Swim Canada Officials Training- November 14, 2026

October 14, 2026

SWIM OFFICIALS CLINIC – SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, November 14, 2026

Competitive swimming is a fantastic sport for children, but running successful swim meets requires a significant commitment from parent volunteers.

Unlike many sports, a swim meet requires a large team of officials and volunteers. We need timers for every lane, along with trained officials such as Starters, Inspectors of Turns, Judges of Stroke, Chief Timekeepers, Clerks of Course, Safety Marshals, electronics officials and other deck officials.

Simply put: we cannot run swim meets without trained parent officials!

What certification does your family need?

As swimmers progress through the club, parents are expected to progress with their officiating qualifications:

Gummy, Teddy, Cub & Grizzlies: Parents should begin working toward Level 1
Panda & Black Bears: A parent is required to be certified as Level 1
Brown Bears, Polar Bears & Kodiaks: A parent is required to be certified as Level 2
Silvertips: A parent is required to be certified as Level 3

Please note: Financial penalties may apply if your family's required officiating certification is not completed. Refer to the Volunteer & Officiating Policy here

What do the officiating levels mean?

LEVEL 1 – RED PIN

Level 1 introduces parents to the fundamentals of swim officiating.

Requirements include:

Being fully registered as an official in REMS
Introduction to Swimming Officiating – Learn the basic rules of competitive swimming and the role of a timekeeper
Safety Marshal – Learn pool deck safety and warm-up/warm-down procedures

LEVEL 2 – WHITE PIN

Level 2 builds on the fundamentals and requires additional clinics and on-deck experience.

Requirements include:

Completing two deck evaluations as a Timekeeper
Inspector of Turns clinic plus two successful deck evaluations
Judge of Stroke clinic plus one successful deck evaluation
Completing one of the following clinics:
- Chief Recorder
- Recorder
- Chief Timekeeper (available online and in-person)
- Chief Judge Electronics
- Meet Manager
- Starter
- Admin Desk (available online)

LEVEL 3 – ORANGE PIN

To achieve Level 3, officials must:

Complete all Level 2 clinics
Become certified through deck evaluations in three Level 2 positions, including Electronics Operator
Complete the Para Swimming e-module, if not previously completed

OFFICIALS CLINIC – NOVEMBER 14

To help our families meet their officiating requirements, WGB is offering a full day of officials clinics on Saturday, November 14, 2026.

Check the certification level you need and attend the appropriate sessions below. You are welcome—and encouraged—to attend more than one session.

Saturday, November 14 Schedule

9:00 – 11:30 a.m. - Inspector of Turns & Judge of Stroke

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.- Introduction to Swimming Officiating, Safety Marshal & Chief Timekeeper

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. - Chief Judge Electronics

2:30 – 3:45 p.m. - Recorder (& Chief Recorder)

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. - Starter

What will you learn?

Introduction to Swimming Officiating

Timer, Chief Timekeeper & Safety Marshal – 75 minutes

An easy introduction to the world of swim meets and the working deck. Every official begins as a timer, which is one of the best places to learn what is happening between the whistles.

As a bonus, this session also covers the Chief Timekeeper and Safety Marshal clinics.

Inspector of Turns & Judge of Stroke - 150 minutes

Two clinics in one session! These are at the heart of swim officiating. Learn the rules governing each competitive stroke, proper turns and finishes, and what officials are watching for in the pool.

This is an important session for parents working toward Level 2 certification.

Chief Judge Electronics - 60 minutes

See the meet from a completely different perspective—the timing booth! Learn how electronic timing information is reviewed and processed to help ensure every swimmer receives an accurate official time.

Recorder (& Chief Recorder) - 75 minutes

Get hands-on experience behind the scenes. Learn how meet results are managed, how events and finals are prepared, and how reports and official results are generated for publication.

Starter - 60 minutes

Your chance to hold the microphone! Learn the Starter's role in initiating each race and helping ensure every swimmer receives a fair start.

Register Now!

Whether you are brand new to swim officiating or working toward your next certification level, this is a great opportunity to complete several clinics in one day.

Our swim meets depend on parent officials. The more trained officials we have, the stronger our club and our meets will be for all of our swimmers.

Please register by sending an email to wgbofficials@gmail.com indicating your name, your athlete and which sessions you will be attending.