary qualifying CPD sessions and officiated at at least the minimum number of events in the preceding four years.  The British Swimming log book provides details of the requirements.

The written exams for referee candidates are in November with re-sits in March for those who unfortunately don’t pass the November paper.

pdf copies of the workbooks can be downloaded from the British Swimming web site.

Warwickshire ASA approved Course leaders

All Levels of Official

Paul Welsh                  –               Leamington

Dave Marsh               –                Perry Beeches

Note:- there is a Referee course leader based in Hereford if this  is a more convenient location for a referee course leader.  The interaction between course leader and candidate on the referee course is much closer than for other levels and will include using past papers for exam practice, with feedback from the course leader on the answers to the practice papers.

JL1, JL2, JL2S Officials

David Corbett            –             Birmingham

Karen Walker             –             Stratford Sharks

Delia Reynolds           –            Nuneaton/Bedworth

Ron Smith                     –             Rugby

Jeff Wilkes.                 –              Solihull / Coventry

Pam Davies                –               Rugby

Sally Stow                  –                Rugby